A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor

Martin Sheen

Growing up in Dayton, Ohio, Martin Sheen (born Ram&oaculte;n Gerardo Antonio Estévez) always wanted to be an actor. His father thought otherwise, but undeterred, Sheen finally borrowed a few bucks from a local priest and headed for New York. That was in 1959. Over the years, he has piled up Emmys, Golden Globes and other accolades for his performances in movies such as Badlands, The Subject Was Roses, Apocalypse Now, The Departed and Bobby, and on television for "Kennedy," "Blind Ambition" and his seven seasons in the role of President Josiah Bartlet on NBC's "The West Wing." For his work as a tireless activist for social and environmental causes, he has received numerous honors, including the C&eacte;sar E. Chávez Spirit Award.

Kristin Andreassen

She sings, she dances, she writes award-winning songs, she plays a bunch of instruments. Many know Boston-based Kristin Andreassen from the old-time string band Uncle Earl. Or from her work with "folk noir" vocal trio Sometymes Why. Or from her warp-speed clogging routines with Footworks Percussive Dance Ensemble. Now this multitalented performer — whose musical beginnings included her childhood choir and piano lessons with grandma — is branching out once more and starting to tour under her own name. Her debut solo album, Kiss Me Hello, came out in 2006. Joining her for tonight's performance are Jefferson Hamer, Emma Leahy-Good and Bryn Davies.

Singer, songwriter, guitarist, producer Nick Lowe has certainly left his stamp on popular music, starting with his stint with the pub-rock band Brinsley Schwarz — a strong influence on 1970s punk music — and during his years with Rockpile. His songs include "Cruel to Be Kind" and "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding," which, in addition to being covered by dozens of other artists and appearing on the soundtrack to The Bodyguard, is still an anti-war anthem after three decades. Labour of Lust, The Impossible Bird and The Convincer are among his acclaimed albums. His 2007 recording, At My Age (Yep Roc Records), is described by the Village Voice as having "a benevolent, whimsical, grandfatherly air that's both sincere and devilishly devious."

Maria Jette

In addition to her 45-plus operatic roles, soprano Maria Jette has performed pop songs, chamber music, oratorio and more. She has appeared with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, New York Chamber Symphony, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and Minnesota Orchestra, and with numerous symphony orchestras coast to coast. A frequent collaborator with VocalEssence and other choral ensembles, she is also a regular guest at the San Luis Obispo Mozart Festival and the Oregon Festival of American Music. For years, Twin Cities audiences have delighted in her Sopranorama performances with Molly Sue McDonald, Janis Hardy and Dan Chouinard.

Nellie McKay

She started out wanting to be a jazz musician. Now when singer, songwriter, actor, stand-up comedian and activist Nellie McKay sits down at the piano or picks up the ukulele, you're apt to hear some blend of jazz, pop, hip-hop, cabaret or vaudeville. The London-born, New York-based performer — who spent her teenage years in the Poconos — has found quite a following with her quirky musical approach. She's nothing if not outspoken, and the causes she holds dear — animal rights, for instance — are apt to turn up in her unpredictable song lyrics. Her 2004 debut CD was called Get Away From Me — a play on the title of Norah Jones' Come Away With Me. Her latest recording, Obligatory Villagers (Hungry Mouse), was released last fall.

Raúl Melo

Metropolitan Opera tenor Raúl Melo has sung principal roles with major opera companies worldwide. He made his Met debut during the 2005–2006 season as the Duke in Rigoletto, and this fall sang the part of Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly. Other recent performances include the roles of Pinkerton and Cavaradossi (Tosca) with the New York City Opera, the tenor soloist in the Verdi Requiem with the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, the Navigator in the Anthony Davis opera Amistad at the Spoleto Festival in Charleston, South Carolina, and Alvaro in Verdi's La Forza del Destino at the C(eský Krumlov International Music Festival in the Czech Republic. At the piano: Bradley Moore, Metropolitan Opera Assistant Conductor.

Butch Thompson

For 12 years of his four-decade career, Butch Thompson was the house pianist on A Prairie Home Companion, dating back to the show's second broadcast in July 1974. As a soloist, he has earned a worldwide reputation as a master of ragtime, stride and classic jazz piano. Described by Jazz Journal International as "the premier player in traditional jazz today," Thompson also performs with his trio, his eight-piece New Orleans Jazz Originals, and with symphony orchestras from Minnesota to Cairo, Egypt. Thompson recent recordings include Butch Thompson's Big Three: 'Tain't Nobody's Business (Jazzology Records) and At First Light (Turnagain Music), a collaboration with the Miami Philharmonic and conductor Gordon Wright.

