Playhouse's holiday tribute to Cash

It was those Johnny Cash songs such as "I Walk the Line" and "Ring of Fire" that guitarist Michael Easler remembers hearing when he and his parents would travel from San Diego to visit family in Spartanburg, where country-and-Western music, and especially Cash's songs, were popular even in the late 1950s.

"In San Diego, rock 'n' roll and folk music was really the driving musical force out there, although Johnny Cash's songs often crossed genre lines," says Easler, whose parents moved to Spartanburg when he was 14.

"I found out people in the Upstate truly love country music, and when I was a student at Clemson, I began playing the guitar with some of my musician fraternity brothers," he says.

With the most patriotic time of the year approaching, Easler believes the ideal way to celebrate the Fourth of July is with a new musical tribute to Cash, "Red, White and Cash: A Musical Tribute to a True American Patriot," to be staged by the Village Playhouse next weekend and July 9, 10.

Also, to concoct a true Fourth of July celebration, hamburgers will be grilled outside before the show, and wine, beer and soft drinks will be available for sale.

"We want this to be like an old-fashioned picnic," says Keely Enright, co-founder of the Village Playhouse and director of the show. "And people also may want to get up and dance a bit."

"Johnny Cash was a true American patriot, not only for the time he served in the Air Force, but also because he represented in song the underdogs, the disheartened and the downtrodden," says Enright.

Enright notes that although Cash gave voice to the dark side of America, he also "praised the strong spirit of our society."

Easler points out that Cash represented an unusual dichotomy.

"Johnny was extremely patriotic. He was against the Vietnam War from the beginning and led protests against it; but he was still allowed to have his own TV show. ... I think if he were alive to- day, he would still be against any kind of violence, unless it is absolutely necessary."

Fifty years after Johnny Cash hit the music scene, his songs are still popular, Enright adds.

She says this show is different from last year's "Ring of Fire" production because it traces Cash's saga through music.

It's a celebration of an American story of heartbreak, struggles and, ultimately, triumph, and includes patriotic tunes such as "Sea to Shining Sea" and "This Land is Your Land."

Appropriately, some of Cash's tributes to fallen soldiers, such as "Ragged Old Flag," will be performed.

"Johnny Cash was only 71 when he died, and he definitely had a lot of demons," says Easler, "But his wife, singer June Carter, a member of the famous bluegrass Carter Family, helped him, and he became a very religious man, recording gospel songs."

Two guitarists, Easler and Dusty Bryant, will cover the various stages of Cash's life, along with singers Kathy Summer and Jenna Brinson

Onstage will be the band featuring Jay Urban on electric guitar, Trey Cooper on keyboard, Brian McCreight on drums, Bart Saylor on banjo and Robert Widlowski on bass.

A veteran of stage, film and television, Easler was recently in the film "All for Liberty," and has appeared in numerous plays at the Village Playhouse, such as "Glengarry Glen Ross" and "Twelve Angry Men."

Bryant is a regular at the Playhouse and appeared in "A Little Night Music," while Summer has appeared in more than a dozen Playhouse productions.

"Red, White and Cash," created by Enright, will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and July 9, 10 at 730 Coleman Blvd., Mount Pleasant.

Tickets are $25 general admission, $15 for children 12 and younger, and may be purchased by calling 856-1579 or at www.villageplayhouse.com.

Market artist

Ginny Versteegen, who was selected as the 2010 Charleston Farmers Market Artist, will have her award-winning image "Peter Piper's Peppers" reproduced on T-shirts, tote bags, aprons and posters, available each Saturday morning at the Farmers Market at Marion Square.

Also, Versteegen will exhibit her latest collection of marsh scenes, "Lowcountry Impressions," at a reception 5-8 p.m. Friday at the Charleston Artist Guild Gallery, 160 East Bay St.

Versteegen's artwork and the paintings of other artists from the Market series will be on exhibit at the CAG through July 31.

Reach Dottie Ashley at dottieashley@gmail.com.

Editor's note: Due to incorrect information provided to The Post and Courier, the creator of the "Red, White and Cash" show was incorrect in previously published versions of this story. Also the phone number for the box office was incorrect.