Always, Patsy Cline 2023

 The Aracoma Story, Inc. presents

Always Patsy Cline is a musical tribute to the country music singer of the same name. The show follows Patsy's successful career and her friendship with a Texas housewife named Louise Seger. Patsy's story is told through Louise's memories of the singer as she takes a journey down memory lane. As Louise reminisces, Patsy is brought to life through her classic songs such as "Walkin' After Midnight", "Crazy", "I Fall To Pieces" and more. We also explore Patty’s personal struggles and hardships, including her marriages and her untimely death. Always Patsy Cline paints a vivid portrait of an iconic woman and brings to life one of country music's most memorable voices.

Chapmanville Regional High School, Chapmanville, WV

Mar 10-12, 17-19, & 24-26, 2023

CAST & CREATIVES

Production Creatives

Melissa Frye- 

Director

Melissa is over the moon to once again be directing “Always…Patsy Cline” for The Aracoma Story, Inc.  She most recently directed “Southern Fried Nuptials” and “Southern Fried Funeral” along with “Ring of Fire.”  Other directing credits include “The Wizard of Iz,” “Grease,” “Cinderella,” “Bye, Bye Birdie,” “Dearly Departed,” “Steel Magnolias,” “Mamma Mia,” “Frozen, Jr.” And “Aladdin, Jr.”

Melissa is a graduate of Marshall University where she received her B.A. in Music Education. While at Marshall, she was a 2-time award winner of the Eloise Campbell Long Vocal Scholarship. 

She taught chorus, theatre, piano, and general music for 26 years in Logan County. Over the years, Melissa had the privilege of being a vocal and audition coach. Many of her students have gone on to perform various theatrical organizations. 

Melissa has worked professionally as an actor at Theatre West Virginia and Jenny Wiley Summer Music Theater. While residing in NYC she studied voice with Harry Garland (vocal coach of Faith Prince, Tony winner for "Guys and Dolls" and Jodi Benson, voice of the Little Mermaid) and audition techniques from Sara Louise Lazarus (Broadway's "Grease" and coach at the Tony award winning theater, Papermill Playhouse). Some of Melissa's favorite acting roles are Dorothy in "The Wizard of Oz,” Fanny Brice in " Funny Girl,” Peter in "Peter Pan,” Miss Hannigan in "Annie,” Rizzo in "Grease,” Ginger in " 1940's Radio Hour,” Louise in "Always…Patsy Cline,” and Lizzie in "Baby.” 

Melissa is the mother of Jackson and Griffin Frye. In her free time she enjoys reading her Bible, decorating for holidays, and spending time with her sister's family.

Cathy Green -

Technical Director

Cathy graduated from the BFA program at West Virginia University in the field of visual arts and currently serves on The Aracoma Story, Inc.'s Board of Directors. Most recently, Cathy worked as Tech Director for TAS, Inc.'s production of "Southern Fried Funeral."  She began making art for youth groups and plays in high school.; However, her love of costuming began in childhood, sewing doll clothes from dish rags and paper towels with her grandmother. Over the past 15 years she has had the opportunity to design, build or fabricate, sets and large featured props for plays and athletic performance groups from our region. She feels very grateful to all the people who show up ready and eager to learn and participate backstage. Sharing this creative process with them and the community is one of her greatest joys. 

"I would like to thank my family for their love and support. Without them, I would never be able to pursue this beautiful adventure I love so much." - Cathy Green

Ducky Adams -

Stage Manager

Ducky Adams studied Applied Mathematics and Secondary Education at Marshall University and is currently a math teacher at Chapmanville Regional High School.  He is brand new to organizations outside of CRHS.  Ducky has played trumpet for the orchestra in "Into the Woods" and "Little Shop of Horrors" for CRHS productions.  Last summer, he doubled as Stage Manager as well as a band member in TAS, Inc's production of "Ring of Fire" ; and, most recently, he directed "Steel Magnolias" for Boone County ACT. During his time in high school, he was a student of the late Brenda Hager and a member of the WVACDA All State Chamber Choir for 3 years. 

