Film premieres on Lifetime on Nov 26th
Reba McEntire’s Christmas in Tune gives Reba fans the best of both worlds. It not only stars the multi-faceted redhead, but it also features new original Christmas music, including a few duets with co-star John Schneider. The film, which premieres on Lifetime on November 26th, is part of the network’s annual “It’s A Wonderful Lifetime” campaign featuring 35 original movies for the 2021 season.
The pair portray Georgia and Joe Winter, a country music duo that has long parted ways personally and professionally after years of success. Despite resistance, both agree to put their differences aside and reunite after their daughter, Belle, played by Candice King (TV’s The Vampire Diaries), asks them to perform at the Snow Ball, a Christmas charity event she’s organizing for the troops.
“We had a wonderful time doing this Christmas movie, Christmas in Tune. It’s gonna be out November the 26th, the day after Thanksgiving. It was fun,” Reba says in a Facebook cast discussion. “It’s a musical. It has music in it. It has a love story. It has a lot of heart.”
The movie was filmed in Nashville in July and also features Justin David as Troy and Belle’s love interest, and Norm Lewis as Duke, the pair’s musical director.
“The dynamics for me [were] when we were trying to remember to shiver as the sweat was running down our brow in coats and sweaters and gloves and scarves. It was a lot of fun,” Reba adds.
The film opens with Reba performing a rousing solo rendition of “Up On The Housetop,” a song that she recorded on her second Christmas album, The Secret of Giving: A Christmas Collection, in 1999. This version seems a bit more lively and updated, as one may expect.
Two original songs in the film are new Christmas classics that deserve to be apart of annual traditions to come. “I Needed Christmas,” released last week to digital outlets, is a solo Reba track that sees her reunite with the love of her life through the Christmas memories they once shared. “It Must’ve Been The Mistletoe” is a romantic duet between Reba and Schneider that tells the story of a couple’s lasting love.
“It’s a really pretty song,” Schneider tells us exclusively of “Mistletoe” on last week’s episode of The Music Universe Podcast. “In my forty years of — gosh almost fifty now — of recording, it’s really hard to come up with a new Christmas song worth singing. Many of them are hokey, and many of them are just cliche. Well, all of the songs in this movie, they’re fantastic. And I think that’s because they came out of the heart and soul of Music City, USA. It’s undeniable that the best music — I think it’s undeniable anyway — that the best music in the world comes right out of Music Row in the heart of Nashville.”
I refuse to give spoilers, so you’ll have to watch to see if you can predict the outcome and what other songs are featured. Grab a tissue because the film is full of heartfelt moments that will make you smile, laugh, cry and maybe even dance. It’s sure to bring some cheer to your household this holiday season.
