Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum Unveils Exhibit Spotlighting ‘Nashville’ TV Series

The Country Music Hall of Fame^® and Museum has just unveiled a special spotlight exhibition dedicated to ABC’s hit television series “Nashville” on April 5. “Nashville”: Like a Country Song, which will feature costumes, props and more from the acclaimed drama, will be located within the museum’s permanent exhibition on the second floor; the exhibit will run through October 31, 2013.

Artifacts on display in “Nashville”: Like a Country Song include:

• A metallic-toned cocktail dress, with bronze paillette overlay and copper sequins and beading, and snakeskin-look platform peep-toe shoes, worn by Rayna Jaymes (Connie Britton) when she performed “Wrong Song” with Juliette Barnes.

• A beaded, strapless mini-dress, worn by Juliette Barnes (Hayden Panettiere) when she and Rayna Jaymes performed “Wrong Song.”

• A 2009 Gretsch G6121-1955 Chet Atkins solid body guitar and personalized strap played by Deacon Claybourne (Charles Esten) in the pilot episode of “Nashville.”

• A Boho-inspired black lace dress with silky skirt, worn by Scarlett O’Connor (Clare Bowen).

• A Gibson LG-2 guitar belonging to Gunnar Scott (Sam Palladio).

• Framed art featured in the episode “You Win Again,” in which fictional record label Edgehill Republic throws a party to celebrate the platinum success of the Rayna Jaymes-Juliette Barnes duet “Wrong Song.”

• A script of the “Nashville” pilot episode, autographed by cast members Powers Boothe, Clare Bowen, Connie Britton, Eric Close, Charles Esten, Jonathan Jackson, Sam Palladio, Hayden Panettiere and Robert Ray Wisdom.

“Nashville” airs on the ABC Television Network on Wednesdays, 10 – 11 p.m., PT/ET and is executive produced by Dee Johnson (“Boss,” “The Good Wife”), R.J. Cutler (“The September Issue,” “The War Room”), and Oscar^®-winning screenwriter Callie Khouri (“Thelma and Louise”). The weekly drama focuses on the lives and careers of country music rivals Rayna Jaymes and Juliette Barnes, played by Connie Britton and Hayden Panettiere, respectively; the show also features a supporting cast of industry insiders, musicians, fledging artists and politicians. Filmed on location in Music City, the series gives viewers a realistic look inside the music industry. Khouri says the show “plays out like a country song. There’s heartbreak; there’s cryin’; there’s drinkin’. The whole notion is to live in the world of country music, so you’ll get everything that goes along with that.”

Each episode also features original songs, such as “Wrong Song” and “If I Didn’t Know Better,” performed by the actors. Executive music producer, T Bone Burnett—in league with co-producer and musician Buddy Miller—keeps the show’s tunes sounding authentic. This winning mix of music and drama made the series the most anticipated new show of autumn 2012: Among its many accolades, “Nashville” was described by the Los Angeles Times as “big, bold, wildly ambitious and great fun”; and Entertainment Weekly declared it “the best new show of the fall season, boldly soapy, seamlessly musical.”

Spotlight exhibits at the museum are narratives that supplement themes or aspects of the museum’s core exhibition, Sing Me Back Home: A Journey Through Country Music. These short-term, informal displays either provide a closer look at a particular person, group or aspect of country music, or spotlight recently donated items or special anniversaries. Rotated often, spotlight exhibits also offer a glimpse into the museum’s unique collection, which includes recorded discs, historical photographs, films and videotapes; thousands of posters, books, songbooks, periodicals and sheet music; personal artifacts such as performers’ instruments, costumes and accessories; and more.

Other current spotlight exhibits focus on Garth Brooks, Jack Greene, Minnie Pearl, Hargus “Pig” Robbins, Connie Smith and Dottie West.

Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, the Country Music Hall of Fame^® and Museum is operated by the Country Music Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) educational organization chartered by the state of Tennessee in 1964. The museum’s mission is the preservation of the history of country and related vernacular music rooted in southern culture. With the same educational mission, the foundation also operates CMF Records, the museum’s Frist Library and Archive, CMF Press, Historic RCA Studio B and Hatch Show Print^®.

More information about the Country Music Hall of Fame^® and Museum is available at countrymusichalloffame.org or by calling (615) 416-2001.

