Gregory J. Holman

GHOLMAN@NEWS-LEADER.COM

Clarification: This story has been updated to reflect a change in showtime from the venue and performer.

Food Network star and author Alton Brown is coming to Springfield.

The purveyor of scientific cooking advice (example tip: fry a hamburger in shortening, don't grill it) is in the middle of a national tour.

"Alton Brown Live: Eat Your Science" will stop at Juanita K. Hammons Hall Tuesday, Oct. 17, at 7 p.m.

In a Monday news release, Brown said fans can expect new songs, comedy, puppets and "bigger and better potentially dangerous food demonstrations.”

Brown’s shows include a lot of audience participation.

“Each show is made completely unique by that interaction because we don’t plant people," he told the USA TODAY Network in a May 3 interview.

"I pick people randomly, and then where the show goes is very much up to them in a lot of ways. In every town that’s completely different.”

In a news release, Brown said, "I don’t want to give too much away, but this time we’re going to play a little game.”

“Plus, you’ll see things I’ve never been allowed to do on TV.”

For example, Brown is able to hit up residents of every city where "Eat Your Science" tours for local suggestions on where he should dine while he's in town. He plans to do this in Springfield, Brown's publicist confirmed.

"Eat Your Science" is Brown's second "live culinary variety show," according to the news release. It has sold more than 200,000 tickets in more than 80 cities. Brown's first tour, the "Edible Inevitable Tour," played in more than 100 cities and attracted more than 150,000 fans.

Tickets for Brown's Springfield appearance go on sale at 10 a.m. Thursday. Prices range from $46 to $125 (plus applicable fees), and are available online at HammonsHall.com, by phone at 417-836-7678 or at the Juanita K. Hammons Hall box office, 525 S. John Q. Hammons Parkway.

Brown was the creator, writer and host of "Good Eats," which ran for 14 years on Food Network. He also hosted "Cutthroat Kitchen," a competition show, and he served as a commentator on "Iron Chef America."

Brown is a James Beard-award winning author whose eight books on food and cooking include "EveryDayCook," a compendium of everyday eats he cooks at home.