'ALWAYS...PATSY CLINE' STAR LOOKS AHEAD — Sunday's final performance of "Always...Patsy Cline" at the Canyon Theatre Guild was a delight for the full house, and an emotional, bittersweet afternoon for the cast and crew that put their hearts and souls into the production for 13 performances.Starring CalArts grad Marie Wise-Hawkins in the title role and actress-singer Dawn Shelden as Patsy’s biggest fan, Louise Seger, and featuring the aptly named five-piece Bodacious Bobcats band, “Always…Patsy Cline” traces the legendary Virginia-born country-pop singer’s meteoric career from her first hit single in 1957 to her death in a plane crash in Tennessee on March 5, 1963. She was only 30 years old, and on the verge of superstardom.
The play was written and originally directed for the stage by Ted Swindley, based on a true story. The CTG’s production, directed by Michael Davies and produced by Frank Rock, premiered for weekend performances July 30 and was originally set to close Aug. 28, but popular demand and favorable reviews prompted an extension through Sunday.
Titled after Cline’s closing words in the many letters she exchanged with Seger, “Always…Patsy Cline” was driven with great gusto by Shelden’s hyper-animated narration as Seger, a Houston housewife then divorcee.
Along the way, and changing costume maybe a dozen times (sorry, I lost count), Wise-Hawkins crooned and belted Cline classics like her 1957 breakthrough “Walkin’ After Midnight” plus later hits like “I Fall to Pieces,” “Sweet Dreams” and “Crazy.”
Representing a fairly typical Cline performance, Wise-Hawkins also sang other hits of the era, among them “It Wasn’t God Who Make Honky Tonk Angeles” (Kitty Wells’ signature tune), Bob Wills’ “San Antonio Rose” and “Faded Love,” a couple of Hank Williams chestnuts and even Neil Sedaka’s loopy “Stupid Cupid.”
The Bodacious Bobcats, stacked almost on top of each other at stage left (facing the audience), did justice to each tune, and without competing with the star for the spotlight except in a few designated solo spots. The quintet combines seasoned musicians who lived through the period (guitarist Carmine Sardo, drummer Jeff Winter) and younger talents not yet born when Cline died. Keyboardist Kurt Fries, bassist Houston Davis Jones and fiddle player Jesse Olema are skilled instrumentalists with an obvious empathy for Cline and a musical repertoire that’s half a century old, yet timeless.
The cast of "Always...Patsy Cline" at the Canyon Theatre Guild in Newhall, summer 2011 (from left): Jeff Winter, Houston Jones, Dawn Shelden, Jesse Olema, Marie Wise-Hawkins, Kurt Fries and Carmine Sardo.
A couple days after the final curtain call, Wise-Hawkins and I had a chance to talk about her experience channeling Patsy Cline in the play, and what’s next for the talented young singer who can handle just about anything from opera to country to gospel to pop.
The play was written and originally directed for the stage by Ted Swindley, based on a true story. The CTG’s production, directed by Michael Davies and produced by Frank Rock, premiered for weekend performances July 30 and was originally set to close Aug. 28, but popular demand and favorable reviews prompted an extension through Sunday.
Titled after Cline’s closing words in the many letters she exchanged with Seger, “Always…Patsy Cline” was driven with great gusto by Shelden’s hyper-animated narration as Seger, a Houston housewife then divorcee.
Along the way, and changing costume maybe a dozen times (sorry, I lost count), Wise-Hawkins crooned and belted Cline classics like her 1957 breakthrough “Walkin’ After Midnight” plus later hits like “I Fall to Pieces,” “Sweet Dreams” and “Crazy.”
Representing a fairly typical Cline performance, Wise-Hawkins also sang other hits of the era, among them “It Wasn’t God Who Make Honky Tonk Angeles” (Kitty Wells’ signature tune), Bob Wills’ “San Antonio Rose” and “Faded Love,” a couple of Hank Williams chestnuts and even Neil Sedaka’s loopy “Stupid Cupid.”
The Bodacious Bobcats, stacked almost on top of each other at stage left (facing the audience), did justice to each tune, and without competing with the star for the spotlight except in a few designated solo spots. The quintet combines seasoned musicians who lived through the period (guitarist Carmine Sardo, drummer Jeff Winter) and younger talents not yet born when Cline died. Keyboardist Kurt Fries, bassist Houston Davis Jones and fiddle player Jesse Olema are skilled instrumentalists with an obvious empathy for Cline and a musical repertoire that’s half a century old, yet timeless.
