Hattiesburg Civic Light Opera presents “Walkin’ After Midnight”
By Petch Lucas
It’ll be time to go out “Walkin’ After Midnight” in just a few weeks, when Hattiesburg Civic Light Opera presents its Fall show, Always…Patsy Cline, for a toe-tapping engagement at Hattiesburg’s historic Saenger Theatre. Directed again by Wess Hughes, the show will run November 19-22 and is complimented by returning musical conductor Michelle Howells and choreographer Jennifer Odom-Townsend. The show was conceived and written by Ted Swindley and for several years was among the top ten produced plays in the country.
Onstage will be the unforgettable Missy Sanderson as legendary country singer Patsy Cline. You’d swear Patsy was alive and well as Missy makes 27 classic songs her own. Also onhand is Catherine Nowicki, who plays Louise Seger, a fan who had the fortune of meeting her singing idol and striking up an enduring friendship that lasted throughout the remainder of Patsy’s beloved but sadly short career.
Patsy Cline rose to country music fame in the late 1950’s because of her singular voice and her unforgettable songs, such as “I Fall To Pieces,” “Bill Bailey (Won’t You Please Come Home),” “Crazy,” “Come On In,” and “You Belong To Me.” She tragically died in a 1963 airplane crash, shortly before her single “Sweet Dreams” became a posthumous chart smash.
Based on a true story, Always…Patsy Cline portrays Patsy as more than just a show-biz star, but as a genuine friend who became a source of inspiration to one devoted fan. Although Patsy’s friendship with Louise was cut short by the tragedy, the legacy of their correspondence lives on in this triumphant stage musical. Louise Seger eventually moved to the Mississippi Gulf Coast, where she lived until her passing a few years ago.
This production marks the fifth time Sanderson, as well Nowicki, Hughes, Howells and Odom-Townsend, have performed Always…Patsy Cline in the Hattiesburg area. They’ve got the show down-pat, and this is the first time they’ll get to do it on the expanded stage of the Saenger, albeit this time with some new faces in the chorus.
“I’m very excited,” said Hughes, “to be doing it in the huge Saenger, building the show out into the audience and making it even bigger.”
The performances will be prefaced by a “Grand Ole Opry Talent Show” on the main stage, hosted by the likeness of Minnie Pearl and Grandpa Jones, and featuring singers, guitar pickers and even cloggers. Expect to hear songs made famous by Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, Hank Williams and Mississippi-born natives Elvis Presley, Charlie Pride, and Tammy Wynette. Among the entertainers there will be professional guitarist Bob Saxton, who once played for Patsy Cline herself. And even while you’re entering the theatre during that time, there will also be acoustic performances in the lobby with some good ol’ country music to entertain you until the main event.
If you’ve seen it before, you’ll want to see it all over again. And if it’s to be your first time to experience Always…Patsy Cline, be prepared to tap your toe and proclaim “Yee-Haw!”
Show times Thursday through Saturday are at 7:30 pm, while Sunday’s matinee begins at 2:00 pm. Tickets are priced at tiered rates of $20, $16 and $12 and can be purchased over the phone at 601 583 5694. Special pricing is available for groups of ten or more. Further information is available at http://www.hclo.org, so please visit!