The musical tells the story of a young singer-songwriter, Tucker Davis, who is torn between moving to Nashville to seek stardom or remaining in his small town with the girl of his dreams. A family-friendly production, the show is called a “country jukebox musical” because of the way it weaves both classic and modern country hits seamlessly into the story line.

“Country music just lends itself to storytelling, and it’s the perfect genre. I mean, every song literally tells a story,” said writer and co-producer Ty DeMartino. He has worked with the show’s creator and co-producer Robin Capehart on the family films “A Christmas Tree Miracle” and “The Pledge.” This is their first stage collaboration.

While Broadway musicals such as “Jersey Boys” and “Mamma Mia” utilize music from a single band’s catalog, “Ticket to Nashville” features a variety of artists spanning decades of country music, from Patsy Cline to Carrie Underwood, with more than a dozen artists in between.

“When we chose the songs, we were looking for ones that supported the story we created. Feelings of happiness, loss, family, faith, love — that’s the heart of country music,” DeMartino said.

Photos Provided Tristen Smith, a St. Clairsville native, rehearses a scene from “Ticket to Nashville.” He plays Tucker Davis, a young musician torn between pursuing a career in Nashville or remaining in his small town with the girl of his dreams.

“For instance, during a pivotal moment in the script, two characters are separately second guessing their relationships. Patsy Cline’s ‘Crazy’ was the perfect song for them to sing and also propel our story.”

Other songs include the duet “What Are We Doing in Love” by Kenny Rogers and Dottie West, and “I Will Always Love You,” a Dolly Parton ballad that reached the top of the country Billboard chart twice, in 1974 and 1982. (Whitney Houston’s remake spent 14 weeks at No. 1 on the pop chart 10 years later.)

There also will be well-known songs by Alabama, Little Jimmy Dickens, Garth Brooks, Bonnie Raitt, Trace Adkins, Barbara Mandrell, Trisha Yearwood, Tracy Byrd and others.

Staging the premiere at the Capitol makes sense: Many of the original artists have graced the Capitol stage over the years as part of the Jamboree USA live radio show.

“People are going to be so surprised about how well they know the music from the show and will be singing along,” said Alexis Gomez, who plays Cassie Jo Campbell, a big-time country singer who influenced Tucker when he was younger.

Gathered before their first “Ticket to Nashville” rehearsal at the historic Capitol Theatre on Main Street in Wheeling Thursday are, kneeling, lead Tristen Smith, standing from left, stage manager Jana Jarrett, musical director Kevin Dorsey, actor Terry Kiser, actor Woody Pond, actor Matt Van Fossen, actor Molly Malady, actor Kaileigh Bullard, co-producer Rob Capehart, director Demetrius Navarro, co-producer and writer Ty DeMartino and Erlinda Navarro. The cast rehearsed for 11 days at the Strand Theatre in Moundsville before moving to the Capitol last week. Photo by Scott McCloskey

PARALLEL LIVES

Tucker is portrayed by Tristen Smith, a St. Clairsville native whose story somewhat parallels his character’s. The guitar player grew up listening to his dad, drummer Chad Smith, playing with 1170, the Jamboree USA and Jamboree In The Hills house band. After high school, Tristen Smith moved to Nashville to attend Belmont University and pursue a career as a professional musician.

Smith pulled together his first band, No Limits, at age 10, and not long after that became a solo act known as Tristen “T-Bone” Smith.

“That’s how everyone remembers me, and they still think of me as 12 years old,” Smith said.

While his “Ticket” castmates are lodged at Oglebay Resort, he is staying with his parents.

“I love Oglebay, but you can’t beat waking up and talking to your mom and dad, especially when you usually only come home twice a year,” he said.

He has been busy in Nashville working on an EP due out next month with Lazy Jane, his new group with fiance, Madison Bolin. He’s also been performing, collaborating with other artists and keeping a day job as a server. The couple is planning an October wedding.

As the lead in “Ticket to Nashville,” Smith has the most lines and the most songs, but — even though he hasn’t acted since his portrayal of Beast in St. Clairsville High School’s production of “Beauty and the Beast” in 2010 — he said he is not overwhelmed.

“If anything it’s been more relaxing being up here. Now it feels like I’m being lazy because I’m only focusing on one thing,” Smith said.

WORKING IT

No one who is lazy could keep up with the schedule of public appearances, performances and rehearsals “Ticket to Nashville” cast members have undertaken since converging on Wheeling about two weeks ago. They have crisscrossed the Ohio Valley and northern West Virginia, from Bridgeport, W.Va., to Weirton to New Martinsville to St. Clairsville, making appearances at civic meetings, churches and malls, and performing at festivals and on local media.

“If you haven’t seen us around the valley then you haven’t been paying attention,” Capehart said.

Friday night, they performed a preview show at the Strand Theatre in Moundsville, where they spent the first week and a half of rehearsals. (Jana Jarrett, Strand programming director, is the “Ticket” stage manager.)

Saturday was a meet-and-greet at the Ohio Valley Mall, and Saturday night they hobnobbed with VIPs at Wheeling Country Club.

Today, Gomez and co-star Kaileigh Bullard, who plays Tucker’s girlfriend Lisa Masters, are leading worship songs at the Vineyard Church in Wheeling. More appearances are scheduled this week.

DIRECTORS’ TAKE

Capehart praised director Demetrius Navarro for being highly organized and keeping rehearsals running smoothly. Thursday morning, the cast and crew gathered at the Capitol for the first time.