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Emancipation Proclamation on View at Tennessee State Museum, Nashville, Feb 12-18

The Tennessee State Museum in Nashville, which has had ongoing exhibits marking the Civil War Sesquicentennial, will exhibit the Emancipation Proclamation, Feb. 12-18 – the only museum in the southeast on the Emancipation Proclamation Tour © 2013 Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

The Emancipation Proclamation will be on view at the Tennessee State Museum Feb. 12 -18. The document, which is making its only southeastern U.S. stop in Nashville, will only be on view for 72 hours over the seven days. After that, a facsimile of the document will be in the exhibit. The viewing is in conjunction with the Discovering the Civil War exhibition from Washington D.C.’s National Archives.

President Abraham Lincoln signed the document in 1863 proclaiming all those enslaved in Confederate territory to be forever free. 2013 marks the 150^th anniversary of the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation.

“It is an incredible honor for Tennessee to host the Emancipation Proclamation, a document whose significance to the history of this country, and this region in particular, cannot be overstated,” according to The Honorable Bill Haslam, governor of the Volunteer State. “This delicate manuscript represents America’s recognition that all are entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and we invite people from across the Southeast and the nation to see and celebrate with us the moment our country officially became the land of the free.”

Museum officials estimate that 300 people will be able to see the document each hour. However, time periods will be built in so that when no reservations are sold, lines can catch-up if they are running behind, or to let more people walk in if the line is running on time.

The Discovering the Civil War exhibit will continue at the museum through September 1, 2013. Many of the other items on display have never been publicly exhibited. Highlights include the original copy of the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery along with South Carolina’s 1860 declaration of secession. This popular traveling exhibit is free to the public, and the State Museum will be the last stop before these historic documents return to Washington D.C.

The exhibit is divided into 12 thematic areas that combine great original treasures, engaging touch screen interactive, and social media tools, all selected to illustrate the breadth of the conflict and to ask, “How do we know what happened?”

Reservations are on sale through TPAC Ticketing which has ticket windows on site in the same building as the museum. Visitors may obtain a reservation at the windows; going online to www.tpac.org; or by calling a local Nashville number 615-782-4040. There will be a handling charge of $1.00 paid to TPAC Ticketing for each reservation. There is no admission charge to see the document.

For additional updates on the Emancipation Proclamation and Discovering the Civil War, visit the museum’s website at www.tnmuseum.org. Discovering the Civil War was created by the National Archives and Records Administration and the Foundation for the National Archives.

For more information on Tennessee happenings, visit tnvacation.com, facebook.com/tnvacation, tnvacation.com/triptales/, instagram.com/tnvacation, twitter.com/tnvacation/ or pinterest.com/tnvacation/

See also:

Tennessee launches Civil War Heritage Trail in time for Sesquicentennial and slideshow

Women Play Dramatic, if Unheralded Roles in Civil War and slideshow

For more travel features, visit:

www.examiner.com/eclectic-travel-in-national/karen-rubin

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Taylor Swift: Speak Now – Treasures from the World Tour Exhibition at Country Music Hall of Fame, Nashville

The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum in Nashville is dedicated to the preservation of the history of country and related vernacular music rooted in southern culture © 2012 Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com.

The Country Music Hall of Fame^® and Museum will explore superstar Taylor Swift’s record-breaking world tour with the exhibition Taylor Swift: Speak Now—Treasures from the World Tour, which opens on June 6, 2012, and runs through November 4, 2012. The exhibition will include dozens of costumes, instruments, set pieces and props from the six-time Grammy winner’s acclaimed 2011-12 Speak Now World Tour, which entertained more than 1.5 million fans over 111 shows in 19 countries spanning four continents.

“Taylor Swift’s Speak Now tour was one of the most successful tours in all of music, and she has been an ambassador for country music, raising awareness of our genre literally around the globe,” said Museum Director Kyle Young. “We are delighted to be able to bring our visitors up close and personal with many of their favorite elements from the show, from the colorful and elaborate stage costumes and beautiful instruments, to the magnificent ‘Juliet balcony’ that Taylor entered near the conclusion of each show and ‘flew’ around the circumference of each venue.

“Taylor is a dynamic live performer whose open heart and engaging personality allow her to make even the largest stadium shows an intimate experience,” Young continued. “Touring has always been a key element connecting music artists with their fans; those interactions help forge and strengthen the artist-fan relationship, and this exhibit speaks to that. And the opportunity came to us out of discussions we were having with Taylor related to our expansion—serendipity is a wonderful thing!”

Earlier this month, Swift pledged $4 million to fund a new education center at the museum. Swift’s gift, the largest capital contribution by an individual artist in the museum’s 45-year history, prompted the museum to name the new space the Taylor Swift Education Center. The center will open in early 2014. The gift was made in conjunction with the museum’s expansion capital campaign, Working on a Building: Country Music Lives Here.

