A Closer Walk With by Dean Regan September 3-6 & 10-13 - Waverley Park Photo by Kiriako Iatridis © 2011 At Tbaytel, we believe the arts enhance quality of life and are a key part of building more vibrant communities. Supporting you is our way of helping to make our neighbourhood a better place for everyone. Thank you, Magnus Theatre, for all of the good work you do. We’re in it together A Closer Walk with by Dean Regan Production Advisor Charlie Dick CAST ANDREW CECON Little Big Man/Opry Comic/ Vegas Comic AMY SELLORS Patsy BAND DANNY JOHNSON Floyd Cramer (Piano) MARTIN BLANCHET Bob Moore (Bass) ROB JARDINE Walter Haynes (Steel Guitar) CHRIS PLATER Buddy Harmon (Drums) DAN ZADKOVICH Grady Martin (Guitar) CREATIVE TEAM THOM CURRIE Director DANNY JOHNSON Musical Director GILLIAN JONES Stage Manager NICHOLAS PALINKA Production and Site Manager MERVI AGOMBAR Costume Designer TIM STEPHENSON Sound Technician HANNA LAAKSONEN Props/Dresser TAMMY GRAHAM Hair Consultant LIAM BEAULNE Stage Hand AMY POETSCHKE Stage Hand A CLOSER WALK WITH PATSY CLINE is sanctioned by the Patsy Cline Estate, Wholly owned by Lutvick Productions International, Ltd., and licensed exclusively by MARQUIS Inc. The original production of A CLOSER WALK WITH PATSY CLINE was presented by the Arts Club Theatre Company (Vancouver, BC, Canada) in September 1991. The videotaping or other video or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibited. There will be a ten minute intermission during this show. Approximate run time: 105 minutes. Patsy Cline. One of the all-time legends of country music, Patsy Cline was born Virginia Patterson Hensley in the Shenandoah Valley in Winchester, Virginia, on September 8, 1932. Always spunky and devoted to music, she quit school at the age of fifteen to work in a drug store and help support her single mother and younger brother and sister. In return, her mother dedicated her spare time to helping Patsy’s career, and drove her to Nashville when she was only sixteen for her first Grand Ole Opry try-out. Patsy was never shy about self-promotion and impressed everyone the moment they heard her. Ironically, her music talent was never really rewarded until “Walkin’ After Midnight”, which was recorded ten years after she began singing professionally. Her incredible rendition of this song on the Arthur Godfrey Talent Scouts in 1957 not only won the contest, but finally set her on the road to the acclaim she deserved. It was followed three years later by the memorable “I Fall to Pieces”. Then came “Crazy” (written by Willie Nelson), “She’s Got You”, “Leavin’ on Your Mind”, “Sweet Dreams” and “Faded Love”. Her last single release was “A Closer Walk with Thee”. She realized her lifetime ambition of joining the Grand Ole Opry in 1960 and won ten awards at the WSM Country Music Festival. In the early 1960’s Patsy’s life began settling down – just as her career began to pick up. Two children, a dream home, and a stack of hit records were finally hers, but she would not be able to enjoy them long. Patsy Cline died in an airplane crash on March 5, 1963 while hurrying back to her family after a benefit concert in Kansas City. Patsy’s popularity is witnessed by the fact that she is the number one juke box play in the world. Her Greatest Hits album has been in first place for over 200 weeks on Billboard’s Top Country Catalogue Albums. On March 1, 1995, Patsy was memorialized with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Although she will never be replaced,A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline is a tribute to her spirit and a celebration of the music of her life. Did You Know Only 39% of Magnus Theatre’s revenue comes from ticket sales. Magnus Theatre’s Mainstage Season, Theatre for Young Audiences, and Touring would not be possible without the support of our business community. Each year, the generosity of our corporate and small business partners help create the live theatre experience enjoyed by over 20,000 patrons per year. The Benefits of Sponsorship Magnus Theatre’s sponsorship benefits package is extensive and includes acknowledgement in publicity material, advertising space in show programs and tickets. If you would like to find out more about sponsorships, please call Peter Boyle, General Manager, at (807) 345-8033 ext. 225 or mail [email protected] Drinks Permitted, but... Please keep in mind that this outdoor theatre space is licensed only within the fenced in seating area. Alcohol is not permitted beyond the fence. Please drink responsibly, and enjoy the show! Andrew Cecon (Little Big Man/ Opry Comic/ Vegas Comic) Andrew spent most of his adult life performing in theatres across Western Canada, before returning to Thunder Bay a few years ago. He has appeared at Magnus TheatreMiracle in On 34th Street and BANG