Way back when, in 2003, producer Will Hearn and Blue Water Highway’s Greg Essington and Zack Kibodeaux were still in high school and wanted to write and perform a Christmas show, but something very different from anything else out there. Realizing the current market for Christmas entertainment was stale and overly commercialized, the three friends developed a show combining progressive and culturally relevant ideas with nostalgic Christmas tunes performed through the framework of a vintage time period that appeals to a multi-generational audience, a concept they called progressive nostalgia.

Starting as a one-night-only fundraiser for the Brazoria County Youth Home, The Grand Ol’ Christmas Show turned out to be a surprise hit and a standing-room-only sell-out. It was produced again in 2004, 2005, 2009, and 2015, continuing to sell out every single show.

 

Executive producer Will Hearn, formally took over the reins in 2016, forming The Grand Ol’ Production Company. We began touring the state of Texas seasonally, to growing audiences & popularity. Additionally, our cast & crew have produced custom shows for municipalities and organizations to celebrate historical milestones, anniversaries, and festivals. Following these successes, in the summer of 2019 The Grand Ol’ Americana Show debuted to packed houses across our great state, affirming our belief that progressive nostalgia extends beyond the Yuletide season.

 

While our initial plans for 2020 were foiled, the troupe pivoted quickly, bringing in local audio and video professionals to produce one-of-a-kind video performances to take the show straight to our audience.