For 26 years, Little Ole Opry has been in the nostalgia business.

It's not a coincidence that the oldies show in the fourth week of the country music variety show's season always sells out first.

After a number of original performers returned for last year's season, Opry went a step further this year, bringing back one of its earliest directors, Josie Reid. Reid directed the show from 1984 to 1991 and was the first director after founder Susie Wahlberg turned the show over to Little Theatre on the Bay.

“Now that I'm retired, I've got enough time to do these things,” Reid said, explaining that she stepped down because her father was dying and always wanted to come back when she had the time.

Even during her 15-year absence from directing, Reid was an Opry fixture, always performing and designing the sets.

But it's not just her who's old and new again. Reid also recruited three members of the original band who have formed a new Opry band with two other musicians new to Opry. The band comprises Dave Ford, Dave Andrist, Dwain Rayburn, Doug Jones and Greg Griffith, who also sings on band numbers.

Opry's 27th season opens Saturday at Little Theatre on the Bay in North Bend, and sellout crowds are expected as usual.

“We have kind of a redneck community,” Reid said. “We've got a lot of loggers around here, a lot of senior citizens and baby boomers. They grew up on this music before the Beatles arrived. They like to listen to this kind of music, so we have an audience.”

Another large part of the audience, Reid added, is Willamette Valley residents who come to the coast for the weekends during the summer.

Aside from the band, Reid said the only noticeable change would be a return to one set throughout the season, because having a different set for each week was overwhelming. There still is a different theme each week:

€ “Welcome Back to Opry,” Saturday: “It could be (welcome back) after a long winter, but it's also a welcome back to me,” Reid said. “It's a little bit of everything.”

€ “Country Western Classics,” July 14: “This is when people dig out the old Patsy Cline and the old George Jones,” Reid said.

€ “Hot New Country,” July 21: While the focus is on contemporary hits, some of the regular performers are known to stray from the less-than-rigid theme. Reid said she is hoping the lineup will include Hailey Stout, who is performing earlier that day at the North Bend July Jubilee. Stout, who now lives in Nashville, was the local winner and national runner-up in the Colgate Country Showdown last year.

€ “'50s Favorites,” July 28 and 29: A second performance was added to keep pace with demand for this show, which Reid said will include “a lot of doo-wop, a lot of sha-na-na.”

€ “Best of Opry,” Aug. 4 and 5: It's Reid's choice which performances make the cut for this show.

About 15 singers perform at each show in addition to three dance numbers and four band tunes. In between acts are interludes by the comedy team, led by Dr. Jill Hanson, who collects jokes year-round. Emcee is Ron Nance and the dances are choreographed by Laurie Todd.

A preview of the Opry season was held Wednesday at Mingus Park during Coos Bay's Fourth of July celebration. About 100 people watched the show, which included performances by Pamela de Jong, Ray Silvia, Catherine Rowe, Tom Barnett and Tara Thompson, as well as the Opry band, dancers and comedy team.

All Saturday shows are at 8 p.m. and the Sunday shows the last two weeks are at 2 p.m. All tickets are $10 and are sold reserved.