Jacqueline Petroccia to Lead Flat Rock Playhouse's ALWAYS...PATSY CLINE, 5/7-31

Flat Rock Playhouse is kicking off its 2015 mainstage season with the hit musical Always...Patsy Cline. Presented by The Cliffs with BMW of Asheville serving as Opening Night Sponsor, Always...Patsy Cline is a heartwarming celebration of down home country humor, true emotion and twenty seven timeless classics including Crazy, Walkin' After Midnight, Sweet Dreams and I Fall to Pieces.

Written by Ted Swindley, Always...Patsy Cline is one of the most produced musicals in America, including a very successful run off-Broadway and sold out hit productions in Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia. More than just a tribute to the legendary country western singer, Always...Patsy Cline focuses on the real life relationship between Cline and Louise Seger, a Texas housewife with whom Cline communicated via handwritten letters until her untimely death in 1963. The show's title was inspired by these very same letters that were signed "Love ALWAYS...Patsy Cline."

New York City based actress Jacqueline Petroccia will assume the title role of Patsy Cline. Petroccia has played the role previously for the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Stages St. Louis and Ivoryton Playhouse, among others.

"I have probably seen well over 100 productions of Always...Patsy Cline in its 26 year histoy; Jacqueline Petroccia is remarkable," says Swindley. "She has every nuance and vocal quirk of Patsy Cline down pat. A beautiful performance -- warm, full of life and heart breaking."

Joining Petroccia will be Flat Rock Playhouse favorite Linda Edwards portraying the role of Louise Seger in this crowd-pleasing and heartwarming exploration of love, loss and friendship.

"Always...Patsy Cline continues to hold its status as one of our most frequent Box Office requests. As one of the first ever 'cross-over' stars of the Country/Pop variety, audiences now as ever remain drawn to Patsy's music and legacy,' says Flat Rock Playhouse Artistic Director Lisa K. Bryant. "With the introduction of dynamo Jacqueline Petroccia in the role of Patsy we fully expect to engender the same exciting buzz as past productions, if not more so. We're further thrilled to be able to partner Jacqueline with long time Vagabond and powerhouse Linda Edwards as together they portray the often hilarious and truly profound real-life-friendship of Patsy and Louise. It will surely be theatre magic -- a show not to be missed."

Always...Patsy Cline will be directed by Bryant with musical direction by Alex Shields. Dennis Mauldin will be designing the set with Ashli Arnold providing the costumes. Stephen Terry will design the lights for Always...Patsy Cline; sound design by Kurt Conway. Lindsay A. Moss will serve as Stage Manager with Stacy Worrell Marlowe as Assistant Stage Manager.

A post show talkback has been planned with author and original director of Always...Patsy Cline, Ted Swindley, on May 31 immediately following the closing matinee at 2 PM.

Always...Patsy Cline performs May 7 through 31 on the Flat Rock Playhouse Clyde and Nina Allen Mainstage. Performances Wednesday through Friday evening at 8 PM, matinees Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday Saturday at 2 PM. Tickets are $15 - 40 and can be purchased by calling the Playhouse box office at 828-693-0731, toll-free at 866-732-8008 or online at www.flatrockplayhouse.org. Flat Rock Playhouse is located at 2661 Greenville Highway, Flat Rock, NC.

In 1937, a group of struggling performers, led by Robroy Farquhar, organized themselves as the Vagabond Players. The Vagabonds worked in a variety of places over the course of three years, and in 1940 found themselves in the Blue Ridge region of Western North Carolina. The local and tourist community welcomed them with open arms when they presented their first summer season of plays in a 150-year-old grist mill they converted into The Old Mill Playhouse at Highland Lake. So successful was that summer, they returned in 1941. After WWII, the Vagabond Players reorganized, came back to the region and opened a playhouse in nearby Lake Summit. The Lake Summit Playhouse thrived during the post war years and soon the Vagabond Players were looking for a larger and permanent home. In 1952, the troupe of performers, and a newly formed board of directors, made an offer to buy an 8-acre lot in the Village of Flat Rock. This new home made the Vagabonds "locals" and a rented big top gave birth to Flat Rock Playhouse. As the beautiful Western Carolina region continued to grow, so did the Playhouse and in 1961, by Act of the North Carolina General Assembly, Flat Rock Playhouse was officially designated The State Theatre of North Carolina. What began as a few weeks of summer performances in 1940 is now a nine-month season of plays including Broadway musicals, comedy, drama, and theatre for young audiences. The Playhouse's dual mission of producing the performing arts and providing education in the performing arts includes a professional series; a summer and fall college apprentice and intern program; performances and cabaret series by the YouTheatre; year-round classes and workshops for students from kindergarten through adults. Flat Rock Playhouse now hosts over 98,000 patrons annually and is a significant contributor to the local economy and the Arts in North Carolina.

Watch a preview for the show below!

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