Emmylou Harris

Born in Alabama and raised in North Carolina and Virginia, Emmylou Harris began playing the guitar at 16. A few years later, she recorded her first album, Gliding Bird. In the early 1970s, she moved to Los Angeles and teamed up with Gram Parsons, with whom she made two recordings. After Parsons' death in 1973, Harris made her major-label debut, Pieces of the Sky. Now, with dozens of albums and countless awards, including 12 Grammys, she maintains a widespread and loyal following. Her latest CD is All I Intended to Be (Nonesuch Records). Rickie Simpkins (fiddle, mandolin), Phil Madeira guitar, keyboards), and Chris Donohue (bass).

Brad Paisley

When Brad Paisley was about eight, his grandfather gave him a guitar and a piece of advice: "Anything that's going wrong in your life, you can pick this guitar up and it'll go away. Seems grandpa was right. At 12, Paisley wrote his first song. His school principal heard it and invited him to perform at a Rotary Club meeting. That's when a radio program director who was in the audience asked Brad to appear on WWVA's Jamboree USA. Brad was a hit. He hasn't stopped wowing music moguls and fans alike. In 2001, he was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry, and he has been honored with numerous awards from the Country Music Association, the Academy of Country Music and more. This year, he took home a Grammy for Best Country Instrumental Performance. 5th Gear (Arista Nashville) is Paisley's most recent album.

With a little luck and a whole lot of talent, Old Crow Medicine Show went from playing their slash-and-burn brand of old-time music on the streets of Boone, North Carolina, to bringing down the house at the Grand Ole Opry. Willie Watson (guitar), Ketch Secor (fiddle), Gill Landry (banjo, guitar), Kevin Hayes (guitjo) and Morgan Jahnig (bass) have wowed audiences coast to coast with their distinctive take on pre-World War II blues, rags, hollers, fiddle tunes and jug band numbers. They have been included in several documentaries, including PBS's American Roots Music series and In the Valley Where Time Stands Still, a film about the history of the Renfro Valley Barn Dance. Their new CD, Tennessee Pusher, was released last month on the Nettwerk Records label.

Yo-Yo Ma

At age four, Yo-Yo Ma began to study the cello with his father. Soon after, the family left their home in Paris and moved to New York. The youngster attended the Juilliard School and later expanded upon his conservatory training with a liberal arts education from Harvard. His discography of more than 75 albums (15 Grammy winners among them) reflects his wide-ranging interests — from Bach to Brazil. His latest CD, Songs of Joy & Peace (Sony), was released this fall. Over the years, Yo-Yo Ma has mentored thousands of students worldwide. In 2006, Secretary General Kofi Annan named him a U.N. Messenger of Peace, an appointment that was extended in 2007. His numerous awards include the Avery Fisher Prize and the National Medal of the Arts.

Guy's All-Star Shoe Band

The Guy's All-Star Shoe Band is led by A Prairie Home Companion music director Richard Dworsky. A masterful keyboard player, composer and improviser in any style, he writes all the script themes and underscores, and he has accompanied guests from James Taylor to Renée Fleming. His latest CD is So Near and Dear to Me.

Chet Atkins called Pat Donohue (guitar) one of the greatest finger pickers in the world today. And he writes songs too — recorded by Suzy Bogguss, Kenny Rogers and others. Freewayman (Bluesky Records) is the most recent of Pat's nine albums.

Gary Raynor (bass) has performed with the Count Basie band, Sammy Davis Jr. — with whom he toured for several years — and the Minnesota Klezmer Band. He teaches jazz bass at the McNally Smith College of Music in St. Paul.

Peter Johnson (percussion) has played klezmer music with Doc Severinsen and jazz with Dave Brubeck. He was a drummer for The Manhattan Transfer and for Gene Pitney. He has toured the world, but he always comes back to home base: Saint Paul.

Andy Stein (violin, saxophone) definitely has far-flung musical leanings. He collaborated with Garrison Keillor to create the opera Mr. and Mrs. Olson, and he has performed with artists such as Itzhak Perlman, Eric Clapton, Smashing Pumpkins, Billy Joel, Tony Bennett, Ray Charles and Bob Dylan.