Daytona Beach's Seaside Music Theater-Always...Patsy Cline
By: Beau Higgins Oct. 19, 2005
SEASIDE MUSIC THEATER
presents ALWAYS…PATSY CLINE
Always…Patsy Cline, the touching musical about the icon made legendary by her one-of-a-kind voice and tragically abbreviated career, opens October 28 at SMT Downtown, located at 176 N. Beach Street.
Songs like Crazy, I Fall To Pieces, and Sweet Dreams have mesmerized fans for decades. But for one lucky fan, Patsy's voice touched closer to home. Witness the true account of a friendship between two women - one, a Houston housewife and the other, country music's most distinguished female voice in Always…Patsy Cline. With more than 25 Patsy Cline songs and a story that will make you laugh while tugging at your heartstrings, SMT brings you this winter's must-see musical celebration, written by Ted Swindley, the same creator of the smash hit The Honky Tonk Angels.
Darlin Barry, who has been seen at SMT in Oklahoma! (Aunt Eller), A Tale of Two Cities (Miss Pross), The Honky Tonk Angels (Angela), and Nunsense (Sister Mary Regina), stars as Patsy in SMT's production, and she is no stranger to performing the role. She has mastered summoning Cline's spirit, having done so in five previous productions of Always…Patsy Cline. She now looks forward to taking Patsy to new and exciting heights on the stage of "Florida's Best Professional Theater." (Florida Monthly Magazine) (Darlin Barry as Patsy Cline)
"My favorite moments are when it becomes collaboration. She's singing in my ear and I am breathing with her to embody that voice, the essence of the woman, attempting to 'channel' her presence," says Barry of her experience playing Patsy. "And it is rewarding when people say that I've brought her back for a few hours."
A trailblazer for female singers who stepped to the forefront of country music, Patsy Cline began recording in the mid-'50s, with her first chart-topping hit being Walkin' After Midnight. However, a bad record deal limited her to songs from one publishing company and almost made her a commercial failure. Fortunately, things took a radical turn in 1960 when her initial contract expired and, with the help of producer Owen Bradley, she truly found her "voice." With higher quality, achingly romantic material that showcased her unique vocals instead of the flat-out rockabilly and churchy tear-weepers, Cline found success once again. From there, she recorded such timeless classics as I Fall To Pieces and Crazy, but her life and career were cut short by a tragic plane crash just after she had entered her prime.
SMT's production of Always…Patsy Cline also stars Rebecca Johnson (who had roles in this past summer's The Mikado and Moby Dick! The Musical) as Louise Seger, the adoring fan who was fortunate enough to befriend Cline after offering her a ride home one night when she couldn't get a taxi.
Longtime SMT artistic associate and director of The Honky Tonk Angels, Chuck Hoenes directs and choreographs. Other Always…Patsy Cline artistic staff members include Music Director Terry Tichenor, Set Designer Robert Fetterman, Costume Designer Brian O'Keefe, Lighting Designer Annmarie Duggan, and Sound Designer Jason Hoffman.
Seaside Music Theater proves that a legend never dies with the heartfelt musical tribute Always…Patsy Cline, presented October 27th through November 20th at SMT Downtown.
TICKET INFORMATION
Subscriptions and single tickets for the 2005-06 Winter Season are available for purchase now by calling 386-252-6200 or by visiting the Box Office at 176 N. Beach Street. For individual show dates, go to http://www.seasidemusictheater.org/show.cfm?show_id=17
Subscription prices are $58 (adults), $26 (youth under 18), and $36 (student w/college ID) and include Always…Patsy Cline (October 27-November 20, 2005) and Disney's Beauty and the Beast at the News-Journal Center (January 27-February 5, 2006). Single ticket prices range from $21-$43.
Find out about special group discounts available for groups of 20 or more by calling Group Sales Manager, Lou Veres, at 681-2356.
Subscriptions are also now available for purchase for SMT's 2006 Summer Season, which will include Jesus Christ Superstar, Three Penny Opera, Singin' In the Rain, A Little Night Music, and Crowns. 2006 Summer Subscriptions are $155 for adults, with youth and student discounts available.
ABOUT SEASIDE MUSIC THEATER - Visit www.seasidemusictheater.org for more!
Founded in 1977, Seaside Music Theater is now in its 29th year as a professional theater and has become an integral part of our area's cultural heritage and looks forward to kicking off its 30th Anniversary year this January. Recently voted "Florida's Best Professional Theater" by Florida Monthly Magazine, SMT is the largest professional theater within a 100-mile radius and the only major resident musical theater company in the Southeast.
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