This Wednesday I had the pleasure to watch the Sacramento Theater Company (STC) present, "Always...Patsy Cline," a tribute to the legendary country singer. I, along with our Tourism Manager Leticia Bokan and Events Coordinator Stacy Mello from the Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau, ventured out on the town after work for some good food at Lucca Restaurant, some great conversation, and an amazing Patsy show.
However, aside from the obvious good time and Leticia's "Crazy Love" infatuation with Mrs. Patsy Cline, herself...OK, quick side-note...Leticia knew Patsy's life from A to Z!!! I am telling you, she gave a brief history lesson with each imitation performance and a psycho analysis of the lyrics and how we should interpret them in conjunction with the emotional state of Patsy's life at the time. I was extremely impressed, and mildly weirded out at the same time.Back on track, as I was trying to say before, there was a moment during the night that really stood out to me! During intermission, a STC Board Member was greeting show-goers in the lobby thanking them for their support. When he approached the three of us, I witnessed what was perhaps some of the most raw, genuine passion any one person could possess for their work, their city, and their customers.
"Have you ladies been here before?" the STC Board Member simply asked.
And before Stacy and I had time to think, much less formulate a sentence, Leticia said, "We work for the Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau; we love this place, of course we have been here, it is fabulous!"
Although I don't remember verbatim the rest of her monologue, it did go something like
this: "Not only have we all been here and think it is great, but we bring Sacramento student travel groups here as well. I just brought a group from Stockton here not too long ago. I just love everything you do here at the STC and I think theater is one of those fun things to do in Sacramento that many groups forget to take advantage of. We are also always looking for new student-youth performance venues, so if you ever have opportunities for opening acts, please remember to keep us in mind because we can put you in contact with some amazing young talent."
Now, this might not seem like a big deal to some, but I walked away from that conversation thinking: "Now that is a woman who loves her job and lives it even in her off hours." She didn't come across like a pushy salesperson, but someone with a genuine love for Sacramento, a passion for Sacramento student travel and an understanding of what her clients need and value.
Needless to say, I took mental notes. Hats off to Leticia! She is truly "Crazy in Love" with Patsy Cline, and even better, "Crazy in Love" with Sacramento tourism.
