Delano Herald Journal

Serving the communities of Delano, Loretto, Montrose, MN, and the surrounding area

‘Earl Tracy’ musical is inspiration of former Howard Lake woman



Few may know that the play “Earl Tracy, the Man, the
Mystique, the Musical,” sprung from the mind of Howard Lake native
Marienne Kreitlow.

Kreitlow wrote the play and composed the musical score
for the production about Tracy, a charismatic man who lived in Cokato during
the 1930s.

A friend told her about Earl Tracy, and she became interested
in local history while she was performing in a concert, she said.

She composed a ballad about Tracy.

“Where I played that song, people responded to it,”
she said.

The musical is one of her first playwriting attempts, although
her experience in writing music extends far back in the past.

“It was a wonderful revelation of my roots,”
she said. It took her five years to write the musical.

Kreitlow wrote her first song in Howard Lake as a seventh
grader. it was about the Dustin massacre. In retrospect, it sounded sort
of like “Gilligan’s Island,” Kreitlow said.

She played organ at St. John’s Lutheran Church.

Kreitlow parents are Dorothy and Willard Kreitlow, Howard
Lake.

Currently, she lives in LaPorte, Texas, with her husband,
Jerry Ford. Ford designed the stage sets for the play as well.

This is the 110th play that he has participated in, he
said.

“I worked on (the Tracy play) longer than any other,”
he noted.

“The most enjoyable aspect of the play was the music,”
Worcester said.

“I’ve always loved music,” she added. Kreitlow
knows how to play flute, guitar, piano and also performs as a vocalist.

She has made a number of recordings as well.

She graduated from Howard Lake high school in 1969. She
received a bachelor of arts degree in religious studies at the University
of Minnesota.

The lead character in the musical, Tracy was known for
his charisma and acts of faith healing. He attracted a large audience of
followers during Depression. He was covered in a story in the Minneapolis
Tribune at the time.

Tracy had a major economic impact on the community, Kreitlow
said. This is especially significant since it was during the Depression
years, Kreitlow said.

Some branded Tracy as a fraud, although all agree that
he is one of the most memorable people from the area.

For more information about the play, visit www.marienne.com
on the Internet.

To purchase tickets, call 320-286-2427.

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