The Saint Michael's Playhouse stages ALWAYS . . . PATSY CLINE, concluding the 2010 season of Equity professional summer theater, in the McCarthy Arts Center at Saint Michael's College. The show runs, July 27 - 31 and August 3 - 7, each evening at 8 p.m., with matinees, July 31 and August 7 at 2 p.m.
Based on the true story of legendary singer Patsy Cline and her friendship with a Houston housewife, "ALWAYS . . . PATSY CLINE" became a smash hit musical, revealing the dazzling star that was Patsy Cline. Housewife Louise gives an intimate look at the woman behind the legend, as told by a true friend. And the show is filled with Patsy's greatest hits-Anytime, Walkin' after Midnight, I Fall to Pieces, She's Got You, Sweet Dreams, and Crazy.
"ALWAYS . . . PATSY CLINE is a wonderful, heartwarming story, which spans the career of one of country music's greatest singers, all told though the eyes of Louise, one of her biggest fans and, as it turns out, a great friend as well," said Director Keith Andrews.
"I could not ask for a better cast than these Playhouse's favorites,
Lucy Sorensen and Sarah Carleton, and we have a first-class band of some of Burlington's best musicians, led by music director Randal Pierce," the director said.
"This blockbuster musical is a wonderful grand finale to our summer theater season," said Chuck Tobin, producing artistic director of
The Playhouse. "ALWAYS . . . PATSY CLINE has been the most frequently requested musical-we're delighted to give the Greater Burlington community just what they've asked for. This production promises to give audiences members a theatrical experience they'll never forget," Tobin said.
Tobin added, "Advance sales for this show are very strong and tickets are selling fast, so don't miss out by waiting to get your tickets. Our new online ticketing allows you to purchase your tickets and select your seats 24 hours a day, seven days a week."
CAST, in their own words:
Lucy Sorensen (Patsy Cline) Lucy is honored to return to Saint Michael's Playhouse after roles in Suds, Breaking Up Is Hard to Do, and How the Other Half Loves. Originally from Minnesota, Lucy resides in NYC where performances include Sympathy Jones (NYMF), Sarah, Plain & Tall; We Tell the Story (Lortel) and
Eleanor Roosevelt in the new musical, Einstein & the Roosevelts. Regional work: Radio City Christmas Spectacular as Mrs. Claus (Grand Ole Opry), Georgie in Full Monty (Maltz Jupiter), and Iron Curtain (O'Neill). Favorite credits: My Fair Lady (London cast), Parade (Lucille), and A Little Night Music (Petra), along with numerous workshops and recordings.
SARAH CARLETON (Louise Seger) Acting credits include New York, regional, and national tours, with favorites being Broadway Bound, Steel Magnolias, Brighton Beach Memoirs, The Importance of Being Ernest, Dinner With Friends, and The Taming of the Shrew directed by Maurice Daniels of the
Royal Shakespeare Company. Directing credits include You Can't Take it with You, Eurydice, Almost, Maine; The Compleate, Female Stage Beauty, She Stoops to Conquer, Greater Tuna, Assassins, and The Crucible. Sarah taught and performed at the University of Poznan, Poland where she directed Love of Life, a play developed by her Polish students at the height of the solidarity movement.
KEITH ANDREWS (Direc tor/Choreographer) Keith is delighted to be back at Saint Michael's Playhouse after directing and choreographing last year's productions of Dames at Sea and Breaking Up is Hard to Do. He has also directed Barnum, Pump Boys and Dinettes, Suds, My Way, Pirates of Penzance and Big River at the Play house. Other musical directing credits include: the National Tours of The Full Monty and Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh, and regional productions of Dirty Rot ten Scoundrels starring
Joe Piscopo, The Full Monty starring
Sally Struthers and
Hunter Foster, Side Show, The Wedding Singer, Sweet Charity and Little Shop of Horrors, to name a few, and has directed plays such as Dirty Blonde and The Dining Room. Keith has also directed and choreographed ice shows such as Cold as Ice, a world premiere musi cal on ice starring
Oksana Baiul, and Home for the Holidays, starring 2010 Olympic gold medalist Evan Lysecek and silver medalists Charlie White and Meryl Davis. In educational theater, Keith directs and choreographs student industry showcases at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in NYC.
RANDAL PIERCE (Music Director) Ran dal is the musical director of Spielpalast Cabaret and he is delighted to make his Saint Michael's Playhouse musical direction debut with Always . . . Patsy Cline. In 2000 Randal was Vermont's All-State jazz pianist and became a regular part of the Burlington music scene. He attended the Schulich School of Music at McGill University where he majored in piano perfor mance. While in Montreal, he performed world premiers of solo, chamber and orchestral works on accordion and played with several jazz, world mu sic and experimental groups around the city.
CHUCK TOBIN (Producing Artistic Director) began his involvement with theater at Saint Michael's Col lege in 1976 as a theater major in the fine arts department. During his junior year, Chuck was ac cepted into the Saint Michael's Playhouse Profes sional Theater Internship Program and spent the summer of 1979 learning aspects of professional theater production and administration under the extraordinary guidance of producers Donald Rathgeb, Joanne Rathgeb, and
Margaret O'Brien. Now, thirty years later, Chuck is honored to serve as Producing Artistic Director of this professional theater company and internship program, which has been an integral educational component at Saint Michael's College since 1947. In his career, Chuck has been producing and managing live pro fessional theater with credits that include produc tions at Lincoln Center, Sylvia and
Danny Kaye Playhouse, and
Symphony Space in NYC, the Nis say Theatre in Tokyo, the Adam Mickiewicz Center in Poznan, Poland, and regionally at New Reper tory Theater, Worcester Foothills Theater, Nicker son Theater, Olney Theatre, National Players, and the National Theater Group's Broadway Celebrity Series. Chuck serves on the Council of Resident Stock Theatre's negotiating committee with Ac tors' Equity Association representing professional equity resident stock theater from across the na tion and has served on several boards and committees for Burlington, Vermont area non-profit organizations. Many thanks to the people of Saint Michael's College and the Greater Burlington area for your support of
The Playhouse and for your un derstanding of the profound value of the arts to the community and education.
Ticket information:
Evening, are $35; matinee tickets are $29. Tickets may be purchased online www.saintmichaelsplayhouse.org (24 hours a day, 7 days a week) or at the Saint Michael's Playhouse walk-up window in the McCarthy Arts Center, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visit www.saintmichaelsplayhouse.org for more information.
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