Cindy Armstrong - 

Prop Mistress

Cindy Armstrong is the wife of John Armstrong of Holden, WV. She is a member of Cornerstone Family Fellowship Church of Whitman, WV. She is Memaw to Avery Hale and Nana to Graci, Palmer, Maggi and Will Armstrong. Cindy has performed in several TAS productions including Aracoma Story, Mamie, Deadly Divide, Steel Magnolia and Dearly Departed, Fairy June in Southern Fried Funeral and Southern Fried Nuptials. Cindy has help with props for several TAS shows including Frozen where she made several of the props including Olaf.

Jacob Green -

Lightboard Operator

Jacob Green lives with his wife, Cathy, and his two kids- Cadee Mae and Zachary in Madison, WV. He works as Superintendent of the West Virginia Schools of Diversion and Transition under the West Virginia Department and West Virginia Board of Education. Jacob began acting in high school as part of the Oak Glen High School Little Theatre program in New Cumberland, WV. Locally, he has taken on roles as Mr. Cocker in the Boone County STAGE production of "Back to the 80’s" and as Attie van Lear in the Appalachian Community Theatre’s productions of "Southern Fried Funeral" and "Southern Fried Nuptials."  He made his Aracoma Story Inc. debut in June 2022 as a cast member in "Ring of a Fire" and most recently was seen as Attie van Lear again in TAS, Inc.'s production of "Southern Fried Funeral." In his spare time, he likes to read, strum his guitar, and most importantly, spend time with his family.

Steve Gray - 

Spotlight Operator

Steve Gray is a retired electrician and magistrate. He is the father of two daughters, has two step sons, seven grandchildren and loves seeing others succeed with challenging roles. Steve has been cast or crew for over twenty shows with The Aracoma Story and serves on the Board Of Directors. He was recently cast in Southern Fried Funeral and Southern Fried Nuptials with their amazing performers. He says the reward for good work is more work and hopes to keep on working to entertain the people of the Logan area.

Staci Bailey - 

Spotlight Operator

Staci is excited to be part of "Always, Patsy Cline". Although you will never see her onstage, Staci has been a part of many shows since she began taking her niece Maddy to rehearsals 11 years ago. She has painted sets, done props, worked lights...you name it.  Some of her favorite shows she has been a part of include "Southern Fried Nuptials," "Shrek," "Mama Mia", "Dracula" and "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest". Staci is proud to serve as secretary for The Aracoma Story board of directors. When she isn't doing something for a show, Staci works at Boone Memorial Hospital and also designs and makes shirts under SMBDesigns.

Nikki Miller - 

Sound Engineer

Nikki Miller has come out of retirement to run sound so she can work with her musically talented family. Nikki is a producer for Infuse Insurance Company. She attends church with her family at Morning Start FWB Church. Nikki is the glue that holds her family together and she is their biggest fan. She resides in Chapmanville with her husband Bill and their son Taylor. She is also the momma to their dogs Cocoa, Noodle the doodle, and Silly Willie.

Nikki Perry - 

Sound Tech

Standing tall at 4 foot 10 inches and as spicy as a jalapeno, Nikki Perry is making her debut as a sound tech. Though new to our production, she comes with an extensive background in music including vocals and piano. She is the proud mom to Melia and her husband’s (Ray Perry’s) pride and joy. She is a dedicated registered nurse in our area and recently accepted a position as the behavioral health case manager at Coalfield Health Center. In her spare time, you can find her spending time with her family and dogs Trooper and Sox.

Janie Adkins- 

Wardrobe Mistress/

Alterations/Costumes/

Office Manager

Janie is the Costumer/Seamstress for TAS. She has been a TAS family member since 2014. She has performed in numerous productions over that time. Janie enjoys all the TAS productions because she gets to work and/or perform with her TAS family members.

Holly Maynard -

Alterations/Costumes/Dresser

Holly is thrilled to be working with The Aracoma Story Inc. in this production of  "Always, Patsy Cline." Holly was on the original technical and costuming team for this show's production 17 years ago, and is happy to see and work on it again. A veteran of the stage with numerous credits to her name, Holly’s favorite roles include Gary Coleman in "Avenue Q"; Rusty in "Footloose"; the Sour Kangaroo in "Seussical: The Musical"; The Witch in "Big Fish", Judy in "9 to 5", and most recently, Magenta in "The Rocky Horror Show." Holly proudly serves as Southern Coalition for the Arts’ Vice President. Previously she was a board member at Curtains Up Players (CUP) in Huntington for 7 years. While there she wore many hats including President, Vice President, and Company Artistic Director. She would like to thank “Mama Frye” for giving her this opportunity to assist with this production. And she would like to especially thank you, our audience, for your continued support of our artistic endeavors. She can’t wait to see everyone in person to make sure you enjoy the show!

