Courtesy of ArtisTree
Maria Vee and Jacqueline Petroccia, as Patsy Cline and Louise Seger in the touching story of friendship; a different approach to the story of a star whose life was cut short in “Always … Patsy Cline.”
Aug. 25-Sept. 10—WOODSTOCK—ArtisTree Music Theatre Festival celebrates music legend and cross-over sensation Patsy Cline, Aug. 25-Sept. 10 at the Grange Theatre in South Pomfret. The touching true story, “Always … Patsy Cline”, combines humor, heartache and 27 of Cline’s most unforgettable hits, such as “Crazy,” “Walkin’ After Midnight,” “Sweet Dreams,” and more. “Always … Patsy Cline” was created by Ted Swindley in Houston, Texas, in 1988. Swindley wanted to present a production featuring Cline’s music, but he did not want it to just be a typical musical revue or a biography on the singer’s life. He sought a local slant on the show and discovered an interview with a Houston housewife, Louise Seger, in a Cline biography. Within the interview, he discovered information about countless letters written between Seger and Cline up until the night of her death in 1963. “Always … Patsy Cline” is told through the heartfelt and hilarious memories of Seger and focuses on the fateful evening at Houston’s Esquire Ballroom when Seger hears of Cline’s untimely passing at age 30.
After many productions in the early 1990s around the southern part of the U.S., “Always … Patsy Cline” successfully ran off-Broadway in 1997. It is one of the Top 10 most produced shows with performances in the U.S., Australia, the U.K. and Ireland.
Patsy Cline was born Virginia Patterson Henley on Sept. 8, 1932, in Winchester, Va. She was known for helping to break down the gender barrier in country music and received her first recording contract in the 1950s. In the early 1960s, Cline joined the cast of the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tenn. and successfully crossed over to pop music with several of her songs. Cline remains just as relevant today. Her legacy as one of the greatest singers of all time continues to resonate among audiences of all ages. In 2005 her album “Patsy Cline’s Greatest Hits” was listed as the Longest-Charting Title by a Female Artist in the Guinness Book of World Records, with over 10 million records sold.
Jacqueline Petroccia will portray Patsy Cline. This marks Petroccia’s ninth production of “Always … Patsy Cline.” She won the Connecticut Critics Circle Award and the St. Louis Broadway World Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Cline, and recently starred opposite Cindy Williams on the national tour.
Maria Vee will portray Louise Seger. Vee is thrilled to be making her debut at ArtisTree — and in a role that she loves. This is her seventh appearance as Louise in “Always … Patsy Cline.” She has performed off-Broadway, in national tours, and in regional and dinner theaters around the country, as well as her critically acclaimed cabaret show in N.Y.C.
“Always … Patsy Cline” will feature a live seven-person band: Josh D. Smith (piano), Skip Krevins (steel guitar), Norm Wolf (electric guitar), Paul Wyatt (acoustic guitar and banjo), Owen Kerva-Lenz (fiddle), Michael McClure (upright bass), and Ken Swinkin (drums). Background singers include Nick Kuhn and Phil Sloves.
Single ticket prices range from $20-$25. ArtisTree Music Theatre Festival performs in the intimate, 100-seat Grange Theatre located at 65 Stage Road in South Pomfret. For more information or to purchase tickets call 802-457- 3500 or visit artistreevt.org/always-patsy-cline.html.