The cast of "Always...Patsy Cline" at the Canyon Theatre Guild in Newhall, summer 2011 (from left): Jeff Winter, Houston Jones, Dawn Shelden, Jesse Olema, Marie Wise-Hawkins, Kurt Fries and Carmine Sardo.A couple days after the final curtain call, Wise-Hawkins and I had a chance to talk about her experience channeling Patsy Cline in the play, and what’s next for the talented young singer who can handle just about anything from opera to country to gospel to pop.
Stephen K. Peeples: You and the cast performed “Always…Patsy Cline” 13 times since it opened in late July. How much preparation was there?
Marie Wise-Hawkins: We started rehearsing June 1, working two or three times a week, just Dawn and me. I was using karaoke tracks and Dawn was working on the lines. It was the two of us until the 10th week; that's when we finally got the band going. So, it was actually a long rehearsal process. We started in the beginning of June and the premiere date, I think it was July 30. It was supposed to end Aug. 28, but (everyone) was still demanding tickets so we got held over for an extra week, and that's just awesome.
Peeples: How familiar were you with Patsy’s material before this?
Peeples: How familiar were you with Patsy’s material before this?
Wise-Hawkins: I actually grew up listening to Patsy Cline. I grew up on old Western music, and pretty much knew about half the songs (in the play). I used to have a country band when I was 12 years old and we did a lot of those songs. So I was quite familiar with some, I was used to performing them, and it wasn't too hard to learn the rest of them.
Peeples: Now that you're a big kid, an adult, maybe you feel the songs a little bit differently now?
Wise-Hawkins: I definitely do, yeah. A lot of the songs are about heartbreak and what you go through in life. They’re a lot more relatable.
Peeples: The reviews were really good right out of the box. Did that surprise you, or did you think you had something really good going?
Wise-Hawkins: I thought we had something really great going. The band was really tight, we all just really grew as a family and we played off of each other. Once we had the audience there, we could play off of them, too, and it was just so much more fun and so entertaining. I think everyone enjoyed themselves – even if people came to the show and didn't like country music, I think they were still entertained, because Dawn had everyone laughing.
Peeples: Yeah, she's quite a character.
Wise-Hawkins: We really, really want to take this show on the road. Maybe even do a “Legends”-type concert or something. We'll see what happens with it.
Wise-Hawkins: We really, really want to take this show on the road. Maybe even do a “Legends”-type concert or something. We'll see what happens with it.
Peeples: For right now, though, is closing at the CTG is kind of a bittersweet thing?
Wise-Hawkins: Yeah, it's kind of hard.
Peeples: What do you think about the whole experience, looking back on it?
Wise-Hawkins: It was definitely one of the best experiences of my life. It was great being back in the theater and doing the music I love to perform. And it was amazing being able to perform the Patsy Cline character, 'cause she was an amazing country star and a true inspiration for me, and an honor. I'm really going to miss it, though. Well, I'll see what opportunities I have available coming up, we'll keep pushing it, we'll keep performing.
Peeples: And if it goes on the road, you'll have a chance to do it again.
Wise-Hawkins: Absolutely! I definitely want to work with Dawn and this band again.
Peeples: Now, country is just one of many genres you have a mastery of. You’ve studied classical voice, sung opera, all kinds of non-country stuff.
Peeples: Now, country is just one of many genres you have a mastery of. You’ve studied classical voice, sung opera, all kinds of non-country stuff.
Wise-Hawkins: Yes, but country is my main thing. I really want to [pursue] a career in country music. But I love doing musical theatre, Broadway stuff, classical music...just any opportunity there is in any genre of music.
Peeples: What's next on your schedule?
Wise-Hawkins: On Sunday, I’m performing in the 9/11 tribute show at the Performing Arts Center for the Canyon Theatre Guild. I'm going to sing “Memory” from “Cats,” a Broadway song. It's totally different. It’s solo. We picked out 11 performers from the Canyon Theatre Guild to perform, and we each have a minute or two-minute slot. It'll be really cool. And on Oct. 29, I'm performing at Butler's Coffee House in Palmdale with Larry Schallert. He’s a great musician, and we're going to do a 45-minute set of his original music.
Peeples: Do you have any recordings out, or are you working on anything new?
Wise-Hawkins: Oh, man (laughs)! I need to get into the studio, really. I don't have an album yet. I need to record one.
Wise-Hawkins: Oh, man (laughs)! I need to get into the studio, really. I don't have an album yet. I need to record one.
Peeples: So where can people find out more about you?
Wise-Hawkins: I have a website, www.mariewisehawkins.com, and that'll lead you to my blog or my Facebook.
Peeples: Well, thanks again for your time, Marie. We really enjoyed the show.
Wise-Hawkins: OK, thank you so much.
