Review: NASHVILLE LIVE!, Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow

Nashville, Live! is a concert style theatre show that promises to transport you to an evening at the Grand Ole Opry.

The format of the evening is very similar to a live broadcast at the Opry. The 'on air' sign lights up and musical performances are punctuated with original jingles and adverts. The timeline of music features ranges from Hank Williams and Johnny Cash through to Dixie Chicks and Garth Brooks.

The performances aren't impersonations of the artists which sets this apart from other similar tribute shows. While the clothing style is definitely country, there isn't a garish blonde wig to be seen! As well as performing many of the songs, Lisa Wright warms up the crowd in a manner that is very much reminiscent of Minnie Pearl giving the evening a realistic Opry feel.

Nashville, Live! definitely mixes things up with the set list. Although one of the company performs several songs as Patsy Cline it was another performer who tackled "Crazy" in the style of the song's original writer Willie Nelson. Of course, all the hits that you would expect to hear from the likes of Dolly Parton are present too but they aren't performed in a musical theatre manner. There are unique voices and this really adds to the authenticity of the show.

Although the majority of the performance was quite theatrical and the audience stayed seated- they really took things up a notch for the finale! Glasgow is known for having a very dedicated country music fan base and the success of the Nashville TV show and Country to Country arena tour has definitely brought a new audience to the genre. The evening was brought to a close with everybody on their feet and joining in with the more high energy numbers. Nashville, Live! is an excellent evening of music performed in that unique Opry style.

Nashville, Live! is on tour around the UK

Photo credit: Douglas McBride

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