Marlene Nelson - 

Dresser

Marlene Greer Nelson is so excited to be working behind the scenes for this production. She is the mother of Shana Nelson, who plays Patsy Cline, and she could not be happier to spend time with her daughter for this production. She has worked backstage in multiple roles in many productions since Shana was a child, and loves her title of “Theatre Momma.” Marlene also works as the school secretary for Heritage Educational Services, and has been so blessed with wonderful friends, co-workers, and “school babies.” When at home, she loves to spend time with her grand-dog, Bobbie Jean.

C'Anna Decker -

Wigs

C'anna Decker is a cosmetologist who graduated from Appalachian Beauty school. C'anna will be offering a wide range of services in her salon "The Beauty Shop" opening in the Logan area, but enjoys blonding services and hair extensions most. She is a resident of Verdunville. C'anna's hobbies include art and baking.  She recently did hair and wigs for TAS, Inc.'s productions of "Southern Fried Funeral" and "Southern Fried Nuptials."  She is excited to be working with hair and wigs for "Always, Patsy Cline."

Greg Gray -

Set Construction

Greg is a retired Mine Foreman, husband, father, and grandfather. He has coached youth athletics in a variety of sports for most of his adult life. He began his DIY training in his late teens by helping his family, friends and community with any number of tasks. For the past 7 years, and 9 shows, Greg has been putting all those skills to work building sets and stages for his family of artsy theatre people. Greg recently costructed the set of TAS, Inc.'s production of "Southern Fried Funeral."

Griffin Frye - 

Backstage/Featured Dancer

Griffin Frye is no stranger to the stage. His first role with TAS, Inc. was the Mayor of the Munchkins in "The Wizard of Oz."  He most recently appeared as Carter Canfield in “Southern Fried Nuptials” and was also in the 2022 summer production of "Ring of Fire."  Other favorite roles include the Orin Scrivello in "Little Shop of Horrors," Prince/Wolf in "Into the Woods," Schroeder in "A Charlie Brown Christmas," Genie in "Aladdin Jr.", and Kristoff in "Frozen Jr."  

Griffin performed with Camp Broadway in the 2017 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Griffin was chosen for the 2022 Governor's School for the Arts. He was a member of ACDA All-State Chamber Choir along with

WVMEA All-State Choir.  He is a junior at Chapmanville Regional High School where he is vice president and treasurer of Tri-M Music Honor Society, chamber choir, and theatre class. 

Griffin studies voice with Broadway veteran Bruce S. Rous.  Griffin’s acting coach is three-time Tony Award Nominee, Beth Baur.  He also studies dance with Rob Royce.  

He is the son of Melissa R. Frye and the late Jim Frye.

Cast

Shana Nelson - 

Patsy Cline

Shana Nelson is a 25-year-old singer, performer, and Nashville recording artist from Logan, WV. She has been a performer since childhood and has been in over 30 theatrical productions with The Aracoma Story Inc., Southern Coalition for the ARTS, Logan High School Theatre, and Southern West Virginia Community & Technical College Theatre. Two of her favorite roles include Tracy Turnblad in two productions of "Hairspray” and Dorothy in "The Wizard of Oz.” In March of 2022, she portrayed Candy Starr in Southern West Virginia Community & Technical College Theatre's production of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." Most recently, she took to the stage last summer in The Aracoma Story Inc.’s production of “Ring of Fire.” In 2014, she became a Nashville recording artist and won the title of West Virginia Teen Idol. In 2016, she graduated from Southern West Virginia Community & Technical College with an associate's degree in arts. In 2020, Shana earned both her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Marketing Communications from West Virginia University. In addition to performing, she has worked in the tech crew, choreographed dance numbers, and applied makeup for several productions. She would like to thank her family, friends, and boyfriend for their endless love and support when it comes to her passion for theatre. She would like to dedicate her performance to her late grandmother, Barbara Greer, who loved Patsy Cline, and introduced Shana to her music when she was a child.

