Chip and Joanna Gaines’ Magnolia Network is producing a new talent competition show called Second Chance Stage. The show will give entertainers of all stripes—musicians, comedians, and others—who had to put their dreams on hold a second chance to reach for the brass ring. Like any good talent competition, it will feature celebrity judges.
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Last week, country hitmaker Martina McBride took to social media last week to reveal the judges’ panel for the upcoming show. “I’m so excited to announce that I’ll be joining Taye Diggs and Heidi Gardner as a judge with Emmanuel Acho as our host on Second Chance Stage,” she wrote in the post. McBride also revealed that the show will air on Magnolia Network and stream on Max this fall.
It’s a well-rounded panel of judges. McBride has been writing and recording country music since the late eighties. Diggs has held nearly 100 roles in movies and TV shows including Murder in the First, Brown Sugar, Equilibrium, and many more. Actress/comedian Garnder has also held several roles and has been on Saturday Night Live since 2017. Acho is a former NFL star and current sports broadcaster.
More Information about Second Chance Stage
They shot the first season of Second Chance Stage at the Music Hall and Midland Theater in Kansas City, Missouri. The finale episode took place on March 26, according to Lost Wax, the show’s house band. Lost Wax also played the 2023 NFL Draft.
Chris Davis, band director for Lost Wax spoke to a local NBC affiliate about the show. He called the show a combination of So You Think You Can Dance and American Idol. The new series is from the creators of those two shows, so the comparison makes sense.
“It’s a variety. It’s not just music, it’s all over the place,” explained Davis.
Second Chance Stage brings thirty performers from across the country to give them a second chance to become stars. Along with locals, the crowd was packed with producers and talent scouts. So, along with a cash prize, winners could land a new career after appearing on the show.
“To meet with these artists and see that gleam in their eye of ‘I can’t believe I’m getting ready to do this,’ and to kind of rally behind them, and support them, and get them ready for this moment has been rewarding,” Davis, who helped coach many of the performers said.
No premiere date for Second Chance Stage has been set. However, as McBride said, plans are in place to kick the series off this fall.
Featured Image Jason Davis/Getty Images
