Bob Schatz
Steve Lowy
The 124-year-old Ryman Auditorium stands as an iconic venue that witnessed the evolution of country music, the filming of The Johnny Cash Show and performances by everyone from Minnie Pearl and Dolly Parton to Bruce Springsteen and Robert Plant. But the concert Keith Urban (in his first gig since undergoing vocal-cord surgery), Charley Pride and the Oak Ridge Boys gave on Feb. 3, 2012, was extra-special. That night marked the end of the line for the beech stage installed in 1951 as a replacement for the original 1901 stage. A victim of wear and tear over the decades, the Ryman's stage was renovated with dark-stained Brazilian teak and ready 17 days later for The Band Perry to stomp all over it. "[The old stage] simply wasn't built for the modern needs of a building like this," says Ryman's communications manager Lisaann Dupont. "We strengthened the hickory support beams at their bases with concrete, and the joists were reinforced with steel brackets. Additionally, new crossbeams were put in place to further enhance the structural integrity of the stage." The new stage is capable of bearing 120,000 pounds of weight, compared with the 40,000 pounds the old stage could withstand. To honor the old stage's role in music history, a 3-foot strip of oak from the 1951 stage runs along the front lip of the new stage. "By combining the lighter oak of the past with the deep-colored teak of the future, performers still have the opportunity to perform on the same stage as so many of their heroes," Dupont says.
Editor's Note: Based on subsequent comments, this article was updated after publication to reflect the correct species of the floor.
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