Swift has for years been a generous supporter of the museum’s exhibitions, loaning the institution dresses, stage costumes and instruments for display; a free-standing, Taylor Swift multimedia exhibit has been one of the museum’s most popular attractions since its debut in May, 2010.

The Speak Now exhibition will recreate 10 vignettes from the tour, including the following artifacts:

· Taylor’s Roberto Cavalli ombre gold bugle-beaded dress and shimmering red Gibson Les Paul model electric guitar, featured during Swift’s performance of “The Story of Us”

· Taylor’s vintage ecru lace dress and Deering six-string banjo with rolled steel drum; fiddle player’s Marc by Marc Jacobs moss green crepe dress; male dancer’s soft-shoe costume including Brixton tartan plaid newsboy cap, shirt, pants, vest and oxfords; and numerous props including the 6’ x 8’ switchboard

· Taylor’s pale blue silk Marchesa gown with rhinestone bodice; and a white piano bench with tufted leather upholstery, both featured in “Back to December”

· Taylor’s red, sequined Jenny Packham slip dress and knee-high leather boots, worn during “Better Than Revenge”

· Taylor’s vintage purple silk halter dress; dancers’ costumes including a chiffon bridal gown with pearl- and bead-encrusted bodice, tulle veil and silk rose bouquet; two cotton-candy pink bridesmaids’ dresses with lace bodices and ruffled tulle skirts, and bouquets; groom’s ivory tuxedo and black pants; cleric’s vestments; and props including retro microphone, all featured during “Speak Now”

· Taylor brand koa wood ukulele with mother-of-pearl inlay, whose “happy sounds” Swift elicited during her acoustic performance of “Fearless”

· Taylor’s sleeveless, flesh-colored Reem Acra gown with sequin overlay; female dancer’s ballerina costume, comprised of a gold and ivory brocade bodice and pastel tulle tutu, embellished with pastel tulle flowers, seed pearls and beading; male dancer’s tunic and leggings; and prop trees; all featured in “Enchanted”

· Taylor’s re-worked vintage dress, featuring leather corsetry; and the mallet she used to ring the bells during her performance of “Haunted”

· Taylor’s black Jenny Packham flapper-style slip dress with rhinestone embellishments; black knee-high leather boots; and Taylor brand “sparkle” guitar encrusted with Swarovski crystals and featuring a headstock outlined in crystals and embellished with a crystal “13,” featured during “Long Live”

· Taylor’s golden Valentino ball gown, featuring layers of tulle and a sequin overlay; dancers’ and aerialists’ costumes; and the “Juliet balcony” in which Swift soared above the crowd during each performance of “Love Story.”

Accredited by the American Association of Museums, the Country Music Hall of Fame^® and Museum is operated by the Country Music Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) educational organization chartered by the state of Tennessee in 1964. The museum’s mission is the preservation of the history of country and related vernacular music rooted in southern culture. With the same educational mission, the foundation also operates CMF Records, the museum’s Frist Library and Archive, CMF Press, Historic RCA Studio B and Hatch Show Print^®.

More information about the Country Music Hall of Fame^® and Museum is available at www.countrymusichalloffame.org or by calling (615) 416-2001.

See also:

Nashville: Where the Heart & Soul of Country Music Beats Strong
Nashville Richly Deserves its Moniker, ‘Music City, U.S.A.’

For more travel features, visit:

www.travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate

www.examiner.com/eclectic-travel-in-national/karen-rubin

Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville to Open The Bakersfield Sound: Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, and California Country Exhibit

The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum will tell the story of the stars, sidemen and songwriters who created and popularized a new kind of country music in mid-20th century America in The Bakersfield Sound: Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, and California Country, a more than 5,000-square-foot exhibition on view March 23, 2012 through December 31, 2013 © 2012 Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com.

The Country Music Hall of Fame^® and Museum will tell the story of the stars, sidemen and songwriters who created and popularized a new kind of country music in mid-20^th century America in The Bakersfield Sound:  Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, and California Country, a more than 5,000-square-foot exhibition opening on Friday, March 23, 2012, and closing on December 31, 2013.

Narrated by Dwight Yoakam, the exhibit will explore the roots, heyday and impact of the Bakersfield Sound, the loud, stripped-down and radio-ready music most closely identified with the careers of Country Music Hall of Fame members Buck Owens and Merle Haggard.  Co-curated by the institution’s Curatorial Director Mick Buck, Photo Collection Manager Tim Davis and Museum Editor Michael Gray, the Bakersfield Sound exhibit includes more than 100 artifacts and a generous overlay of audiovisual treasure.

