By Wade Coggeshall
INDIANAPOLIS — Annie Steele may no longer be aiming for the world stage. But that doesn’t mean her voice is silent.
The Plainfield native nabbed the lead role in Indianapolis Civic Theatre’s upcoming production of “Always ... Patsy Cline.” The song-filled show is based on the real-life friendship between Cline and a Houston homemaker named Louise Seger. Boone County’s Kelly Jo Turner is playing Seger.
For Steele, who has listened to Cline since she was 6, playing her is a dream come true.
“I have idolized her passion, her soul, and just the way she made music,” she said.
Steele has been a singer herself since she was a child. As a Plainfield High School student in the 1990s, she would sing the national anthem at school sporting events (something she’s also done on the professional sports level).
“I could carry a tune pretty well,” she said. “People seemed to enjoy it, so I went with it. I just liked to be on stage, really.”
Following high school Steele spent a season performing at Holiday World and participated in an American rock ‘n’ roll show in Europe for a summer.
“It was a perfect time for me to get away and kind of be on my own,” Steele said.
She had some opportunities while living in Nashville for five years, including a gig at Gilley’s on Music Row. But eventually, Steele said she “hit a brick wall.”
“Doors weren’t opening up for me anymore,” she said. “I wasn’t getting anywhere musically.”
Consequently, that started making her think of home.
“I think I started to grow out of wanting to be on my own and left alone,” Steele said. “I was ready to see what Indianapolis and being back home had to offer. There was a lot going on back here. There are a lot more opportunities back here that I was being offered than anything in Nashville.”
Indianapolis may not be considered a big stage, but for Steele, that’s no longer the concern.
“It doesn’t matter if I’m in front of one or 150, I absolutely love to perform,” said Steele, who’s currently attending IUPUI and majoring in public relations. “And anytime I get the opportunity, I want to pick it up. I used to not be that way. I used to be stubborn, very hard-headed. But now I’ve found I’ve just kind of accepted that this is something I should do.”
Show dates for “Always ... Patsy Cline” are May 11-13, 17-20, and 24-26 at Indianapolis Civic Theatre on the Marian College campus, 3200 Cold Spring Rd., Indianapolis. Show times are 7 p.m. Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays (2 and 6 p.m. on May 26), and 2 p.m. Sundays.
Tickets are $31 for performances on Fridays through Sundays and $24 on Thursdays. For more information or to buy tickets, call 923-4597 or visit the website at www.civictheatre.org.
wade.coggeshall@flyergroup.com
