Patsy Cline to open Friday
Patsy Cline’s musical legacy lives on in Albany’s 30th anniversary production of Always...Patsy Cline, opening tomorrow at the Aztec Theater for a four performance run.
The historic downtown theater will again provide a choice setting for the highly successful play, which is celebrating 30 years since its creation.
Shows are slated for Friday, Aug. 10, and Friday and Saturday, Aug. 17-18, all at 7:30 p.m., as well as a matinee on Sunday, Aug. 12, starting at 2:30 p.m.
Reserved seating is $20 per ticket, with general admission tickets available for $15. For reservations, call Tisha Wilkins at 325-660-7443.
“Ticket sales are really going well,” Wilkins said. “I’ve had calls from all over the place, including several big groups.”
She suggested that local people reserve their seats as soon as possible, especially if they want to go to a particular performance.
“Reserved seats are getting very limited, and I suggest calling and pre-buying general admission tickets, too,” said Wilkins.
30th Anniversary
Patsy Cline tragically died on March 5, 1963 at the age of 30, when she was a passenger on a small plane that crashed en route to her home in Nashville.
Though her life was cut short, Cline’s extraordinary musical legacy has continued to live on.
The play, which was originally written and directed 30 years ago by Ted Swindley, is based on the true story of the friendship between Cline and one of her biggest fans, Louise Seger.
In 2005, Albany Mainstreet Playhouse secured the rights to perform the show and produced it at the Aztec Theater. The group soon performed the show again after the response it received, and toured the west central part of Texas presenting the musical, including two sold-out shows at Abilene’s Paramount Theater.
The production has been repeated several times over the years, with the last two times, in 2015 and currently, produced by the Aztec of Albany board.
Patsy is taking the stage as a fundraiser for the Aztec organization in an ongoing effort to support the historic downtown theater.
Cast Members
Lorna Ayers and Pam Davis will reprise their roles as Patsy and Louise, joined by the same musical talent from the original show’s live band.
Band members include Sandy Abel, Larry Braddy, John Caldwell, George Harvick, Randall Palmore, and Lori Sims.
The character of Louise tells the story of how she met Patsy Cline, and entwined with the story are live performances of Patsy Cline songs, including “Honky Tonk Merry Go Round,” “Walkin After Midnight,” “Crazy,” and “I Fall To Pieces.”
Always...info
The play takes place from 1957 to 1963 and is set in Louise’s kitchen in her home in Houston, and at various places from Patsy Cline’s career.
The show starts with Patsy Cline singing at the Grand Ole Opry and takes her through several years of her career.
Cline released three studio albums and more than 30 singles, with six landing in the Top 10, before her death. Her classic hit “Crazy,” written by Willie Nelson, was named the number one jukebox hit of all time in 1997, with “I Fall to Pieces” landing at number 17 on the list as well.
A pioneer in country music, Cline was the first female country artist to headline her own shows and among the first to perform at New York City’s famed Carnegie Hall.
With Always...Patsy Cline reaching its 30th anniversary, the show is now as old as the singer was when she died.