“We are incredibly excited to explore the Bakersfield Sound story,” said Museum Director Kyle Young.  “It’s an epic tale, born in the Great Depression, set two thousand miles from country music’s epicenter, and populated by a remarkably talented and tight-knit community of musicians who came together to invigorate and reinvent country music as they knew it.  These colorful artists infused their work with an aural intensity and independent spirit, in the process creating a sound that reverberates through country music to this day.

“We are grateful to all of the artists, musicians and families who shared their knowledge, memories and artifacts with us,” Young continued.  “An exhibit of this scope and magnitude would not have been possible without their cooperation.  We would also like to thank Dwight Yoakam for his participation: Dwight is an iconoclast whose rich musical catalog embodies the Bakersfield Sound tradition; he’s also a historian and fan who reveres the bedrock of this genre. I can’t think of anyone better than Dwight to guide our visitors on the Bakersfield journey.”

Grand opening weekend will be highlighted by a Saturday, March 24 panel discussion featuring Dallas Frazier, Don Maddox, Rose Lee Maphis, Buddy Mize, Country Music Hall of Fame member Jean Shepard and Red Simpson. Later that afternoon, all of the panelists will participate in a concert, headlined by Simpson, backed by West Coast bandleader and guitarist Deke Dickerson and other noted musicians from Tennessee and California. Other opening weekend programs include a Bakersfield Sound book talk, a film screening and an instrument demonstration (see complete details below).

The exhibit will also be accompanied by a richly detailed, lavishly illustrated, 96-page companion book, titled The Bakersfield Sound: Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, and California Country.  Published by the Museum’s Country Music Foundation Press and exclusively distributed by the Hal Leonard Corporation, the volume will include essays by California-based music journalists/historians Scott B. Bomar, Randy Poe and Robert Price.  Also included are dozens of archival photographs and beautiful color images of many of the artifacts included in the exhibit.  The book will be available in the Museum Store and at www.countrymusichalloffame.org.

Bakersfield Sound is supported by the Academy of Country Music, Ford Motor Company Fund and SunTrust.  Additional support was provided by Buck Owens Production Company.  Promotional support is being provided by media partners Great American Country Television Network and Cumulus Media.

EXHIBIT SUMMARY

The Bakersfield Sound story begins during the Great Depression, when Bakersfield’s cotton farms and oil fields attracted a mass migration of Dust Bowl refugees from Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas.  Born in Texas in 1929, Buck Owens moved with his sharecropping parents to Arizona before heading to Bakersfield in 1951.  Merle Haggard’s family, driven to the area from their east-Oklahoma farm, lived in an old converted railroad boxcar when Haggard was born, in a Bakersfield hospital, on April 6, 1937.

The exhibit will explore Bakersfield’s club scene where, in the 1940s and 1950s, the city’s plethora of dance halls and honky-tonks provided respite for wall-to-wall, rambunctious workers eager for the boogiefied honky-tonk of the Maddox Brothers & Rose or the eclectic swing sound of Bob Wills.   Also on the bandstands were enormously influential musicians Wynn Stewart and Tommy Collins, whose classic honky-tonk songs Owens and Haggard would later record, and for whom they worked as sidemen before launching solo careers.

The exhibit also spotlights Bill Woods, widely regarded as “The Father of the Bakersfield Sound,” and other musical architects, including “Cousin” Herb Henson, Ferlin Husky, Billy Mize, Fuzzy Owen, Bonnie Owens, Jelly Sanders, Jean Shepard, Red Simpson and Lewis Talley.

One of Bakersfield Sound’s recurring themes is the connections between all of the artists making music during this fertile period.  This is epitomized by the careers of Bakersfield’s greatest stars, Owens and Haggard.  As they came to prominence in the 1960s, their careers and personal lives were interwined not only with each other but with virtually all of the other major figures of the Bakersfield scene.   These two superstars remained faithful to the classic honky-tonk style and, at the same time, gave country music a harder edge in keeping with the drinking, loud talking, fist-fighting and romancing that characterized Bakersfield’s nightclub culture.   Owens and his top-notch band, the Buckaroos, first popularized Bakersfield’s amped-up hybrid of honky-tonk, rockabilly and western swing with  1960s chart-toppers like “Act Naturally,” “Love’s Gonna Live Here,” “Together Again” and “I’ve Got a Tiger by the Tail” and Haggard and his equally stellar band, the Strangers, soon followed with the unforgettable gems “Sing Me Back Home,” “Mama Tried,” “Okie from Muskogee” and “The Fightin’ Side of Me.”   These Bohemian originals scored nearly 60 #l hits between them and created a body of work that continues to influence artists today.

