By Jeanni Ritchie
It was like Branson came to Nashville instead of the other way around.
Which is fitting, since Ray Stevens did exactly that.
Country Roads USA is still relatively new to Nashville, having opened in March 2026 at the Ray Stevens CabaRay Showroom. The show takes audiences on a musical journey through the history of country music, combining familiar songs, talented performers, inspired choreography, comedy, gospel, and the stories behind the music.
Created by Dean Sams of Lonestar, the production features an 11-person cast portraying 43 artists in just 75 minutes. The “quick-change” musical journey begins with the Carter Family in 1928 and continues through Alan Jackson in 2000.
But this isn’t simply a concert filled with familiar songs.
Narration between performances connects one era to the next, sharing pieces of country music history while performers transform through costumes, characters, and music into some of the genre’s most recognizable stars.
The lineup includes Ernest Tubb, Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Conway Twitty, Johnny Cash, George Jones, the Oak Ridge Boys, Alabama, Reba McEntire, George Strait, Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, Lonestar, and many more.
Some were recognizable before they even began to sing.
We knew Billy Ray Cyrus had taken the stage the moment the mullet appeared.
The desk and three women in wigs—one sporting an iconic Dolly Parton style—cued us in to 9 to 5 before anyone tumbled out of bed and stumbled to the kitchen.
The fiery red hair of mother-daughter duo The Judds needed no introduction either.
It was fun to guess who’d taken the stage–Willie in his trademark braids!–before the narrator revealed the artist and the performer started to sing.
It was necessary to keep moving through the years, but I could’ve listened to Johnny Cash and George Strait all night!
Comedy is sprinkled throughout the production, adding personality and laughter between the musical performances. You knew when Minnie Pearl had arrived by the price tag hanging off her hat.
Gospel gets its own portion, with sing-along numbers like I’ll Fly Away and Will the Circle Be Unbroken.
The result is part tribute concert, part theatrical production, and part living country-music history lesson.
The CabaRay also offers a full dinner-theater experience in addition to show-only tickets.
I’d discovered that my friend Mari was also visiting Nashville that week, so I invited her to join me. After our dinner—she’d chosen the BBQ chicken with baked beans and potato salad while I opted for the roasted chicken with mashed potatoes and green beans—we settled in our seats. Our table was front and center, perfect for seeing the singers and dancers as they performed each number.
When Garth Brooks came down, singing Friends in Low Places directly into my camera, I fully understood the definition of swoon. In fact, any act with a cowboy hat set my heart a-flutter.
Then came the finale.
As the cast performed God Bless the USA, the audience rose to its feet and sang along. Veterans were recognized with thunderous applause. The videos playing on the screen behind the cast made our eyes fill with tears and our hearts swell with pride.
It was a powerful ending to an evening that had carried us through more than seven decades of country music.
Country Roads USA was one of the most unique shows I’ve ever seen.
And also one of the best.
This Christmas, they are bringing a new show to the stage. Country Roads Christmas will again travel through the history of country music, with legendary artists performing one of their signature hits followed by either a Christmas classic they recorded or a holiday song reflecting the era that made them famous.
The show will blend country music with the joy, faith, and traditions of Christmas, creating another family-friendly dinner-theater experience at CabaRay.
Whether you come for the country-music history, the performances, dinner, or simply the chance to sing along with songs that have lasted for generations, Country Roads USA makes the Ray Stevens CabaRay Showroom a Nashville destination worth adding to the itinerary.
Country Roads USA is performed at the Ray Stevens CabaRay Showroom, 5724 River Road, Nashville, TN. They can be reached at (615) 327-4630.
For showtimes, tickets, and additional information, visit CountryRoadsNashville.com.
