ABC’s ‘Nashville’ hits all the right notes

her to opening for Juliette on tour, and she declines. After 20 years as a star, she’s not done singing.

“I had sung before, but years ago,” Britton says. “Saying I sang semiprofessionally would be overstating it. As an actor, if I am ever going to be able to stretch those muscles — to work with T-Bone Burnett in music and creating a character — this is as good as it gets.”

Burnett, the show’s executive music producer, has won 12 Grammys for performing, writing and producing.

“T-Bone scares me,” Britton says. “As an artist, it is a great thing to take risks, but you chose to do it in front of 15 million people, and I run into the bathroom to vomit. As an artist, when you challenge yourself, you take risks, it is so rewarding. I feel like I hit a high C.”

In most shows, music is ambient; in “Nashville,” it’s central. In a wonderful scene backstage at the Opry, Juliette is introduced to Rayna.

“I know you,” Rayna says to Juliette. “You were burning up out there, girl.”

“I know you,” Juliette retorts. “My momma was one of your biggest fans. She said she’d listen to you when I was still in her belly.”

And the fight is on! But Juliette won’t leave it at barbs about age. She can’t. It’s not enough to go after Rayna’s perch; Juliette wants the men around Rayna. And Juliette practically purrs at men, who are rendered incapable of resisting her.

In the pilot, the cast performs at the Opry, not on a set.

“My first day of shooting was at the Opry,” Britton says. “I was so excited to be in this — the chance at the Opry!”

Clearly at home on that stage, Rayna is a woman with a past she prefers hidden and a rocky future.

Her dad, powerful, duplicitous businessman Lamar Wyatt (Powers Boothe, “24”), is setting up Rayna’s husband, Teddy Conrad (Eric Close, “Without a Trace”), to run for mayor so Dad can control Nashville through his son-in-law.

Rayna had a romance with her guitarist, Deacon Claybourne (Charles Esten, “Enlightened”), and he may well be the father of one of her daughters.

The rich characters are thanks to writer Callie Khouri (“Thelma & Louise”). Even characters introduced in the pilot, such as a cafe waitress, are layered and talented.

“When I lived in Nashville, one of the things that used to really blow me away about the place was you would be in a restaurant, and somebody would take the plates from your table one night, and then the next day or the next night, you would go into a club, and they would just break your heart,” Khouri says at a press conference. “They would be so good, you couldn’t believe that that’s what they were doing. You couldn’t believe that they weren’t the biggest artist in the world, you know? There’s just so much talent in that town. And so we carefully looked for the people that we felt were representative of what you were likely to find there.”

“Nashville” creator R.J. Cutler says, “I wanted to find a way to do a contemporary response to (late director Robert) Altman’s ‘Nashville.’ It was compelling to do a narrative where the city is a main character. I knew I wanted a company town. I wanted to make it music. Then I met Callie.”

And it all fell into place.

ACROSS

1. Rivers or Collins

5. Somber; hopeless

9. “Teenage Mutant __ Turtles”

10. “__ Has It ...”; 2005 Jennifer Aniston movie

12. Tumor ending

13. __ Gingerich; star of “Amish: Out of Order”

16. “Much __ About Nothing”

17. Stomach muscle, for short

18. Role on “Suburgatory”

20. “The Wizard of Oz” role 21. Arizona tribe

23. Farmland unit 25. Denver, for one

42. William Petersen’s longtime “CSI” role

43. “__-dabba-doo!”; Fred Flintstone’s cry

45. Carrie Underwood and Taylor Hicks

47. Reddish animal

48. “McHale’s __”

1. Dad on “19 Kids and Counting” (3)

2. “Love __ __ Rooftop”

3. Racer Foyt

4. “My __ Is Earl”

5. Anthony Clark’s role on “Yes, Dear”

6. Urich’s initials

7. “__ __ Big Girl Now”

8. Ty Burrell series (2)

9. __ Wyle

11. “To __ With Love”; 2012 Woody Allen movie

14. Initials for Popeye’s love

15. SAT taker, often

18. Thomas of “Criminal Minds”

19. “__ Parade”; film for Judy Garland

22. “__ Charles” (1997-2003)

24. Unlike Eton and Morehouse

29. “I’ll Fly __” (1991-93)

31. Alice’s workplace

34. “__ __ for All Seasons”

35. Greeting from Stallone

36. MMXII, for one: abbr.

37. Related

40. Letters in a “for sale” ad

42. Rick Perry’s title: abbr.

44. Initials for Costello’s pal

46. 1988 Martin Sheen film