The exhibit will also focus on the Bakersfield music businesses that evolved in the 1960s, including publishing houses, recording studios, booking and management agencies, radio stations and performance venues, and particularly on Buck Owens Enterprises, the music empire owned and operated by the savvy Owens.  It will also explore the enduring impact of the Bakersfield Sound on subsequent generations of musicians, singers and songwriters, from country-rock pioneers the Flying Burrito Brothers to Dwight Yoakam and Brad Paisley, and many others.

Among other narrative elements, visitors will learn about the importance of Capitol Records producer Ken Nelson, who recorded numerous Bakersfield classics, including many of Owens’ and Haggard’s hits, and who has been elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame; and the role of the Buckaroos and the Strangers in developing the Bakersfield Sound, with emphasis on key sidemen such as steel guitar innovator Ralph Mooney, Telecaster ace Roy Nichols and lead guitarist and harmony vocalist Don Rich. The Bakersfield-based Mosrite company, who manufactured instruments and issued recordings, also will be highlighted.

The Bakersfield Sound story will include hundreds of archival photos, audio and video clips, and a Fort Knox of rare, historic and visually stunning artifacts including:

·         Stage costumes worn by the Maddox Brothers & Rose, featuring floral motifs, elaborate embroidery and fringe, created by famed Hollywood designer Nathan Turk; Wynn Stewart’s understated Nudie suit with decorative straps and buckles; several Turk-designed suits worn by Buck Owens; a Nudie suit with motifs from the San Joaquin Valley, worn by Bobby Adamson of the Farmer Boys; and more.

·         A plethora of important instruments, including Telecasters belonging to Buck Owens and Don Rich; Speedy West’s Bigsby 1948 steel guitar (its whereabouts a mystery for decades); Ralph Mooney’s Fender double-neck pedal steel guitar; and Merle Travis’s electric guitar – one of the first solid-body electric guitars, designed by Travis and built by Paul Bigsby.

·         Legal documents including the marriage license of Buck and Bonnie Owens; and the “Full Pardon for Crimes of Merle Haggard,” signed March 1, 1972, by then-California Governor Ronald Reagan.

Weaving the expansive story together via video screens throughout the gallery is Yoakam, who created a one-of-a-kind oral history – with special guests Merle Haggard and Chris Hillman – especially for this exhibit; the interview was taped at Hollywood’s Capitol Records Tower, where many Bakersfield Sound hits were made.

Throughout its 21-month run, The Bakersfield Sound:  Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, and California Country will be accompanied by related public programs including live performances, films, panel discussions and more.  The schedule will be regularly updated at www.countrymusichalloffame.org.

With the purchase of a museum membership ($40/individual membership and $100/friends and family membership), visitors can attend most public programs free of charge for one year, including programming related to Bakersfield Sound.

More information about the Country Music Hall of Fame^® and Museum is available at www.countrymusichalloffame.org or by calling (615) 416-2001.

See also:

Nashville: Where the Heart & Soul of Country Music Beats Strong
Nashville Richly Deserves its Moniker, ‘Music City, U.S.A.’

GRAND OLE OPRY SHOWS YOU CAN BE ‘OLE’ AND STILL BE NEW
85 Years Young and Still the Heart & Soul of Country Music

For more travel features, visit:

www.travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate

www.examiner.com/eclectic-travel-in-national/karen-rubin

 

 

 

Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge 51st Birthday Bash in Nashville Features Kid Rock

Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge 51st Birthday Bash will take place on Wednesday, November 23 in association with Kid Rock, who is performing that evening at the Ryman Auditorium.

Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge owner Steve Smith announced today Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge 51^st Birthday Bash will take place on Wednesday, November 23 in association with Kid Rock, who is performing that evening at the Ryman Auditorium as part of his nationwide tour giving money to and raising awareness for people in need.

“We couldn’t be happier that Kid Rock is working with us to make the Tootsie’s Birthday Bash a ‘rockin’ good time for everyone in Nashville,” comments Steve Smith. “Kid Rock is a part of Tootsie’s history. It’s going to be a memorable night.”

