PATSY LOOK-A-LIKES


	PATSY LOOK-ALIKES

Release Date: August 1, 2005

Press Release: The Montgomery Advertiser

by Robyn Bradley Litchfield
Montgomery Advertiser

Photos by David Bundy

People are passionate about Patsy Cline -- and a few women even dressed up like the late country music legend at Thursday night's opening for the Alabama Shakespeare Festival's "Always ... Patsy Cline."

Almost 700 people turned out for the opening-night festivities, which included a pre-performance Patsy Cline look-alike contest.

To kick off the musical tribute's run through Aug. 21, ASF offered a real Southern dinner with fried chicken, corn bread muffins and other favorites and then staged the look-alike contest.

I like her music, but entering the contest was a last-minute thing," said contest winner Jacquie Daniels of Montgomery. She added a 1950s flair to a dress she already owned by donning a pink sweater with matching sequined scarf.

Patsy Cline look-alike contest winner Jacquie Daniels of Montgomery goes walkin' before midnight on a victory stroll at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival before Thursday's opening of "Always ... Patsy Cline."

Dorothy Lohr of Montgomery came in second, followed by Jan Hancock of Wetumpka in third and Sandra Driver of Verbena in fourth.

Seeing the contestants tickled the judges, which included Alabama first lady Patsy Riley, a big Cline fan.

"This has been a lot of fun," Riley said. "I thought about telling them I came because I like the name (Patsy), but I just love the music. I grew up listening to Patsy Cline."

Riley said she still can remember when both singer Buddy Holly and Cline died in separate plane crashes and how sad fans were.

Of Cline's music, she said her favorite has to be "Crazy," but she said she was enjoying all the music from the show.

"It's so great to see such talent here in Montgomery. I would encourage everybody to come to the Alabama Shakespeare Festival to hear the very best of Patsy Cline," Riley said.

In addition to enjoying the music of "Always ... Patsy Cline," audience members enjoyed a few laughs, especially when Chris White was in the spotlight.

Patsy Cline look-alike contestants, from left, Sandra Driver, Jan Hancock, Jacquie Daniels and Dorothy Lohr gather around a 1957 Chevy.

White, sitting in the front row, was showered with attention. Actor Celeste Burnum, portraying Cline's friend Louise Seger, not only pulled him up to dance and patted his behind, but she sat in his lap near the end of the show and kissed him on the forehead.

It was a hoot to watch, if a bit embarrassing for White.

"I'll never get front-row seats again," he said, maybe only half-kidding. But he admitted he was having a good time and enjoying the music.

The whole Patsy Cline thing was new to Toni Renee Johnson of Plainfield, N.J.

A dance instructor working this summer with ASF's Camp Shakespeare, Johnson said, "I'm interested in getting my first view of her life story."

Following the contest, Hancock said, "I probably sound more like her (Cline) than I look like her." And she proved it.

As she began "Sweet Dreams," everybody in the lobby glanced around to see who was holding the microphone. Even "Always ... Patsy Cline" musical director Thom Jenkins seemed to be impressed.

Hancock only entered the look-alike contest because Lohr talked her and Driver into it just for fun.

Driver said, "She (Lohr) conned us into dressing up."

Lohr, who won second place in the contest, said, "I grew up on Patsy Cline, and I know all her songs -- I just can't sing. I thought as long as we were going to go to the play, we might as well do everything."

First lady Patsy Riley applauds the Patsy Cline look-alike contestants Thursday at Alabama Shakespeare Festival.