“Reality just kicked in,” said Kevin Dorsey, the show’s musical director who has worked in films, TV and the music industry, including serving as vocal director for Michael Jackson’s concert tours for 25 years. He has toured and recorded with the likes of Sting, Motley Crue and Frank Sinatra, and worked with country stars Parton, Rogers, Underwood, Vince Gill, Lee Greenwood, Lyle Lovett and Clint Black.

Fun fact: Dorsey, an Akron native, does the vocals in the “Oh, Yeah” song made famous in the Ferrari scene from “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.”

He and Navarro, both of Los Angeles, have collaborated on many projects, including the recently completed “A Dog and Pony Show” film staring Mira Sorvino, Ralph Macchio and Mae Whitman, scheduled for release by Lionsgate in 2018.

“The cast has been very open to direction,” Dorsey said. “All the vocalists have great instruments.”

Navarro, who played Morales on TV’s “ER” for 11 seasons, won critical acclaim for his film “Anything Is Possible,” which he co-wrote and directed, starring piano prodigy Ethan Bortnik. He works primarily as a director and producer of films and television, and he noted he brought that experience with him. Video technology and other high-tech features will help connect with the audience with the action.

“It’s kind of like a hybrid between a theatrical piece and a feature film,” Navarro said.

CAST THE NET 

Sitting in the front row of seats at the Capitol Thursday, the cast and crew talked about the thrill of staging an original production.

“It was a project that I’ve been excited about since day one, and just seeing it evolve has been incredible,” said Bullard, a Belmont University graduate who stars in ABC’s “Nashville” as a member of Juliette Barnes’ band.

Bullard, Smith and veteran actor Terry Kiser, who plays Tucker’s grandfather, were tapped for “Ticket” back in the spring.

At that time, the project was called “Letters to Me” and included songs by Glen Dale native and country superstar Brad Paisley. That project was scuttled, however. “Ticket to Nashville” is not tied to Paisley, Capehart said.

“We broadened it so we that we could bring in more songs,” Capehart said.

He joked the musical tells the story “of every guy that’s ever waited on me in Nashville.” Smith, in fact, served Capehart at The Cheesecake Factory. Smith said no one knew at first he was from the Ohio Valley.

“Yeah, we had to go to Nashville to find someone from St. Clairsville,” Capehart quipped.

More seriously, he added: “We were so fortunate to find outstanding talent from this area. … A lot of them have a lot of stage experience and they fit the roles that Ty created.”

Woody Pond, for instance, is a Wheeling native who plays Tucker’s pal Chester “Chewy” DePew. Pond recently portrayed Jesus in “Godspell,” produced this summer at Oglebay Institute’s Towngate Theatre by the Parcel Players.

Michael Moran, who plays Franklin Masters and Lee Davis, has performed in local shows, including dozens of Mystery Theatre Unlimited productions. Karissa Martin of Woodsfield, who plays Daisy Masters and Carol Davis, also is well-known in local community theater circles and was Miss Ohio in 2008.

Other local or regional stars include Molly Malady of Charleroi, Pa., Jon Cunnard of Pittsburgh, Canonsburg native Derek McDonnel, local entertainer and photographer Nikki Fleming, singer-songwriter Matt VanFossen of St. Clairsville and Moundsville native and 2014 Miss West Virginia Paige Madden. Capehart said an additional 30 local adults and children serve as extras.

NOT AN IDLE IDOL

Not local but not that far away, Gomez hails from Dayton, where she visits from Nashville at least twice a month to help lead worship at her church or perform concert dates with her Mad River Band.

A top 16 finalist on “American Idol” in 2015, she was told — much like Tucker is told — Nashville “was the place to be,” so she moved there a year ago. Her “Idol” connections have opened up many doors. In fact, she wasn’t with the others at the Capitol Thursday because she drove to Nashville to open for Randy Houser Thursday night and then drove back to Wheeling Friday.

Playing fictional country star Cassie Jo Campbell has been a blast, she said.

“For me it was kind of channeling the thing I do every weekend anyway, so it’s really been fun to embody a character that I feel I could be one day.”

With Smith, Bullard and Gomez all having rock-solid musical backgrounds but minimal acting experience, they agreed the support of the experienced cast and directors has been invaluable.

“With Ty and Demetrius’ direction and really Terry — Terry a lot — just taking the time to talk to us and help us to really see what’s going on in the scene and giving us advice that, you know, it takes years for others to figure out on their own. So it’s been just an absolute blessing and very cool,” Smith said.

Kiser starred in the DeMartino/Capehart collaborations “A Christmas Tree Miracle” and “The Pledge” and was the title character in “Weekend at Bernie’s.”

“It’s been very exiting for me to have started off in Off-Broadway and Broadway in New York and then left that for film and TV. So this is kind of full circle for me to be back on stage.”

He added it’s rewarding to work with the show’s stars.

“They’ve given me so much. It’s an exchange, it’s a wonderful exchange, and to see young talent start and create is very exiting for me. I kind of feel like Stephen Curry on the Golden State Warriors, you know: Give me the talent and it will make me look better.”

Gomez said the best part is working on an original production.

“Everyone here has such a cool vision. … It’s great to be part of something so innovative and new.”

Tickets for the musical can be purchased at the Capitol Theatre box office, 1015 Main St.; online at capitoltheatrewheeling.com or by calling 304-233-4470. A family four-pack ticket package includes discounted tickets, T-shirts and popcorn. VIP and meet-and-greet options also are available.