‘OPTY 100’ producers explore the highlights of NBC Country Music Special

With “OPRY 100: A Live Celebration” that goes out live tonight, producers of the Show offer a preview of the three-hour broadcast-Die does not have a hundred artists to represent the 100 years of the Grand Ole Opry, but may seem close to it for the three hours. The show is broadcast from 20-11 pm et/pt on NBC and Peacock.

Silent House, which is behind the conceptualization and production, many of the topara of today and stadium tours (such as Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour), works together with De Opry on production. Silent House’s Baz Halpin, Mark Bracco and Linda Gierahn, who recently won Emmys for ‘Carol Burnett: 90 years of Lach + Love” Together with RA Clark and Steve Buchanan, serve as executive producers in ‘Opy 100’. Gierahn and Bracco spoke with Variety During a time-out of rehearsals about what country fans can expect.

Or just fans of music, in general they wanted to emphasize. “You know, there are so many incredible songs in the show that are part of the American Songbook that were huge crossover -so I think this is not an event that is only for fans of country music,” said Bracco. “If you are a fan of music, there are so much great music in these three hours and so many songs that you will know – and know the words – that even if you don’t consider yourself a country music fan, I really think the umbrella is very big for a viewer for this show.”

Some, but not all, of the versions, were announced in the days prior to the Wednesday evening’s broadcast. “There are more than 20 versions in the show. Because it is not a prize -giving ceremony, there is more time for music. We have a tribute to Patsy and Loretta. We have Garth and Trisha who pays tribute to George and Tammy. Hulde to Randy Travis and Kelsea Ballerini who give a greeting to a greeting.

Moreover, he said: “The war and the treaty lead a tribute to the roots and the gospel of the country with Amy Grant and some special guests who participate in it. Allison Kraus + Union Station does a Bluegrass -Segment. So we really try to represent every generation, several pieces of country music, people still with us are legends of those legends of the legends of legends of the legends of the legends of the legends of those to be legends of the legends of us. represent in these three hours. ”

Gierahn added: “One that I am really enthusiastic about is a small jam from the 90s, for which we have Blake (Shelton, the host of the show), Clint Black and Trace Adkins. And we just came out of rehearsal with Post Malone; we were all dancing and just fun, while he did a little while he did, a little” a little, “a little” with traitt. “

It is not all cover numbers or intergenerational duets. Eric Church’s choice does not remain elevated and goes into the broadcast, but it will be an original number and – knowing who it comes – possibly a somewhat iconoclastic choice. “Eric does a special version of a song that means a lot to him and his relationship with De Opry, which is very emotional and personal,” said Bracco. “It is one of his songs that is simply connected to an emotional event for him. We really wanted to give people something of that freedom, and it was great in the creative process of people who came and say:” You know, I would like to pay tribute to this or to that “or” I want to do a certain song that has a special meaning for me with the upy. ” And that’s what Eric does. “

A few artists will do double duty on more than one song. “Keith Urban brings tribute to Crystal Gayle:” Do not make my brown eyes blue, “but then goes in one of his big hits, so it’s a bit of both for some people,” said Bracco. “Lainey Wilson and Marty Stuart Do ‘Lost Highway’ for Hank (Williams) Sr., and then Lainey and Marty do one of Lainey’s songs together.”

Krauss will be seen more than once in the Bluegrass segment, but also do a duet with Brad Paisley on their early 21st-century smash “whiskey lullaby”. That is also an opportunity for one of the oldest and most steadfast members of De Opry, Bill Anderson, to appear, who introduces that duet because he wrote it together.

In the meantime, how do you do an in Memoriam for a hundred years per artists? How much can still be pressed, still to be seen, but Vince Gill will be present to deliver what will certainly be the most tested version of a song with soundtrack thousands of funerals, “go high on that mountain.”

The parts of the show that go from the UPRY House will be live, while selected segments were recorded in advance in a separate recording in the house of the program before the 1970s, the Ryman Auditorium, in an event with ticket. That served two purposes: the beloved Ryman gave his props and also make some of the live-set changes a little less hectic than they would be if more than 20-plus versions all took place in live backgrounds. ”

“It’s probably a bit of both,” said Bracco. “I mean, I think you can’t tell the story of De Opry without taking up the Ryman. But it now gave us the opportunity to go to these fantastic versions, while we might reset the stage and get some things in the UPRY podium.” There will be a different look than the ORTY HOUSE and RYMAN segments, especially with the very modern possibilities of the OPY House, which does live radio or TV broadcasts at least once a week. “We have brought in a number of really great screens that make part of the show, so there will be content as part of every version that really helps to tell the story of that number or that version, and each version will look very unique because of the screen content that we have created for each – a number of more intimate, more pace and pleasure.

Said Gierahn: “We are just so honored to be part of it and so excited. Both Mark and I and a lot of the Silent House people and people we have worked on the project have previously done shows in Nashville and I have been part of that community. I just have to be to go to school in Nashville, so I was really special for me to work and I was to work and I was to work and work.”

“She still has her 615 number,” be Bracco from Gierahn.

“And there is so much art and just joy and love in the show and celebrating the ORTY and celebrating what it means for all these artists,” she continued, “and not only the artists, but people behind the scenes who have been part of the OPY and have chosen people for many years.