BY JUDI STRAUGHAN
Close your eyes, listen to a haunting refrain from Sweet Dreams, and suddenly you're transported back in time to the 1960s, when you slow-danced the night away with the one you loved.
Ah, yes, Patsy Cline.  There's never been another quite
like her.
Ask Margot Sampson, who performs the role of Patsy Cline. She
knows only too well how audiences can instantly turn back the
pages.
Sampson talks about Patsy Cline's ability not only to transport
audiences, but to bring people to the theatre, people who have
never set foot in a theatre before.  Her spirit lives on;
her power is undeniable.
But she is quick to note that, "I'm not a Patsy impersonator. I
recreate as much of her sound as I can; I try to get the Patsy
nuances, the sounds, the accent, but there is only one Patsy
Cline."
Perhaps Sampson is being a little humble about her gift. 
After all, 10 years ago she found herself auditioning in front
of a huge committee that included Patsy's husband Charlie Dick,
now in his 80s. They were looking for just the right person,
and out of the 26 auditioning that day, Sampson got the
nod.
Dick shook her hand warmly, a special moment in Sampson's own
musical journey. He was there representing the Patsy Cline
estate.  His blessing has been given to only two
performers in Canada and Sampson is one of them.  Not bad,
I'd say.
And bravo to the Sudbury Theatre Centre's George Pothitos for
getting her here to Sudbury!
A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline is a musical tribute to the
spirit of country music's great star.
"It is a play meant to capture her essence and to tell her
musical journey," says Sampson.
The play is not at all like the 1985 movie Sweet Dreams that
starred Jessica Lange. The stage play does not include Patsy's
home life and personal relationships. It's really all about the
music.
Sheldon Davis, no stranger to the Sudbury stage, plays Little
Big Man, a DJ for WINC Radio in Winchester, Virginia.  It
is through his eyes that the story is told.  Davis, who
was hysterical in STC's A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to
the Forum brings his comic talent to four different characters
in A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline. Two are Grand Ole Opry and
Vegas stage comedians and two are disc jockeys. In fact, DJ
Joltin' Jim McCoy gave Patsy her start on radio at age 14.
Besides comedy and unforgettable songs performed with a live
back-up band, audiences can expect to see nine authentic Patsy
costumes as well as spectacular stage settings.
A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline plays opens this evening and
continues to Oct. 15, nightly Tuesdays through Saturday at 8 pm
and Sundays at 2 pm.
But don't go Walkin' After Midnight to get your tickets. The
box office is open weekdays from 10 am to 5 pm, and weekends on
show days.
This production is sponsored by Comstock.
Judi Straughan is the Sudbury Theatre Centre's education co-ordinator.
