NEW YORK –– The highly-anticipated Opry City Stage is set to open Friday, December 1, marking a historic moment for country music and for country music’s most iconic brand, the Grand Ole Opry. The Opry’s first “home away from home,” Opry City Stage boasts a four-level live music and dining space that combines the show that made country music famous with the world’s largest cultural hub, New York City. The dining experience, led by a culinary team managed by the renowned Bromberg Brothers, the company led by Bruce and Eric Bromberg of Blue Ribbon Restaurants, will feature elevated Southern comfort food.
Located at 1604 Broadway in the heart of Times Square, the 28,000 square-foot complex will feature a two-story restaurant, bar and performance stage that occupy the second and third floor, an intimate, world-class concert space – The Studio at Opry City Stage – on its fourth floor and a ground floor retail space. In addition to a full slate of live music, select performances from the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville will be live-streamed on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays beginning December 1, marking the first time these performances from the Opry will be seen regularly by fans outside the iconic live show in Music City. Programming from Nashville’s songwriting epicenter, the Bluebird Cafe, will headline several nights of shows in The Studio at Opry City Stage beginning in 2018.
The menu at Opry City Stage, created by the Bromberg Brothers, draws from the rich and soulful cuisine of the South. It has a modern, bold and playful take on the dishes of the region. Signature dishes include Pimento Cheese Dip served with saltine crackers and celery; Biscuit Basket with cinnamon butter and honey; Smoked Corn Chowder with cheddar cheese and green onions; Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich with pickles on a brioche bun; and Honky Tonk which includes brisket, ribs, cheddar sausage, pulled pork, chicken, skillet corn, mac & cheese and hush puppies served with coleslaw, pickles and Texas Toast. Opry City Stage will also be the exclusive restaurant offering the Grand Ole Opry inspired beer, “Hopry,” created by Nashville’s own Yazoo Brewery.
In addition to the sounds of Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry, the venue’s four floors will feature stunning art installations and exhibits that salute some of the Opry’s most memorable artists, performances and moments in time. Its opening exhibit, Iconic Fashions from the Opry Archives, documents decades of legendary artist fashions including those of Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, Garth Brooks and Taylor Swift. Among one-of-a-kind installations crafted as permanent fixtures in the venue is an Opry Member Gallery featuring each current member of the Grand Ole Opry. Also displayed are hand-made narrative folk art banners capturing lyrics and imagery from country music hits such as The Devil Went Down to Georgia and Friends in Low Places developed by Nashville artisans, as well as legendary clothier to the stars, Manuel. Guests will also discover a 17-foot re-creation of Jimmie Rodgers’ Blue Yodeler guitar gifted to Ernest Tubb and played on the Opry for years thereafter with “THANKS” emblazoned on its back.
Additionally, the venue showcases a collection of more than 300 photographs from the Opry’s photo archive spanning nearly a century. Among those depicted include world-famous legendary Opry members such as Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton and Minnie Pearl, as well as recent inductees, such as Little Big Town, Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban.
Colin Reed, Chairman and CEO of Ryman Hospitality Properties, said, “Country music and the country lifestyle have never been more popular than they are today. Through Opry City Stage, we can now share an authentic slice of country’s most famous institution with the millions of people from around the country and the world who visit Times Square each year.”
The venue will bring the sounds of today’s country music to Times Square on New Year’s Eve with performances by CMA-nominated LoCash. The hit-making duo will appear for two shows, with packages on sale now at oprycitystage.com.