Behind the scenes with A Prairie Home Companion as it gets Texas cozy

Garrison Keillor didn't just use the Wortham Theater Center as a stage for a live broadcast of A Prairie Home Companion Saturday evening. True to form, he made Texas part of the show.

The host made several references to the H-Town lifestyle in such features as his popular Guy Noir segment and highlighted plenty of Lone Star talent during the two-hour presentation.

Keillor shared the stage with mezzo-soprano Susan Graham, the Midland native who has performed as the lead in several major Houston Grand Opera productions, and The Quebe Sisters, a band that includes a trio of singing and fiddling siblings from Denton. Texas-born mandolist/violinist Richard Kriehn also made a musical appearance.

When Keillor interviewed The Quebe Sisters after their first song, they talked about being home-schooled most of their lives — which the crowd applauded. Keillor seemed surprised to hear the crowd's reaction, but then settled into the simple fact that he was indeed in Texas Land.

“L.A. girls are hip, I really dig that herbal tea,

And New York girls are dressed in black and they always glare at me,

And Minnesota girls are sweet, they can really warm your heart,

They are able to attach the cable and give you a jump start,

But Texas girls are something else,

They’re long and they’re tall,

They can’t be beat and they sound so sweet when they say ‘ya’ll.’

They’re earthy and they’re subtle and they’re funny and profound,

They’ve got their dreams and yet it seems they’ve got their boots on solid ground.

I wish they could all be Houston, Texas girls (repeat 3 times)”

The crowd for Keillor skewed older, although a smattering of people under 40 stood out in the audience.

For David Garcia of LD Systems, this was his third time seeing Keillor. Keillor is known for his red shoes, and Garcia thinks this trademark is a good move.

“Somebody told me once in your life you have to have something that marks you and that particular guy had red socks,” Garcia said.

Garica was accompanied by fellow musician and assistant producer of KUHF’s The Front Row, Meghan Hendley.

“(KUHF) is honored to have him come back especially since he was just here this past December,” Hendley said. “I think that we’re storytellers here in the South, so to have him here on stage was really cool.”

Graham dominated much of the show. The Grammy award-winning mezzo-soprano joined the voice actors for a couple of Keillor’s skits, including one when he went to cowboy certification class but was out lassoed by her. She broke into operatic song a couple of times and then switched to a Buddy Holly tune, as Keillor noted that Holly’s Lubbock roots are similiar to Grahman’s Midland background.

One of the voice actors broke into a George W. Bush imitation, which drew laughs.

Some in the audience said they came all the way from El Paso to see Keillor. The host probably knows how long of a trip that is.

Keillor’s familiarity with Texas was evident. He and his staff obviously did their research. The magic of his voice and the sound effects are somewhat lost in the live performance though. If you're used to listening to A Prairie Home Companion while preparing dinner or cleaning up around the house, being immobile in a theater seat, watching it too, can almost make you feel unproductive.

While Keillor is a great performer, this show was too live for my taste. I’ll stick to listening to the radio.

I prefer the mystery. What about you?