“Every time I end up at Tootsie’s it’s a good night, and I don’t expect this night to be any different. It’s cool to be celebrating their birthday party with them; I like parties and seem to excel in that type of atmosphere.” commented Kid Rock on the event.

Tootsie’s is known to have been used as a “green room” to some of the greatest Opry stars including Patsy Cline, Hank Williams, and Ernest Tubb. “Tootsies is where the stars would come to wet their whistles and pick their guitars,” adds Smith.

The Tootsie’s Birthday Bash will begin at noon in the streets on Broadway. Entertainment will be on both stages of Tootsies, the roof-top of Rippy’s, with a possible stage in the street. After the Kid Rock show, Tootsie’s will continue the celebration into the night!

Today, Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge is a must-see Music City destination for tourists and is frequented by locals, including some of the biggest names in country music, who often drop in and surprise patrons with impromptu performances. Kenny Chesney with classic rock icon Steve Miller, Kix Brooks, Montgomery Gentry, Kid Rock, Randy Houser, Jamey Johnson, Dierks Bentley, and Hank Williams, Jr. are among the artists who have recently performed there. For additional information, visit www.tootsies.net.

Tickets to Kid Rock’s show at the Ryman go on sale October 15^th at 10 am CST. Ticket prices range from $45 – $85 and are available at TicketMaster or at the Ryman box office.

The Tootsies Birthday Bash will take place on lower Broadway starting at noon and will last deep into the night after the Kid Rock show.

See also:

Nashville: Where the Heart & Soul of Country Music Beats Strong

On the Town in Nashville, Music City U.S.A.

GRAND OLE OPRY SHOWS YOU CAN BE ‘OLE’ AND STILL BE NEW

 

 

Gaylord Opryland Resort is offering Family-Friendly County Music Summer Vacation Packages

As part of Gaylord Opryland Resort's Ultimate Country Music Summer package, get an exclusive behind-the-scenes Backstage Tour of the Grand Ole Opry House © 2011 Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Located in the heart of the country’s capital of country music, Nashville, Tenn., the Gaylord Opryland Resort is offering a family-friendly County Music Summer vacation. Chock full of offerings that will appeal to every age, the amenities, accommodations, events and entertainment at each property will only be topped by the personable, memorable service that Gaylord is known for. Available weekends now through August 14, 2011, the Country Music Summer offers travelers exclusive backstage experiences, live entertainment and fun-filled family activities.

Two package offerings include the following:

The Ultimate Country Music Summer package including:

• 1 or 2-night room accommodations
• Waterin’ Hole Pool Party with live DJ, line-dance instruction, Country Guitar Hero Tournaments, games, dive-in movies, country karaoke
• Preferred seat ticket to the world-famous Grand Ole Opry
• Special welcome gift
• “Comfort Foods and Country Music”. A rare experience, enjoy a dinner of mouthwatering Southern comfort foods backstage in the famous Studio A of the Opry House, plus “Music City in the Round” hosted by songwriter/artist, Bobby Tomberlin, featuring live performances by Nashville’s finest songwriters
• Exclusive behind-the-scenes Backstage Tour of the Grand Ole Opry House
• VIP Coupon Book valued at more than $250

The Country Music Summer Waterin’ Hole Party package includes:

• 1 night room accommodations
• Waterin’ Hole Pool Party with live DJ, line-dance instruction, Country Guitar Hero Tournaments, games, dive-in movies, country karaoke and more!
• “Music and a Meal” at Jack Daniel’s Saloon
• VIP Coupon Book valued at more than $250

 

Additional event and family activities that are available include:

Backstage Opry House Tour, “Comfort Foods and Country Music” followed by the Grand Ole Opry
Friday and Saturday, 4:30 p.m. – 9 p.m. at the Grand Ole Opry House

Country Look-A-Like Breakfast, Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. – 11 a.m.  at Solario

Music and a Meal, Friday and Saturday, 4 p.m.  at Jack Daniels Saloon

Waterin’ Hole Pool Party at Magnolia Pool

DJ (Sunday through Thursday from 1 – 5 p.m., Friday – Saturday from 1 – 6 p.m.)

Country Guitar Hero Tournament (daily, 2 – 3 p.m.)

Pool Games (daily 3 – 4 p.m.)

Country Karaoke (daily, 4 – 5 p.m.)

Line Dancing (Friday and Saturday, 5 – 7 p.m.)

Dive-In Movies (daily, 8 – 10 p.m.)

For more information, visit; to book, call 866-972-6779 or click.

