Opry Country Christmas

The Read

By mid-December the Opry's holiday run has settled into itself. The carols are locked, the guests have learned the room, and the whole thing moves with the easy competence of a house that has done this for decades. It is programming rather than a concert, and it is better for admitting that. What carries it is the variety-show bones: a bluegrass band, then a hit-radio singer, then someone whose career predates both, all sharing the same six-foot circle of Ryman floor. Monday at seven, which means a lighter crowd and more elbow room than the weekend nights. A good entry point if you have never actually sat through an Opry broadcast.

The Room

Grand Ole Opry House

2804 Opryland Dr

The Opry left the Ryman on March 15, 1974. President Nixon played piano on opening night. Roy Acuff supervised the installation of the circle of wood cut from the Ryman stage.