BANG. Love to Katrina and Aviva. Amy Sellors (Patsy) Amy’s extensive theatre career has taken her across Canada and to Western Europe, and she now calls Thunder Bay home. In these crazy times, Amy is grateful to be performing on stage. This is the third time Amy has had the privilege of stepping into Patsy Cline’s boots, after playing the role at The Globe Theatre in Regina, and the Stephenville Festival Theatre in Newfoundland. Magnus audiences may remember Amy as ‘Berthe,’ the housekeeper in Boeing Boeing, ‘Magenta’ and ‘Trixie the Usherette’ inThe Rocky Horror Show, ‘Oz’ in We Will Rock You, ‘Fay, Angel, and Gwen’ in Here on the Flight Path, ‘Nina’ in Looking and ‘Bernice’ in Don’t Hug Me. Some of Amy’s favourite credits include an aging ‘Snow White’ (A Snow White Christmas – Theatre Orangeville), ‘Daphne’ (Perfect Wedding - STF), ‘The Lady of the Lake’ (Monty Python’s SPAMalot! - STF), and ‘Annabella, Margaret, and Pamela’ (The 39 Steps – Thousand Islands Playhouse), ‘Susan, Melody, and Laura’ in Bedtime Stories (Theatre Orangeville), ‘Fantine’ in Les Miserables (Thousand Islands), and all the women in Sitting Pretty (Showboat/Lighthouse). Amy spent several seasons at the Stratford Festival, where she was seen Myin Fair Lady, The Threepenny Opera, Gigi, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Offstage, Amy loves to bake and her baked goods can be found at Kangas Sauna (Try the Persian Cheesecake!) Thanks to Thom, Shelby, and Dave for all their love and support. Magnus Theatre would like to acknowledge that it stands on the traditional land of the Anishinaabe people, those of Fort William First Nation and other nations of the Robinson Superior Treaty of 1850 and land which hosted an early settlement of Métis people as well. Dean Regan (Creator) created A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline in Vancouver, B.C. in 1991 and following its successful launch he took his sold out show across Canada. The US premiere, a nine-month run at the Playhouse Theatre in Boston (MA) closely followed and this production led into two U.S. national tours. A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline has been produced well over 150 times across North America. Dean has personally directed over 20 of these productions and has since developed numerous other stage musicals. Red Rock Diner premiered in Canada at the Arts Club Theatre Company (Vancouver, B.C.) and in the U.S. at Hallmark Theatre (Kansas City, MO);Forever Swing, the popular big band musical that enjoyed a 12 week sold out premiere in Vancouver, B. C. and then played to sold out houses over the course of two national tours;The Black and Gold Revue, Hotel Porter (Cole Porter Revue) and Clooney Tunes all received rave reviews as well. Acclaimed as one of Canada’s top entertainers, Dean Regan is a multitalented artist whose credits include acting, singing, composing and producing as well as writing, directing and choreographing shows for major theatres across the continent. Dancing became the dominant focus of his life, from his early years in high school to a highly successful musical comedy career in Hollywood, Las Vegas, and New York. Recently inducted into the B.C. Entertainers Hall of Fame, Dean continues to write and direct. Charlie Dick (Production Advisor) was a linotype operator for the Winchester, Virginia Evening Star when he met and married Patsy Cline on September 15, 1957. During a stint in the army, he and Patsy returned to Winchester for the birth of their daughter Julie. The family then moved to Nashville where he joined the Nashville Banner and later The Tennessean. Their son Randy was born in January, 1961, shortly before a car crash critically injured Patsy. While still in the hospital, Patsy’s “I Fall to Pieces” hit number one. Her injuries required the use of crutches long after her release from the hospital. Charlie became her road manager, tending to her and the kids. After Patsy’s death, Charlie went into record promotion and hit the big time with sales of Red Sovine’s “Teddy Bear”. In 1983, he became co- owner of Hallway Productions: Nashville, a video production company that made country music documentaries on such stars as Patsy Cline, Ernest Tubb, Loretta Lynn, George Jones and Willie Nelson. With Julie and Randy, he formed Legacy, Inc. to respond to Patsy’s increasing popularity. Legacy, Inc. has approved this production as one of only two stage musicals celebrating the life and music of Pasty Cline. Charlie passed away in 2015. He is buried alongside Patsy Cline at Shenandoah Memorial Park in Winchester, Virginia. Digital Edition of The Chronicle-Journal $ 95 Only11/mth sign up at chroniclejournal.com/digital DIGITAL ePaper Thom Currie (Director) is an award-winning director, playwright, dramaturg, actor and producer.