Act One

At the Italian opera house, a company is in mid-performance; Gabriella, Antonio, and Chrissy are all on stage Gabriella tries to upstage Chrissy, but Chrissy fights back ("Opening Act 1"). The upstaging continues until Gabriella carries out her dramatic death moment. Backstage, she complains to her husband, Carlo, about 'the American' and demands that Chrissy be fired. Carlo points out that Chrissy is still on stage; Gabriella offers to take her place now that Gabriella's character is dead. Chrissy appears and Carlo tells her the contracts for the next season are ready. She hesitates. Antonio, her boyfriend, insists she is just upset about her mother's recent death. Because of her current contract, Chrissy is heading back to Nashville for only two days - barely enough time to take care of her mother's affairs. Though her successful opera career is what her mother always wanted for her, it's not necessarily what Chrissy wanted ("Somebody's Calling Me Home [Opera]").

It is now time for Chrissy to go back on stage, but Gabriella enters in an identical costume. The confused company of performers cannot figure out who to follow. In a panic, Carlo calls out to bring down the curtain. Suddenly, the lights change and a chandelier appears from above. The entire stage is inexplicably transformed into...Nashville ("Did You Want To Hear A Country Tune?"). We see a country street singer and other young hopefuls, searching for their big break in the music city.

Chrissy enters and a pickpocket snatches her wallet. Skipper, a young man hocking newspapers, witnesses this crime and trips the pickpocket as he tries to get away. Officer Tammy Fay June Ellie Fay Crenshaw arrives and demands the wallet from the thief. Skipper introduces himself as the son of Sally Barker, Queen of Country. He asks Chrissy if she'd like to go to hear his mother sing. She gladly accepts!


Inside the Country Palace, Major Billy introduces his wife, Miss Sally. To much applause, she sings about her humble beginnings ("Hog Butcher's Daughter"). As she begins her next song, she is interrupted by the entrance of a flying pig. They decide to end the show, reminding the audience that the big Country Music Extravaganza is only two days away. Major Billy flirts with one of the backup singers, Sally gets mad, has her fired and sets an audition for tomorrow morning to replace her. Though Chrissy isn't used to singing country, she knows her mom always wanted her to; Skipper tries to convince her to audition, and with a little push from Aaron, the mysterious janitor, she agrees.

Meanwhile, in Sally's dressing room, Billy asks Sally if she has found a new song, yet. She admits that she has not and he reminds her that he has invited the Hollywood honchos to see her perform. An argument ensues, but the two ultimately reconcile ("For Better, For Worse").

Chrissy cleans out her mother's locker, with Skipper and Aaron nearby. She finds sheet music to an old song her mother used to perform. She sings a few bars for Skipper and Sally overhears - she has an idea. Sally has Billy distract Chrissy and steals the sheet music. Billy's distraction, however, results in him hiring Chrissy without an audition. Sally is enraged. Then, an ominous message comes over the loudspeaker as a ghostly voice demands that Sally and Billy return what they stole. They immediately dismiss it. Chrissy introduces herself to Aaron and asks about the voice over the loudspeaker, but he also dismisses it and suggests she do the same.

The next day, at rehearsal, Chrissy meets Clive the stage manager. He gives her a telegram from Antonio who professes his love for her and says how much he misses her ("A Telegram"). Aaron notices her sadness and reveals that he knows she is the star of La Scala. When he asks her about her mother's belongings, she mentions that she is missing some of her mother's sheet music. Aaron promises to help her find it. Eventually, several members of the company arrive and rehearsal begins ("Country Music Rehearsal"). Sally begins feeling threatened by Chrissy and, after some time, lashes out. Then there is another phantom message on the PA: the voice instructs the Hog Butcher's Daughter to return what she has stolen. The message haunts Sally and she leaves rehearsal. The girls in the show attempt to console Chrissy but she decides to go elsewhere and rehearse her role.

In a subterranean recording studio, Aaron is mooning over a picture of Chrissy; she enters. He offers to help her ("Voice Lesson"). They open up to each other, she revealing that she left La Scala because something was missing in her life, and he telling her about his lost love. She is having trouble with performing country music but he tries to remind her about singing from the heart and to think about her mother ("Two Roads Meet"). Chrissy admits that she remembers her mother, but not her father. Aaron insists that if she doesn't think about it, she will find her true voice ("Somebody's Calling Me Home").

Before the Extravaganza, Mort de Soliel - of Hocus Focus Pictures - and his assistant, Crystal Light, introduce themselves to Billy and Sally. Chrissy gets another telegram from Antonio, and Officer Crenshaw tells Billy she is going to find the ghost. Meanwhile, Aaron hypnotizes Sally and she realizes she knows him as she used to sing back up for him when he was a big country music star; she thought he was dead. He reveals that he faked his death to get the job at the Opera and though she would do anything to stay on top, Aaron tells her she must return the song she has stolen or her singing days are over. Still, she refuses.

On stage, the show is finally beginning ("Extravaganza Montage"). During the event, The Hoggettes sing a song about their love woes ("Missin' Men"). Then, a male quartet enters and sings their own song ("Does Your Daddy Know You Like to Kiss Cowboys?").

