For their current production, Studio Tenn is tackling one of Music City’s favorite jukebox musicals about one of Nashville’s favorite legends as they present Always…Patsy Cline onstage at Jamison Theatre at the Factory in Franklin from Friday, February 8 thru Sunday, February 24. Created and originally directed by Ted Swindley, Always…Patsy Cline weaves together a unique story of friendship between Patsy Cline, the iconic country singer and a fan, Louise Seger, who continued their bond by way of a series of letters written between the two after meeting in Texas honky tonk after one of Cline’s shows. As Studio Tenn prepped for opening night, I recently had the chance to chat with the show’s director, Benji Kern, costumer, Blake Danford and stars Megan Murphy Chambers and Melodie Madden Adams for the latest edition of my recurring interview feature, Rapid Fire 20 Q.
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RAPID FIRE WITH STUDIO TENN’S ALWAYS…PATSY CLINE STAR, MEGAN MURPHY CHAMBERS
JHP: Was playing Patsy a role that was on your radar prior to Studio Tenn announcing their production?
MEGAN MURPHY CHAMBERS: Honestly, no. Since the show’s never been done in Nashville outside of the productions at the Ryman, I didn’t anticipate getting to take a crack at it. And I’m absolutely delighted to have been wrong about that! Patsy is proving to be a stretch and a challenge in all the best ways.
JHP: Alright, I gotta ask. You may or may not know, but Mandy Barnett is a good friend of mine. Of course she is known for her portrayal of Patsy in playwright Ted Swindley’s legendary mountings of the show here in Nashville at the historic Ryman Auditorium. That said, what’s it feel like not only taking on this role, but doing it here, where you’ll no-doubt not only play to fans of Patsy, but also fans of Mandy and her portrayal?
MEGAN MURPHY CHAMBERS: I’m doing my best not to approach it from a place of comparison – it would be foolish indeed to use either of those ladies as a yardstick against myself, so I’m doing my best to go after it the same way I do any other role. Both Patsy and Mandy are Nashville icons, so I’m paying homage, looking at it with fresh eyes, and trusting Benji and Jason Tucker, the show’s musical director, to help me wring every bit of joy and musicality from the material that I can!
JHP: Speaking of friends, opposite your Patsy, you’ve got Melodie Madden Adams as Louise. I first became familiar with you both at Boiler Room Theatre several years ago. Is that when you two met?
MEGAN MURPHY CHAMBERS: It was! We met after getting cast in Guys and Dolls in (I think?) 2003 and clicked instantly. Melodie is so hilarious, generous and talented, and we are laughing our asses off every day during rehearsal. I feel unbelievably secure on stage with her, and it’s such a boon to the show to get to skip the “getting to know you” portion of the process. Our friendship let us get right to the good stuff!
JHP: As far as Patsy’s stage clothes, you could say she had two distinctive looks, cowgirl and country queen. From what I’ve seen in promo pics, costumer Blake Danford has recreated some of Patsy’s iconic looks. What’s your favorite?
MEGAN MURPHY CHAMBERS: Way to give me a Sophie’s Choice question, Jonathan All of my costumes are being designed and built for me by Blake Danford and Allison Hearn (wardrobe supervisor), which [swoooooooon] and they’re all going to be spectacular. That said, that red cowgirl getup is beyond dreamy, and I have a feeling my little black number will be one that I want to sneak into my purse on closing night.
JHP: Had Patsy not met her untimely death at what was still the height of her career and popularity, do you think her star would have continued to burn bright, or would her fame have faded?
MEGAN MURPHY CHAMBERS: THE BRIGHTEST. Patsy’s talent was too massive for her to have faded into the background. I imagine her being a Dolly, Loretta, or Cher type; she was already a bit of a shape-shifter, and knew how to ride the wave of popular interest. I can see her enduring and evolving stylistically, and mentoring and collaborating with future generations of performers. She sang with such depth and feeling in her twenties – it haunts me to think what kind of intensity she could have served us with another 30 years under her belt.
