PSST! Presents “Always … Patsy Cline” June 17-July 18

Old fans will take a trip down memory lane and new fans will emerge when Peach State Summer Theatre presents “Always … Patsy Cline” June 17-July 18. Pictured are Ashley Rose as Patsy Cline and Rebekah Matheson as Louise Seger.

VALDOSTA — Old fans will take a trip down memory lane and new fans will emerge when Peach State Summer Theatre presents “Always … Patsy Cline” June 17-July 18. Tickets are on sale now and selling out very, very quickly.

One of the most produced musicals in the United States, according to American Theatre Magazine, “Always … Patsy Cline” is a salute to the legendary country singer, who died in a plane crash in 1963, halfway between her 30^th and 31^st birthdays. It is also a celebration of friendship.

“‘Always ... Patsy Cline’ is based on the true story of Patsy Cline's friendship with Houston [Texas] housewife Louise Seger,” according to a synopsis at alwayspatsycline.net.

“Having first heard Cline on the ‘Arthur Godfrey Show’ in 1957, Seger became an immediate and avid fan …, and she constantly hounded the local disc jockey to play Cline's records on the radio. In 1961, when Cline went to Houston for a show, Seger and her buddies arrived about an hour and a half early and, by coincidence, met Cline, who was traveling alone. The two women struck up a friendship that was to culminate in Cline spending the night at Seger's house — a friendship that lasted until Cline's untimely death ….

“Over a pot of strong coffee, the two women chatted about their common concerns. When Cline finally left for Dallas [Texas], her next job, the two women had exchanged addresses and telephone numbers. Seger never expected to hear from Cline again, but soon after she left, Seger received the first of many letters and phone calls from Cline.”  

With a plot that primarily centers around the two women’s pen-pal relationship, “Always … Patsy Cline” features the music that made Cline famous, such as “Anytime,” “Walkin’ After Midnight,” “She’s Got You,” “Sweet Dreams,” and “Crazy.”

Directed by Barbara Hartwig, Peach State Summer Theatre’s production of “Always … Patsy Cline” will enjoy an eight-performance run — 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 17; 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 24; 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 1; 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 8; 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 10; 7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 11; 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 15; and 2 p.m. Saturday, July 18. All performances will be held in Valdosta State University’s Sawyer Theatre, which is located on the first floor of the Fine Arts Building, at the corner of Oak Street and Brookwood Drive. 

Peach State Summer Theatre, or PSST!, is Valdosta’s premiere professional summer stock theatre. Each summer, dozens of singers, dancers, technicians, managers, and creators gather on the campus of Valdosta State University for 10 weeks, and during that time, they rehearse, build, and present three musicals. The 2015 season includes “Les Misérables,” which runs through June 28, and Disney’s “The Little Mermaid,” which opens July 3 and runs through July 19.

The 2015 Peach State Summer Theatre season marks the 26^th year of VSU producing professional theatre for the city of Valdosta, the state of Georgia, and beyond. From 1990 to 2004, VSU produced the Jekyll Island Musical Theatre Festival. In 2005, the summer theatre program was relocated to the university and renamed PSST!

The Georgia Legislature designated Valdosta State’s summer stock theatre program the Official Musical Theatre of the State of Georgia.

VSU’s Jacque Wheeler serves as the artistic director of Peach State Summer Theatre. H. Duke Guthrie is the managing director.

Individual admission is $31.28 for adults and $25.93 for students and senior citizens, including taxes and fees.

The Peach State Summer Theatre Box Office is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sundays. It is located on the first floor of the Valdosta State University Fine Arts Building and can be reached by calling (229) 259-7770.

Visit www.valdosta.edu/psst for more information.

Visit https://www.facebook.com/vstatenews?ref=hl to view additional photos, as well as a cast list and more.

On the Web:

https://www.valdosta.edu/colleges/arts/communication-arts/peach-state-summer-theatre/welcome.php

http://alwayspatsycline.net

NOTE: “Always … Patsy Cline” is rated G. However, very young audience members are likely to become restless due to the nature of the musical.