Elsewhere, Aaron appears. He has brought flowers to Chrissy for her debut. Back on the stage, Skipper dedicates his song about love to Chrissy ("The Train of Adolescence"). Next up, Sally performs her own version of the stolen song ("Sally Sings!"). As it concludes, Mort and Crystal begin to leave while Chrissy realizes that Sally has stolen her song. Aaron prods her to take it back and, in triumphant fashion, Chrissy performs the original song ("If I Could Hold You"). Suddenly, the company joins in and Sally, who is furious, runs off stage to turn on the helium tanks. Just as Chrissy is ending her song, and the curtain is falling, she becomes debilitated by the helium. Antonio arrives and a chandelier flies down ("Country Music is My Home [Finale]").

Act Two

We find Morty and Crystal dining at Carl's Country Carnivore Cabaret restaurant ("Opening Act 2"). Carl mentions that Sally is having a get-well vigil, and Antonio and Chrissy enter and get a table for two. Antonio says that he has been enjoying Nashville, but it is time for them to go back to La Scala. Chrissy tells him, however, that even though she hasn't had the warmest welcome at the Country Opera, it has grown on her. Meanwhile, Crystal convinces Morty that he should sign Sally, despite the fact that she received bad press from her botched performance. Ironically, she has become more famous than ever before because of it. Chrissy then tells Antonio she wants to go to Sally's vigil. He is confused but she explains this will be the perfect time to confront her. Despite their love for each other, Antonio must return to La Scala, even if Chrissy doesn't ("An Open Door").

At Sally's vigil, her fans fondly remember the King of Country music, who died, and how Sally rose from being his back-up singer to being the Queen of Country. They pray for her to come back to them with her voice fully intact ("God Save Our Glorious Queen"). Sally majestically appears on the balcony and addresses her fans; she collapses dramatically into Billy's arms as Chrissy and Antonio enter. The fans clamor for Chrissy's autograph and the reporters try to learn more about her - Skipper watches from afar, seeing his love slip away. Sally sees her fans slipping away and tells Billy they must fire Chrissy, deal with Sally's 'Phantom Friend,' and pick up comfort food.

The next afternoon, backstage at the Country Opera House, the ensemble is arriving and rehearsal is about to begin. Aaron is mopping the floor as Chrissy enters and when he asks her about the man he saw her with the night before, she explains he is just a friend from Italy. She is summoned to Sally's dressing room. In the dressing room Chrissy expects to confront Sally, but instead Billy fires her. Chrissy threatens Sally, but Sally is unfazed. Billy and Sally then receive a telegram, from Mort and Crystal, asking Sally and Skipper to do a screen test. Sally is thrilled, until she and Billy realize she is still unable to sing. They decide to pull a Singin' in the Rain and have Chrissy sing for Sally.

In the employee's locker room, Chrissy sees Skipper and he vows to step aside for her and Antonio. Although confused, she expresses her appreciation for the gesture. Sally approaches Chrissy about the plan. She initially scoffs at the suggestion, until Sally points out that if Chrissy prevents Sally from auditioning, she is also preventing Skipper. Chrissy agrees to help for Skipper's sake.

Next, Antonio enters and sings an Italian country song to Chrissy ("Spaghetti Western"). The performance leads to a proposal but she is unable to accept. He must return to La Scala and finish the season; he leaves her alone. Aaron appears and informs Chrissy that she is making a mistake, but Chrissy refuses to listen to his advice. Finally, after much reluctance, he admits to being the Phantom. He tells her a story about his own mistakes, but she insists they are not the same ("Ghost Town").

At the screen test, Aaron reveals the Singin' in the Rain plot by pulling up the curtain while Chrissy is singing ("Hog Butcher's Daughter [Reprise]"). Billy fires Aaron and Mort decides to reshoot the scene with Chrissy in the lead. As a consolation, Sally gets to play the grandmother. Billy puts Clive in charge of the Palace and Clive's first act is to rehire Chrissy. Now, she must choose between the glamour of Hollywood and the music of Nashville. Aaron appears and tells her she'll be a great star at the Country Opera. In a shocking turn of events, he then reveals that he is her father. He admits he abandonded her mother when Chrissy was just a baby ("If I Could Hold You [Duet Reprise]"). She believes it is too late to be a part of her life. Clive enters and gives Aaron his job back.

As Sally, Billy, and Skipper leave, Chrissy reveals to Skippy that has decided to stay in Nashville. His understanding of the situation impresses Chrissy, and makes her stop to reflect and contemplate ("Somebody's Calling Me Home [Reprise]").

Later, Chrissy arrives at the recording studio. Although she is looking for Aaron, she instead finds Antonio tied up. When she unties him, they find a cassette from Aaron explaining why he has left and why Antonia is tied up. On the tape, he sings a song of encouragement that ends up changing her life. We magically transition to a massive country music concert; Chrissy is singing her music in front of a throng of adoring fans. As she signs autographs, she sees Aaron. They embrace and the curtain falls ("Fly Away/If I Could Hold You").