THUNDER BAY – Magnus Theatre is hitting the great outdoors.
Faced with the reality of only being able to stage indoor shows to an audience of no more than 39, the Thunder Bay theatre company has decided instead to present live theatre in nearby Waverley Park.
The troupe is offering up 12 performances of A Closer Walk With Patsy Cline, making it one of the first regional theatres in the country to stage live productions.
It’s an idea artistic director Thom Currie has been kicking around for months, and with the gradual lifting of gathering restrictions, he said the timing is perfect.
“When we got the news that we would be able to have performances outside for audiences of up to 100 people, I knew that A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline would be the perfect show under these conditions,” said Currie, who will also direct the play.
Created by Dean Regan and first staged in Vancouver, A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline tells the tale of the country legend’s rapid rise to fame and features the songs that still endure today, including Crazy, Walkin’ After Midnight and I Fall to Pieces.
“Set during a radio broadcast celebrating Cline’s rise to stardom, radio DJ Little Big Man guides the audience from Cline’s humble beginnings as a country singer playing honky-tonks in her native Virginia to achieving pop music level stardom and performing at the legendary Carnegie Hall in New York City,” Currie said.
He added he chose the play not only for its theatrical merit, but for logistical reasons.
“One of the reasons I chose this show is that it could be cast with 100 per cent Thunder Bay talent,” Currie said.
“Not only do we have an award-winning Patsy Cline, but the entire band from the 2012 Magnus production is available to reunite for this special production.”
Amy Sellors, one of the few actors approved by the musician's estate to play the role, will star as Cline, who died in a 1963 plane crash outside Camden, Tenn.
It’s a role she was born to play, and one she’s performed to great acclaim in record-breaking productions in Regina and at the Stephenville Theatre Festival in Newfoundland.
Local legend Danny Johnson returns as musical director, and will play piano in the band, which also includes Martin Blanchet on bass, Rob Jardine on pedal steel guitar, Chris Plater on drums and Dan Zadkovich on guitar.
The production will be staged in front of a maximum of 100 people, the current outdoor gathering limit in Ontario.
Other precautions are also being taken, Currie said.
“Patrons will be seated in household/social 'bubbles,' distanced at least two meters apart. There will be one entrance and one exit point, and Magnus Theatre will be encouraging ticketholders to wear masks in a further effort to promote public safety.”
A Closer Walk With Patsy Cline runs from Sept. 3 to Sept. 13, with show times scheduled for 7 p.m. and matinees at 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Tickets are $40 apiece and available online starting on Aug. 25 at www.magnustheatre.com or by phoning the box office at 345-5552.
The shows are licensed events and beverage service will be provided. Patrons are asked to bring their own lawn chairs to the show.