Krista Brown-Trogdon - 

Louise Seger

Krista Brown-Trogdon is a veteran of the TAS stage with her first performance as a child in “Annie” where she carried the lead role.  Her performances with TAS include South Pacific (Ngana), "Annie Get Your Gun" (Annie Oakley), "The Wizard of Oz" (Dorothy), "Baby", "1940’s Radio Hour" (Anne and Connie), Smoke on the Mountain (Vera Sanders), two previous productions of "Always. Patsy Cline" (Patsy Cline)  and, most recently, "Ring of Fire".  She has served as co-director in "Aladdin Jr" and "Lion King J", along with being musical director of "Mamma Mia" and "The Little Mermaid."  She serves as the choir director of Claypool United Methodist Church.  Krista is happily married to Larry Trogdon.  He and Krista are the owners of KT Florals in Man, parents to some wonderful adults, and grandparents to the best kiddos ever born..  Mrs Trogdon is excited to be back sharing the stage with some of the best talent in Southern WV and is happy to be back on stage challenging herself with the roll of Louise.

 

Ray Perry -

Lead Guitar

Ray Perry is the band director for this production of Patsy Cline. He is a veteran TAS family member. Ray has been a musician since the age of 5. Ray is a building code official, flood plane administrator, and litter control officer for Logan county. When he isn’t working, he may be found playing music with Coal Fired Band and is also heavily involved in Pickin’ in the Park. Ray resides in Chapmanville with his beloved wife Nikki and bonus daughter Melia. He is the proud father to Keisha (Jay) Conley and Josh (Sarah) Perry. He is lovingly known as “Old Man” by his three grandsons Aiden, Oliver, and Theo.

Bill Miller -

Bass Guitar

Bill Miller is a veteran TAS family member. He lives for any opportunity to show off his bass playing skills. When he isn’t working as an environmental inspector for the WV Dept of Environmental Protection, you can find him playing music with friends or at Morning Star FWB Church. Bill resides in Chapmanville with his beautiful wife Nikki and their son, Taylor. He is also the proud dad to their dog Cocoa, Noodle the doodle, and Silly Willie.

Stevie Trent -

Steel Guitar

Stevie Trent is a professional firefighter with the City of Logan. He is a renowned audio engineer and electrician who also has a production company. Stevie is married to Jenny Trent. He has one son, Hunter, and a stepdaughter, Chloe.

Robin Bunch-Bailey - 

Piano

A native of Madison, Robin holds a Bachelor of Music Education from WV Wesleyan College and a Masters in Music/Theatre with an emphasis in Conducting from Marshall University. Robin is the band, guitar & theatre class instructor at Chapmanville Regional High School. 

Proud to be a founder of Boone County Schools’ S.T.A.G.E., Robin has served for the past 25 years as Musical Director. She also serves on the BOD for Appalachian Community Theatre, based in Madison.

Robin has worked with various music theatrical companies as Musical Director and accompanist for over 60 musicals: The Aracoma Story, Theatre, WV, Huntington Outdoor Theater, Huntington’s Musical Arts Guild, Marshall University, Charleston Light Opera Guild, Charleston Players, Appalachian Community Theatre, Huntington Community Players, Boone Co. 4-H Summer Stage, Logan High School, and Chapmanville High School. 

No stranger to the on-stage experience, some of Robin’s favorite roles include: Vicey Hatfield (Deadly Divide), Princess Aracoma ("The Aracoma Story"), Mrs. Paroo ("Music Man"), Nikki ("Sweet Charity"), Millie ("Seven Brides for Seven Brothers"), Snoopy ("Charlie Brown"), Lilly St. Regis ("Annie"), Grandma Bertha ("Pippin"), Madame Dubonnet ("The Boyfriend"), Duchess ("The Gondoliers"), Katisha ("The Mikado"), Marth’Ann ("Southern Fried Funeral" and "Southern Fried Nuptials") and Annelle (Steel Magnolias). 

Zeke Durham -

Drums

Zeke is a Logan County resident who’s spent most of his life playing music. He specializes in percussion, but can play many other instruments. He also enjoys going to the gym, movies, and video games, but most importantly being the father of two wonderful girls. Zeke works for XPO Logistics and resides in Justice Addition of Logan.

A special "Thank You" to our friends who helped make this production possible!

 

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