Broadway Rose Theatre Company Presents ALWAYS...PATSY CLINE, Opening 4/19

One of the best-loved names in country music is the subject of Always...Patsy Cline, described as a funny and touching tribute as narrated by one of her most devoted fans and friends.

The musical tribute features Sara Catherine Wheatley as Cline and Broadway Rose's artistic director, Sharon Maroney, as her friend, Louise Seger. Always...Patsy Cline will be performed at the Broadway Rose New Stage. Preview performance is April 18 with opening night on Friday, April 19, and performances continue through May 19, 2013. Evening performances are Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. Matinees are at 2 p.m. on Sundays, and on Saturday, April 27, May 4, 11, and 18. The New Stage is located at 12850 SW Grant Avenue in Tigard. Tickets start at $30 for adults, with discounts available for groups and youth. For a full listing of show performances or to order tickets visit www.broadwayrose.org or call the box office at 503.620.5262.

Always...Patsy Cline is based on the true story of Patsy's friendship with Houston housewife Louise Seger. Having first heard Patsy on the Arthur Godfrey Show in 1957, Louise became an avid fan. When the great Patsy Cline gave a show in Houston, the two women met and struck up a friendship that lasted until Cline's untimely death in a plane crash in 1963. As seen through Louise's eyes, the show offers old fans and new ones a chance to see the American original and dazzling star who was Patsy Cline.

In spite of her tragically brief career, Patsy Cline's voice continues to enthrall fans and influence many of today's country singers. This warm and funny show celebrates the career and life of the singer of such hits as: "I Fall To Pieces," "Crazy," "Walking After Midnight," "Just a Closer Walk with Thee," "Your Cheatin' Heart," "Stupid Cupid," and many more.

Broadway Rose presented a sold-out run of Always...Patsy Cline in 2009. "Our audience has been asking us to bring back the show every year since," said Artistic Director Sharon Maroney. "The time was right to put on the show again." Maroney noted that several dates for this production are nearly sold out. The original cast and most of the original creative team have been reassembled with plans to enhance the production visually and technically from the 2009 version. Though it is mainly considered a two-person musical, the band, under the direction of Barney Stein, also will be an integral part of the production.

"You don't have to be a fan of country music to enjoy this production," says Maroney. "It's a funny, poignant story about an unlikely friendship between two women with some of the most enduring music in history," she added. Always...Patsy Cline creator, Ted Swindley, said, "Patsy Cline has now taken on the mantle of a legend. Patsy endures - in fact she gets bigger - decade after decade as she is discovered by new fans and revered by the faithful who grew up with her." In the 50 years since she was killed in a plane crash at age 30, the mystique of Patsy Cline has indeed grown, which is one of the reasons this musical has been so popular all around the world.

Always...Patsy Cline was created by Ted Swindley. The Broadway Rose cast includes Sara Catherine Wheatley as Patsy Cline and Sharon Maroney as Louise. The production is directed by Chan Harris with musical direction by Barney Stein. Set and light design is by Gene Dent, costume design is by Shana Targosz, prop design is by Deb Dahling, and the stage manager is Jessica Downs.

Broadway Rose's 2013 season is funded in part by the Regional Arts & Culture Council and Work for Art as well as the Oregon Arts Commission and the City of Tigard.

BROADWAY ROSE THEATRE COMPANY, a not-for-profit arts organization, has been successfully producing musical theater in Tigard since 1992 under the artistic direction of Sharon Maroney. As the only professional musical theater company in Washington County, Broadway Rose plays an important role in enriching the community's cultural arts. Committed to increasing opportunities for Oregonians to participate in the arts and working to retain Portland's talent pool and attract new talent to the area, Broadway Rose is resolved
to keep live theater affordable and make its productions accessible to all ages and members of the community. The Broadway Rose Theatre was selected as one of the "100 Best Nonprofits to Work For in Oregon" by Oregon Business Magazine in 2009, 2010, and 2011, and it was selected as the 2009 "Business of the Year" by the Tigard Chamber of Commerce.