I'll never forget the first time I walked onto the stage at the Grand Ole Opry House. It was during load in for the Radio City Christmas Spectacular in 2009. I was a Production Assistant on the show and Tim (my partner who also happened to be the Associate Company Manager on the show) was showing me around-- giving me a tour of the building that would basically be our home for the next 2 months. As we walked thru the wings to the stage he asked me "Are you ready for this?". I didn't know it at the time, but I wasn't ready. Suddenly we were standing in the center of a massive stage looking out onto a house filled with church pews. "Oh my God! I'm on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry House!" I said. Although they were covered by a dance floor for the show, I knew that I was walking on the same boards as legends like Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Johnny Cash, and many others. Chills ran over my whole body. Then Tim showed me a circle in the floor downstage center (that can be seen subtly thru our dance flooring). That circle of wood is actually from the stage of the Ryan Auditorium. So when I stepped into that circle I was standing on the same boards as even bigger legends like Patsy Cline, Elvis Presley, Hank Williams and many others! I... was... speechless.Not everyone has this reaction to the Opry House but I grew up listening to Country music. As a 6th generation Tennessean, it's in my blood. I was listening to greats like Conway Twitty, George Jones, & Tammy Wynette while in the womb. To this day I have to pinch myself when I work at the Opry. Whether I'm running the show backstage or calling the show from the wing, or just eating lunch in Studio A (once used to film Hee-Haw!) I feel SO LUCKY.
Here is a cool video of Dolly Parton performing on the stage at the Grande Ole Opry last month. Isn't she just amazing? You can really see the circle of wood from the Ryman in this clip too.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9eG9uKVtG4]
