Two hours of songs by Patsy Cline. What’s not to love?
That’s what Live Theatre Workshop gives us in “Always, Patsy Cline.”
The Ted Swindley-penned play is based on the real-life friendship between country crooner Cline and mega-fan Louise. The two met at a Cline concert and became fast friends and ended up spending the evening and next morning together. They never met again, but they corresponded. Cline would sign her letters “Always, Patsy Cline.”
Amanda Gremel nails Cline. Her voice is strong, but it is Cline’s personality and essence that she catches so well.
Samantha Cormier plays Louise with a sass and a Texas twang. She provides much of the play’s humor.
Annette Hillman’s direction underscores the friendship between the two women, and she makes sure the humor is as present as the music.
The play is a hoot. And well done: The six-person band does justice to the music and never overpowers the singing. And the sound (by Brian McElroy) is as smooth as the songs.
Gremel changes costumes just about as much as Cher, and costumer Sierra Adamo gives us pieces that speak to who Cline was in each stage of her career — starting with a cheesy cowgirl get-up, to a more sophisticated and together look as her fame grew. Jason Jamerson’s set never makes us wonder why one half is a homey kitchen, the other a honky tonk where Cline would take the stage. It seemed perfectly natural.
All isn’t perfect: Cormier sometimes upstages Gremel with her antics, which are very funny (how she makes putting sugar, lots of sugar, in tea such a stitch is beyond us), but they draw attention away from Gremel.
But that’s kind of quibbling. “Always, Patsy Cline,” isn’t particularly revelatory, nor does it have much depth. But it celebrates this wonderful friendship, and it features a cool band and more than two dozen songs. Like we said, what’s not to love?