See also:

Grand Ole Opry Shows You Can be ‘Ole’ and Still Be New

 

 

 

 

On the Town in Nashville, Music City U.S.A.

http://www.travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate/Nashville_On_the_Town.html

 

Nashville: Where the Heart & Soul of Country Music Beats Strong

http://www.travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate/Nashville_Heart_and_Soul_of_Country_Music.html

 

Nashville for Families

http://www.travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate/Nashville-FamilyTravel.html

 

 

Nashville’s Metro Historical Commission Launches Civil War Series April 9

Tennessee launches five-year commemoration of 150th anniversary of Civil War with a color guard of Union and Confederate soldiers at Nashville's Tennessee State Museum © 2011 Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Nashville, TN, March 4, 2011—

The commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War is already underway, as key events are marked. The state of Tennessee, the only state which has been declared a Civil War Heritage Area, has launched the most ambitious and comprehensive program with a Civil War Heritage Trail that encompasses the entire state, with scores of events taking place over the next five years. In its entirety, the depth and breadth provides an unparalleled opportunity to re-connect with the complex and tormenting history and understand it in a way that is eerily, horrifyingly relevant to today.

Nashville’s Metropolitan Historical Commission will commence its Civil War Sesquicentennial program Saturday, April 9, at The Downtown Presbyterian Church in Nashville with a series of presentations called “The War Begins:  Causes of the Secession Crisis in Tennessee.” The church is located at the corner of Church Street and Fifth Avenue, North.

At 8:30 a. m., Mayor Karl Dean will make opening remarks.  He will be followed by Jim Hoobler, chairman of Metro Historical Commission’s Civil War Sesquicentennial Committee, who will give a brief history of The Downtown Presbyterian Church and its use during the Civil War.

Starting at 9 a. m., Dr. Jonathan Atkins, of Berry College in Mt. Berry, Georgia, will speak on “Parties, Politics and Sectional Conflict in Tennessee 1832-1861,” in which he will describe the causes in Tennessee leading to its involvement in the Civil War.

Dr. Kristopher Ray, of Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee, and editor of the Tennessee Historical Quarterly, will explain at 10 a. m. how the leaders in both the North and South reinterpreted the precepts of America’s founding fathers to suit their own political, social and economic purposes.

At 11 a. m., The Fisk Jubilee Singers will perform spirituals and other songs appropriate to the Civil War period.  Their performance is partially funded by a grant from the Tennessee Arts Commission.

The program will end at noon.

“The Civil War was a defining event in American history,” Hoobler says.  “The causes of the war defined who we had been as a country, and the outcome of the war determined that we are a country.  Mayor Dean has asked that we as a community commemorate the brave men and women, North and South, who fought and died in this struggle. This event will mark the beginning of a five year activity of commemoration and remembrance.  The citizens of Nashville are encouraged to participate in these events and to remember our shared past.”

The event is free and open to the public.  Free parking is available in the Premier Parking Lot at Fifth and Church to those people who tell the attendant that they are attending the Symposium. For more information, contact Jim Hoobler at Jim.Hoobler@tn.gov.

See our series about Tennessee’s Civil War Trail launching soon at www.examiner.com/eclectic-travel-in-national/karen-rubin

Radio City Christmas Spectacular at Opryland!

The “Radio City Christmas Spectacular” that just opened here at Grand Ole Opry, Nashville, is truly that: if anything “spectacular” is an understatement.
A tradition in New York City’s Radio City Music Hall for 75 years, some years ago, Radio City created touring troupes. This show at Gaylord’s Grand Ole Opry has been part of Opryland’s “A Country Christmas” now for four years.

The Rockettes numbers were perfection – keeping the tradition but making everything fresh and contemporary. These dancers are of course the pinnacle of sophistication and grace – and then you see them in this delightfully charming Rag Doll routine.

The Rockettes are legendary for their precision and I could hardly breathe as I watched them do the number that I remembered so well from my childhood: the Toy Soldiers. I was standing exactly in the middle, and you could only see two soldiers, that are actually 2 dozen – that is how

Radio City Rockettes performing their legendary "Toy Soldiers" ©2009 Karen Rubin/News&PhotoFeatures

precise they are. It was thrilling to see.

Their routines smack of the stunning stage craft of Ziegfield or Busby Berkeley, and strike just the right balance with entertainment that will delights children and adults alike.

 

As phenomenal as the Rockettes are, the rest of the show is marvelous as well, with creative routines and costumes and choreography that is pure enchantment by a cast and crew of almost 100 (including camel, donkey, sheep who are part of the Living Nativity that closes the show).

