Drayton Entertainment’s 2014 season continues with a memorable musical tribute to the legendary entertainer Patsy Cline.
A Closer Walk With Patsy Cline makes a triumphant return to the St. Jacobs Schoolhouse Theatre after its record-breaking run 14 years ago. This engaging musical presentation features 21 of Cline’s greatest hits while taking the audience on a journey through her life and career.
Conceived and written by Dean Regan, A Closer Walk With Patsy Cline has enjoyed major productions across the United States and Canada, along with a National Tour in 1995. In addition to the previous St. Jacobs production in 2000, past Drayton Entertainment productions at the Huron Country Playhouse in Grand Bend and King’s Wharf Theatre in Penetanguishene received tremendous audience response.
“Patsy Cline was an entertainer who had a truly remarkable career,” says artistic director Alex Mustakas.
“Audiences identify with the emotion in her music, especially when they have a context of the events that shaped her life.”
Cline led a life filled with ups and downs, from humble beginnings in dusty roadhouse bars in small-town Virginia to a meteoric rise as the toast of the Grand Ole Opry until her untimely death in a plane crash in 1963.
Although she was famous for only a few years, Cline’s impact on the music industry was, and remains, enormous. Her brief career produced the number one jukebox hit of all time, Crazy, which set a new standard for Nashville country. Also included in her rich musical legacy are such classics as I Fall to Pieces, Back in Baby’s Arms, Walkin’ After Midnight, Your Cheatin’ Heart, Faded Love, and Sweet Dreams.
Rebecca Poff brings the memory of the legendary singer back to life with exuberance and warmth. Poff has appeared in numerous Drayton Entertainment productions over the years but she is perhaps most well known for her recent portrayal of the Mother Abbess in The Sound of Music where her rendition of Climb Every Mountain was praised by audiences and critics alike.
Stuart Dowling shares the stage with Poff playing the multi-faceted role of “The Little BigMan,” the Winchester, Virginia DJ who leads audiences through Patsy’s life as he spins the tunes that made country-western music what it is today. Dowling’s role takes on a life of its own as he narrates the pivotal events of Patsy’s life while also appearing as other comic relief characters throughout the production.
Director Wade Lynch is no stranger to Drayton Entertainment, having delighted audiences in such past productions as Suds, Man Of La Mancha and Shear Madness, among others. Prior to directing Drayton Entertainment’s production of Look, No Hans! earlier this season, Lynch completed an eight-year run as Associate Artistic Director at the Charlottetown Festival.
A stellar group of musicians has been assembled for this extraordinary musical experience including Music Director Craig Fair who plays piano for the production, drummer Kevin Dempsey, bassist Junior Riggan and guitarist Fred Smith, all of whom sing back up as well as play their instruments throughout the production.
“The intimacy of the St. Jacobs Schoolhouse Theatre venue makes it the perfect spot to enjoy Patsy Cline’s diverse repertoire up close and personal,” says Mustakas. “Pop, country, blues, gospel – Patsy Cline sang it all, and in the process, touched the lives of everyone who listened to her music.”
A Closer Walk With Patsy Cline is proudly sponsored by Home Hardware and 96.7 CHYM FM. The Media Sponsors are 106.7 Country, 570 News and the Waterloo Region Record. The Design Sponsor is St. Jacobs Furnishings. The 2014 Season Media Sponsor is CTV.
A Closer Walk With Patsy Cline will entertain audiences at the St. Jacobs Schoolhouse Theatre Aug. 5 through Dec. 21. Regular performance tickets are $42 for adults; $25 for youth under 20 years of age. Tickets for groups of 20 or more are $34. HST is applicable to all ticket prices.
Tickets are on sale now and can be conveniently purchased from any computer or mobile device by visiting www.draytonentertainment.com, in person at any Drayton Entertainment box office, or by calling toll free 1-855-DRAYTON (372-9866).