RAPID FIRE WITH STUDIO TENN’S ALWAYS…PATSY CLINE STAR, MELODIE MADDEN ADAMS
JHP: I mentioned when I spoke to Megan that you two have a long history of sharing the stage, both in theatrical and music endeavors. How has your off-stage friendship enhanced your portrayal of the friendship between Louise and Patsy?
MELODIE MADDEN ADAMS: Honestly it really felt like such a head start on the process. Megan and I joke that we can almost speak to each other onstage telepathically and so it’s helpful with a show that is so centered around such an established relationship.
JHP: Of course the two of you also frequently share the stage as part of MAS Nashville. So you know I gotta ask…when are we getting more from MAS?
MELODIE MADDEN ADAMS: I hope really soon, but for now it’s really fun to support each other with all of our other projects we have going on!
JHP: Were you a fan of Patsy Cline’s music prior to being cast in Studio Tenn’s Always…Patsy Cline?
MELODIE MADDEN ADAMS: I was familiar with her songs for sure, but I wouldn’t call myself a fan. Even in the short time we have been rehearsing I see why her music touched so many people.
JHP: The play was inspired by Louise and Patsy’s friendship and correspondences. When’s the last time you wrote someone an actual letter?
MELODIE MADDEN ADAMS: Does a thank you note count? If not, it’s been awhile, but I’m lucky to have friends who still enjoy writing actual letters. One being Megan!
JHP: While the show is predominately about the music, by the nature of Patsy’s real-life story, there’s plenty of emotional moments. I’ve seen Always…Patsy Cline more times than I can remember, and it never fails. During key scenes, my eyes always ‘sweat’. How do you play those emotional moments night after night?
MELODIE MADDEN ADAMS: I approach those key scenes by channeling my own life experiences that relate to what’s going on onstage. For me, I really connect with the moments when you see Patsy as a mother and when she talks about her baby boy. It always makes me think of my little boy back home.
RAPID FIRE WITH STUDIO TENN’S ALWAYS…PATSY CLINE COSTUMER, BLAKE DANFORD
JHP: Having created the costumes for Studio Tenn’s Beauty and the Beast, as well as assisting on consuming for last year’s breathtaking debut of Frankenstein, you’re back for Always…Patsy Cline. How many costumes have you created for this jukebox musical?
BLAKE DANFORD: Patsy has about seven costumes, Louise stays mostly in the same look, and the band members each have one look! So about fifteen total.
JHP: What went into researching wardrobe options for Always… Patsy Cline?
BLAKE DANFORD: The great thing about creating costumes based on something someone wore so “recently”, historically speaking, is that there are a plethora of photos of the original looks, and many of them are still in existence! That definitely makes research easier, as all of that information is quite readily available. In addition to just specifically researching Patsy’s clothes, a lot of care was done to understand the era as well to influence Louise and the band.
JHP: I’ve seen promo pics of Megan in the iconic red and white cowgirl outfit. While it’s instantly recognizable, there are some subtle differences from Patsy’s actual outfit. As a designer, how do you decide when to not simply duplicate an iconic look, but rather honor the original while adding your own touches?
BLAKE DANFORD: Thank you for noticing the differences! Something I hold dear to my heart in every project I do is honoring expectation. So, I kept all the key points, (red, cream, fringe) and took the opportunity to “crisp” it up a little bit. The original was just a shirt tucked into a skirt, whereas ours is built as a jacket. The material in the original is a light cotton, where ours is a denim. It’s details like these that I feel lends a sense of gravity to the character, and convey the “character” of Patsy.
JHP: I saw on Studio Tenn’s social media that some of those involved in the show recently visited the Patsy Cline museum. From what I understand, this was after you had already designed much of the wardrobe for the show. Are you glad you waited until after you created your own versions of the iconic wardrobe?
BLAKE DANFORD: As I said previously, in the era we are in, photos of these pieces are quite readily available online, so I was able to get most of the information I needed ahead of time. It was, however, such a thrill to see those pieces in person and see the things that I got correct in my research!
JHP: In keeping with the letter writing theme that was the springboard for the creation of Always…Patsy Cline, if you could write Patsy a letter, what would you ask?
