A brand new theatrical manufacturing celebrating the wealthy historical past of nation music is about to debut in Music Metropolis this week. Nation Roads USA, written and directed by Dean Sams of the multi-platinum band Lonestar, will start its dwell residency Thursday, March 19 at CabaRay Showroom in Nashville. The 11-person manufacturing delivers an immersive musical journey by the legendary artists who formed nation music from 1928 by 2000.
Working weekly Thursday by Saturday, the present traces the evolution of the style—from the hills of Appalachia and Texas dance halls to the brilliant lights of the Grand Ole Opry. Alongside the way in which, the manufacturing celebrates iconic performers together with Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Merle Haggard, George Jones, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Alan Jackson and George Strait.
Sams created the present out of a deep respect for the artists who constructed the style’s basis. “I really like nation music, and I really feel like we’ve gotten away from shining the highlight on those that basically made nation music what it’s,” he says.
Authenticity performs a significant position within the manufacturing. Sams labored with musicians who carried out on lots of the authentic late ’80s and ’90s recordings to assist seize the sound of every period. That spotlight to element carries by the visible components as properly. Costume designer Renee Layher studied every artist and time interval to create wardrobe items that mirror each the look and spirit of the performers portrayed, whereas choreographer Laurin Floyd Turner provides dynamic staging that enhances the present’s theatrical power.
Serving to carry the manufacturing to life are Producing Associate Jeanna Kenney and Basic Supervisor Brian Schafer, who’ve guided the undertaking from idea to stage. The solid options 11 performers chosen not just for their vocal means but additionally their appreciation for nation music historical past, with every artist embodying the legends they painting on stage.
For Sams, launching the present on the CabaRay Showroom—owned by Ray Stevens—felt like the proper match. The venue’s partitions are lined with photographs of nation music legends, lots of whom are celebrated in the course of the efficiency.
Finally, Sams hopes the present reconnects audiences with the roots of the style. “I hope folks stroll away feeling related to conventional nation music once more, really feel entertained, and really feel extra educated concerning the legends that made this style common,” he says.
With its mixture of dwell music, storytelling and theatrical manufacturing, Nation Roads USA affords a novel new expertise in Nashville whereas honoring the artists who constructed nation music’s enduring legacy.
