Honky tonk blues

By Sage Merritt

Published: April 22, 2008

Left my home down on the rural route,” Hank sang, clutching his guitar as his band played on behind him. “Told my pa I’m goin’ steppin’ out …”
The songs of Hank Williams occupy an iconic place in the history of country music, alongside the story of the man’s life itself. “Hank Williams: Lost Highway,” opening Friday at ShenanArt’s Stage4 Theatre, intertwines both music and legend to depict the rise — and fall — of Williams, from his childhood in Alabama to his last days as a country music star.
Williams is portrayed by Hank Fitzgerald, making his debut performance in a ShenanArts production. In addition to enacting scenes from the music legend’s life, Fitzgerald lends his singing voice to the role as well — crooning some of Williams’ most beloved songs, including “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry,” “Hey, Good Lookin’ ” and “Honky Tonk Blues.”
“It’s been a challenge, because I’ve never really sung country music before,” Fitzgerald said. “It was kind of out of my realm. I was vocally trained in college; this is a different thing. It’s been a challenge, but it’s been a good challenge. It stretched me in a different direction.”
Backing up Fitzgerald onstage is Williams’ band, the Drifting Cowboys — portrayed by an accomplished group of musicians from around the Valley, several making their first theatrical appearance.
“It’s really a neat group we’ve put together,” said Jeff McDaniel, co-director of “Hank Williams: Lost Highway.” “It’s a lot of music to perform — there’s 20-plus numbers in it. It’s used to intertwine with the actual story. They wove his life story in with the music — it’s complementary to the story. There’s a lot of dialogue, too, a lot of dramatic acting and comedy.”
The show’s producers chose the play after the success of “Always, Patsy Cline,” which drew in large crowds and introduced ShenanArts to a demographic that “you don’t see at a lot of our stuff,” McDaniel said.
“There’s definitely a fan base for this,” McDaniels added. “There’s an audience for that here that you can reach.”
Also appearing in the production are ShenanArts veterans Hannah Walters (as Audrey), Matthew Johnson (as Tee-Tot) and Cori McDaniel (as the Waitress). Fitzgerald, who is a graduate of Shenandoah University’s musical theater program, was last seen in Mary Baldwin’s production of “The Sorcerer.”
“I have to take my hat off to Hank [Fitzgerald],” Jeff McDaniel said. “You’ve got to take your hat off to somebody that has the guts to stand up and portray Hank Williams. You can’t create these characters. They’re already there.”
“Hank Williams: Lost Highway” will open this Friday at 7:30 p.m. at ShenanArts’ Stage4 Theater in Verona. The show will run Friday through Sunday and May 2-4, with showtimes at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 3 p.m. on Sundays. Reserved tickets are $16, general admission is $12 and students are admitted for $8. Tickets may be reserved at 248-1868.