BLAKE DANFORD: Oh goodness, that’s a tough question! I don’t know that I would necessarily have one specific question, but I would love to be able to exchange letters with Patsy, herself. It would be an absolute treat to get to chat with her and hear the stories that she accumulated in her life.
RAPID FIRE WITH STUDIO TENN’S ALWAYS…PATSY CLINE DIRECTOR, BENJI KERN
JHP: Always…Patsy Cline is kind of unique in that it’s a two-person musical (plus a small band). For Studio Tenn’s production you’ve cast two of Nashville’s favorites, Megan Murphy Chambers and Melodie Madden Adams. You’ve worked with both actresses in the past. Tell me what it is about each of them that embodies the characters of Patsy and Louise?
BENJI KERN: The friendship between Patsy and Louise was really important to me coming into the production. Not only are Megan and Mel both insanely talented, but they have an offstage friendship that has created a wonderful chemistry between the figures they are portraying. Megan has a natural ear which is key to shows where you are embodying an icon. She also has the smarts to pay tribute and honor Patsy which is important as trying to do impersonations will always fall short. Mel is a fantastic story teller, inviting, and captivating. So it just made sense that these intrepid women would take on these roles.
JHP: In addition to the leading ladies, Always…Patsy Cline features a six-person band. Seeing as how the songs are nearly as vital to the story as the dialogue, and again, because Nashville is Music City, who’s musical director and who’ve you got in the band?
BENJI KERN: We are excited to be working with Jason Tucker as the music director for this show. It’s an honor to have him join the Studio Tenn family. In addition to being music director, Jason will be conducting and playing piano. Joining him are steel guitarist Michael McElravy, guitarist Lindsey Miller, bass player Luke Easterling, drummer Ben Andrews and fiddler Cassie Shudak.
JHP: Several people connected to Patsy Cline, including family members, still live in the area. Since Studio Tenn is just minutes from Music City, any chance you’ve reached out to any of them to extend an invite during the run of the show?
BENJI KERN: Yes! We have had the great fortune to work with The Patsy Cline Museum. In addition, one of our Board of Directors, Larry Westbrook’s father did Patsy Cline’s taxes. He has been in contact with the family on Studio Tenn’s behalf.
JHP: The story of Always…Patsy Cline is told through the eyes of Louise Seger, a fan who randomly struck up a friendship with the star and continued that relationship via a series of handwritten correspondences. Have you ever written a fan letter, or, I guess in today’s terms…a fan email?
BENJI KERN: I have not written a fan letter in the Louise terms, but I have reached out to people via my Instagram handle. Let me tell you, I’ve freaked out when they have responded.
JHP: Just last year, Always…Patsy Cline celebrated its 30th anniversary, Ted Swindley having debut the work back in 1988. What is it about Patsy’s music and this play that endures?
BENJI KERN: Patsy was the entire package. She was a star, captivating audiences with her earthy and authentic energy and incredible voice. She was a trail blazer, paving the way for female artists, making her way into the boys club in the music industry and holding her own. We all know Crazy which is the number one played Juke Box song of all time. Her music continues to speak to audiences not only because of her iconic voice but most importantly, the way she told a story with each song.
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Audiences will have a chance to see exactly what Benji meant by saying, “the way Patsy Cline told a story with each song” when Studio Tenn’s Always…Patsy Cline plays Jamison Theatre at The Factory at Franklin (230 Franklin Road, Franklin, TN) from February 8-24. Shows are 7 p.m. Thursday-Saturday with Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. Tickets range in price from $30 to $87.50. CLICK HERE for more information or CLICK HERE to purchase tickets.
Following Always…Patsy Cline, Studio Tenn will continue their 2018-2019 season with The Sinatra Legacy: A Musical Tribute to Ol’ Blue Eyes onstage at the historic Franklin Theatre in Downtown Franklin March 13-17. CLICK HERE for tickets or more information.
In the meantime, be sure to check out Studio Tenn online at StudioTenn.com or on social media at Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
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