The choreography, the costumes, the sets and lighting, the music and the performances are top quality. There is even a bit of a fancifully done Nutcracker Ballet, with a charming little “Clara” who dances on point brilliantly and sings (in other numbers) divinely.

The “Radio City Christmas Spectacular with the Rockettes” is a not to be missed production that makes the Gaylord Opryland “A Country Christmas” that much more spectacular – this is one of several exquisite holiday activities that make for the most enchanting family Christmas anywhere.

The Radio City Christmas Spectacular with the Rockettes plays at the Grand Ole Opry from Nov. 20 to Dec. 27.

“Ice – A Charlie Brown Christmas” is another that is not to be believed (see blog).

Tickets to both are included in A Country Christmas Package, starting at $339 for a two-night stay at Gaylord Opryland Resort (a fantasy come true). Call 888-OPRY-872 or visit http://www.ChristmasAtGaylordOpryland.com.
More information about Gaylord’s “A Country Christmas,” Gaylord’s Opryland Resort, Grand Ole Opry and Nashville at http://www.travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate.

The famed precision dancers, Radio City Rockettes highlight the Christmas show at Grand Ole Opry, Nashville ©2009 Karen Rubin/News&PhotoFeatures

A touch of "Nutcracker" at Radio City Christmas Spectacular ©2009 Karen Rubin/News&PhotoFeatures

Sneak Peak at “Ice: A Charlie Brown Christmas” with Charles M. Schulz’ Family

Amazing! Just got back from a sneak peak at “Ice: A Charlie Brown Christmas” with Charles M. Schulz’ family – his wife, Jeannie Schulz, son Craig, Daughter Jill, and the producer of “Charlie Brown Christmas” and the other Peanuts television specials, Lee Mendelson.
I had seen the ice carvers from Harbin, China, as they were just three days into a 40-day process that turned two million pounds of ice into eight scenes (you can see pictures at an earlier blog). To see it now, this amazing cartoon world come to “life” in ice, is indescribable.
We are all given special parkas before we enter this 9-degree “world”, and are immediately dazzled by life-sized, colorful, three-dimensional re-creations of the Peanuts characters. It is as if they had come to life, in ice.

Peanuts characters on ice, in ice at Opryland Country Christmas © 2009 Karen Rubin/News&PhotoFeatures

Jeannie Shulz, Charles’ wife from 1965 until he died, was most moved to the last room where Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the Christmas tree are surrounded by all the Peanuts characters, as you hear them singing, “Hark the Angels Sing”.

Jeannie Schultz with Charlie Brown at Opryland's "Ice" © 2009 Karen Rubin/News&PhotoFeatures

Most amazing, and fun for all, is this enormous room with four ice slides that you get to come down. Jeannie Schulz did it. So did Snoopy and Charlie Brown.

Charlie Brown goes down ice slide, where Snoopy, Jeannie Schultz wait © 2009 Karen Rubin/News&PhotoFeatures

You will be dazzled by how the famous scenes from the 1965 television classic, from the first scene on the ice-skating pond to the transformation of Charlie Brown’s tree are transformed into three dimensions.
The figures are five feet tall, fully formed and with all their color and nuanced expression, not to mention the incredible details in the wood flooring, leaves on trees, wreaths, streetlamp all made of ice – artistic marvels. It is uncanny, indescribable in words or pictures. It is magical. An icy wonderland.
Jeannie, as well as Charlie Brown and Snoopy also went down the ice slide in another room that is jaw-dropping awesome.

Charlie Brown and Linus recreated with amazing detail at "Ice" © 2009 Karen Rubin/News&PhotoFeatures

This is a phenomenon that must be seen, but it is only one element of Gaylord Opryland’s “A Country Christmas”.  Other key attractions include the RadioCity Christmas Spectacular starring world-famous Radio City Rockettes; Louise Mandrell’s ‘Joy to the World’ Christmas Dinner & Show; and General Jackson showboat.

Ice is on view daily, from Nov. 20, 2009 through Jan. 2, 2010, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. depending on the day of the week. Ticket prices range from $13 (child) to $24 (adult), depending on the day. Children ages 3 and under are admitted free.

Two-night package at Gaylord Opryland Resort featuring room, ticket to Radio City Christmas Spectacular, Ice, Louise Mandrell, starts at $339 pp/double. For info, go to ChristmasAtGaylordOpryland.com or call 888-OPRY-872.

More complete story, photos at http://www.travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate.