Florida Rep Guest Artist Pack | Hank Williams Lost Highway

GUEST ARTIST PACKET

LINK TO DIGITAL PLAYBILL HERE

LINKS TO PHOTOS

• PRODUCTION PHOTOS (credit Nick Adams) HERE

• PREVIEW PHOTOS (credit Florida Rep/Joe Dafeldecker) HERE

• PR & PRESS PROMOTIONAL PHOTOS (credit Florida Rep) HERE

PROMOTIONAL VIDEOS

• Production introduction by Greg Longenhagen HERE

• Promotional video 1 HERE

• Promotional video 2 HERE

REVIEWS

• NBC-2 REVIEW: https://www.nbc-2.com/article/daves-2s-theater-review-hank-williams-lost-highway/60293849

• FLORIDA WEEKLY REVIEW: ‘Hank Williams: Lost Highway’ a smash hit for Fla Rep - Fort Myers Florida Weekly

IN THE NEWS

• ABC-7 INTERVIEW https://youtu.be/I3XPzdQq1wc?si=M1gBsJ8Y-fa3dlld

• FLORIDA WEEKLY - LONE, LONESOME HANK - Fort Myers Florida Weekly

• HAPPENINGS MAGAZINE - Florida Rep pays tribute to Hank Williams - Happenings Magazine | Southwest Florida

• FLORIDA WEEKLY - WHAT TO DO, WHERE TO GO - Fort Myers Florida Weekly

• Fort Myers NEWS-PRESS - Top 5 things to do this weekend in SW FL (msn.com)

NEWS HIGHIGHTS………………………………………………………………….……Page 2

PATRON COMMENTS…………………………………….………………..………...Page 8

PRINT ADVERTISING SAMPLES..…………………………………..….…..….…Page 10

Thank you for bringing Hank’s life and music to life on our stage! Best Wishes!

Deborah Jonsson, Marketing Director djonsson@floridarep.org

Happy Being Hank

by Jason MacNeil

JUDGING BY HIS myriad of performances over the years on theatre stages across the U.S., actor Sam Sherwood is a man of many hats and many instruments.

Sam has portrayed a who’s who of classic rock and country icons ranging from John Denver to John Lennon to Johnny Cash. Now Sherwood is slated to be the lead in Florida Rep’s production of Hank Williams: Lost Highway, a play written by Randal Myler and Mark Harelik.

“I’m not sure what age I first heard him, but I always heard him,” Sherwood says. “I knew a few of his songs growing up because they were very much part of our culture. Probably around the time I started picking up the guitar was the time I dug a little deeper into his music.”

The play is familiar to Sherwood as he played a smaller role in a 2017 production which ran in Vero Beach. But this is his first time playing Hank Williams, something he’s eager to sink his theatrical teeth into.

theatre people,” he says. “It was always a very comfortable place. I’m not sure I decided to do theatre until sometime later, but when I did it was an easy decision to make. It was a very familiar place for me.”

Over several years and a bevy of roles, Sherwood managed to fuse his musical abilities with his acting work. He says he doesn’t see himself as a musician who happens to act, but rather vice versa.

“I really do think of myself as both, but the number one thing that I pursue in my career is acting and theatre,” he says. “My abilities as a musician—particularly as somebody who can play instruments in addition to being a singer—that’s something that’s helped me quite a lot with certain types of theatre. And Hank Williams: Lost Highway is one of those things. It’s a story about a musician, so of course you want to see somebody really playing. So that’s been a niche I’ve discovered in my career.”

He says he doesn’t see himself as a musician who happens to act, but rather vice versa.

Sherwood says his biggest challenge is in capturing the darkness that enveloped most of Williams’ short but stellar career.

“He is just such an interesting character,” Sherwood says. “He lived such a hard life. He grew up in poverty and experienced a lot of adversity with his health. He had a condition called spina bifida, which caused him to be in extreme pain from a very young age. Because of that, he struggled with addictions to alcohol and painkillers to get through the pain he was in.

“Even though he had so much working against him, he was able to write these really incredible songs and express himself through songs. His music is just so wonderful, so to get to play him and his songs is a cool thing.”

Sherwood, who has been quite prolific with stage work over the years, says he grew up in the theatre since childhood.

“My parents were involved at that time in theatre so I spent a lot of time backstage around

It’s that niche which has seen him portray several musical icons over the years such as Denver, Lennon, and Cash, as well as Buddy Holly and Carl Perkins. Sherwood says while there are obvious differences between the five there is a common characteristic each share.

“I’ve gotten to play all these people whose music I really admire,” he says. “I think each one is different, but I think each one of these people had expressed themselves really through their music and had a unique and important voice that influenced everyone who came after them. Hank Williams in particular is just hugely important for every bit of music that came after him. So many people have tried to emulate what he did. His sound, but more importantly his songwriting was so unique, from the heart and real.”

Sherwood, who cites ‘I’m So Lonesome I Could

Cry’ as his favorite Hank Williams tune, says his biggest challenge is in capturing the darkness that enveloped most of his short but stellar career.

“He had to overcome so much and lived a really tragic life,” he says. “He died at age 29 in the back seat of a car being driven to his next show. He had a very poor upbringing, health problems, addictions and he had some volatile people in his life. I think it’s important to capture that darkness because it’s such an important part of why he was able to write such beautiful and tragic songs.”

Sherwood also says the play, which will also feature Sherwood’s wife portraying Hank’s wife, Audrey Williams, has resonated for decades due to the songs Williams recorded long ago. “His music has transcended time and generations,” he says. “I think the music is certainly one reason. We all still know so many of his songs, even people who don’t necessarily know where they came from. And it’s a wonderful, very well written play.”

As for preparation, the actor says the cast should have close to three weeks for rehearsals which will be largely “getting the songs in really good shape” to put into the play. Also all the music heard will be performed by actors on stage.”

Sherwood’s wife is portraying Hank’s wife, Audrey Williams.

He also says that chemistry, or synergy, when a cast is put together before the opening curtain often comes together fairly quickly.

“We’re really spending so much time together as a group of people in rehearsal,” Sherwood says. “And often times outside of rehearsal as well because most if not all of us are coming in from out of town. So they bring us in and have housing for us there. So in hyper-speed you get to know anybody that you don’t know already. In my experience it’s pretty amazing how quickly the chemistry can come about because of the setting we’re in.”

In addition to his stage credits, Sherwood keeps quite busy with other creative avenues. In mid-October he released a new single entitled ‘Trucker’s Halloween’ and also is a member of a bluegrass-tinged outfit called The Playbillies. On top of that Sherwood also appeared on the small screen recently with a role in one episode of the Amazon Prime Video series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

“I was actually playing a musician in the

band in the club. It was really cool,” he says. “It was my first job after Covid, in the early part of 2021. As a matter of fact, Matt Cusack, who is the music director of Hank Williams: Lost Highway, was in the same scene with me in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. They hired my band to portray this fictional band in the show.”

Perhaps the one bittersweet event in Sherwood’s career recently was starring in Escape To Margaritaville, which featured the songs of the late Jimmy Buffett. The production ran in Long Island and closed a mere two days after Buffett’s death.

“I got to do that show twice, once in Miami and then out on Long Island,” he says. “Of course we didn’t know how bad his health was at that time.

“He was known to visit productions of that show. Part of me was wondering and hoping that maybe one of these times I could get to meet him. But unfortunately I never got to meet him. But he was another character that created wonderful songs and reached so many people.” •

Flor ida Repertory Theatre presents Hank Williams: Lost Highway at the Historic Arcade Theatre, March 19-April 28. For information, call 332-4488.

HANK WILLIAMS: LOST HIGHWAY

PATRON COMMENTS

Comments pulled from post-show surveys…

• Loved the show, the songs and the ability of the actors

• Each performer was right on the money. Well done!

• Great musicians so talented

• Loved the story and the music. Performers were very good.

• Performers were excellent.

• Loved it!

• It was an amazing performance from the props to the actors to the storyline.

• Loved every minute; the women characters were absolutely right in the time frame. also impressed with the musical abilities of every performer!

• Outstanding cast of talent, very well done as always.

• Loved the violin player. All singing was great.

• Stage set was done well, cast was excellent.

• Excellent

• It was a GREAT show

• I learned about his life and struggles

• Loved it all

• This show was very well done and we enjoyed it very much.

• Story line and performances.

• Great talent

• The actors were phenomenal blew me away.

• Great acting, set and music

• As a fan of Hank, It was a great performance..

• Outstanding performers ..great sets..wonderful performance

• Wonderful talent

• This show was fun, informative, and entertaining. Excellent cast.

• Excellent musical and the actors' response the the audience.

• Unbelievable

• Excellent voice for Hank Williams

• We really knew little about Hank Williams but we were educated on him when we left the threater.

• Hearing the Story of this great country singer

• the songs the whole show was just great

• Interesting story and great songs from my youth

• The actors were each brilliant! We loved the show.

• Outstanding performances by a richly talented cast of male & female actors & musicians. A tragic story of an iconic American artist told with empathy, humor and heart. Soulful vocals and terrific musical talent to compliment strong stage performances. A complete joy to witness the play last night…

• Talent was phenomenal! Florida rep just continues to impress me

• All the cast were great!

• I knew nothing of Hank Williams and found the story sad but the acting excellent.

• I loved the history of Hank Williams

• Very talented actors

• Sound was great!

• loved the professionalism of all the singers. The set design was very clever as well.

• Great show, well told story and wonderfully talented singers and musicians.

• I saw Hank Williams yesterday....I didn't want it to end!!!

• Great all around!

• I am so glad I attended this show... THANK YOU!!

• Loved the Music and Acting

• It was just excellent! The singing, acting, of these actors was so entertaining! We learned about the tragic life of this country singer. We saw Johnny Cash last summer and it too was great!

• Excellent show

• Talented performers

• Loved the scenes riding in the car.

• Very professional. Not a weak performer in sight. Very impressed!

• Outstanding musicianship and singing and costumes

• As always the talent was exceptional.

• We enjoyed every moment of Hank Williams. One of the best performances I have ever seen.

• Acting was excellent with a nice story...

• The story along with the exceptional talent, set design and costume design made it seem like we were truly living in that moment of time!!

• The performance was outstanding! I laughed and cried and was simply in awe of every single one of the performers!! Amazing job!

• Singing, comedy, presentation, costumes.

• The cast was excellent! So impressive in their acting, singing and playing abilities. The technical crew was on top of their game, too. I noticed a couple of little technical glitches (my training), and they solved them so quickly! Impressed with the entire production.

• It was so good, fun, entertaining and soulful!

• Great musicians and actors.

• I loved everything!!!

• The music was fabulous as well as the acting.

• Actors were extremely talented

• well acted and musically performed

• All great �� performers

• All the songs and singing

• I loved everything about this performance. Talent, production, sets etc. was outstanding.

Shells

Continued from Page 4E

self I was looking at a Junonia in a pile of shells when there wasn’t one there. I also found out “wishing” that I would find a Junonia doesn’t work either. Praying? Didn’t go there. But will reconsider in the future.

Soon after we said good-bye to Jose, I jokedwithAndrew,saying,“Ishouldsend him a text and say we found a Junonia as soon as he pulled out of the parking lot.”I wouldn’t do that to Jose. Too cruel.

Andrew and I weren’t quite finished. After 90 minutes, we got back in our cars and headed to another Sanibel beach − Algiers Beach, a few miles north of where we had just been. We combed another couple of miles of sand there. We saw more interesting things that washed ashore. Shells galore. But no Junonia. Not even,asthediehardshellerscallit,aBaby J.

What we got instead of a Junonia was some quality fresh air, warm sunshine and beautiful views of the Gulf of Mexico. If that is the trade-off for not finding a Junonia, we will take it.

But I wasn’t done. After Andrew drove away in his car, I got in mine and opened the maps app on my iPhone and punched in: She Sells Sea Shells. It was less than two miles away on Periwinkle Way and as it turned out, would be the fitting end to this adventurous day.

She Sells Sea Shells, according to the website, is an “Ocean Boutique including an eclectic inventory of shells and exotic

sea life, jewelry, books, craft supplies, clothing and the most extensive collection of handmade shell crafts, including Christmas ornaments, novelties, animals and flowers.”

Not more than a minute after I walked into the popular store, a couple from Maryland was standing in front of the display case near the cash register. The man was hunched over, peering through thecounterglass.Infrontofhiseyeswere around 20 Junonia shells that had been found on Sanibel. After a few minutes of gazing, he pointed.

“That one,” he said. “That’s the one I want. I have never been able to find one, so I might as well buy one.”

Out came the credit card. After being charged $125, plus tax, the man had his Junonia.Andawidesmileacrosshisface.

I asked Janet McDaniel, the store’s manager, if customers buying Junonia shellsiscommon.Shesaidyes.Therewas one in the display case priced at $495.

“One year, around Christmas time, we had someone come in,” she said. “He was hosting nine guests. He bought one Junonia shell for each of the guests.”

MyJunoniastorydoesn’thaveahappy ending like that one.

But I will say this. There is something to be said about “the thrill of the chase” when it comes to the Junonia, like so many other things in life.

This might have been the first time I looked for a Junonia.

But it won’t be the last time, fully understanding more than anything and according to all of the experts on social media − you don’t find a Junonia. It finds you.

These were the Junonia shells in the display case at She Sells Sea Shells on Sanibel Island on Feb. 14. Prices ranged from $125 to $495.

MARK H. BICKEL/THE NEWS-PRESS