'Always... Patsy Cline' at Great Lakes Theater is a Fitting and Fun Tribute to the Artist

Who doesn't love a play about obsession, especially when it's highlighted with more than 25 songs made famous by the one and only Patsy Cline? If you agree, you should make your way to the Hanna Theatre where Always...Patsy Cline is now playing in a production by the Great Lakes Theater.

The obsession in this musical concert posing as a play is the determination of a Patsy fan named Louise Seger (Harmony France) who latches onto her idol and doesn't let go until she insinuates herself into the singer's life. But it's all for love; it's "All About Eve" minus the pathology.

Even though France does a fine job as the not-creepy-at-all groupie Louise (a role she has played multiple times elsewhere), the show belongs to Christina Rose Hall, who employs her splendid pipes in service of a respectable impression of Patsy. But let's face it, Patsy had a voice that can't be duplicated, using the unique timbre of her vocal cords to turn a purr into a growl, then finish it off an octave or two higher than before.

Backed by a solid five-piece band under the direction of Matthew Webb, Hall manages to capture many of those goosebump moments in songs such as "Walkin' After Midnight," "Your Cheatin' Heart," "I Fall to Pieces," and "Sweet Dreams." But for my money nothing can top the Willie Nelson song "Crazy," which Patsy (and Christina Rose) knock out of the park.

Meanwhile, France ties the loose ends of Patsy's life together as the play follows the chronology of her life. Once Louise heard Patsy's voice on the radio in 1957, she homed in on that sound, moving from #1 fan to eventually meeting her in person before a concert in Houston. A great friendship began that night, including hosting then-famous Grand Ol' Opry star Patsy for an overnight stay in Louise's home.

In the program notes, director Victoria Bussert compares Louise's passion for Patsy to the "Swifties" who follow Taylor Swift with an at times frightening fervor. But even the Swifties couldn't imagine having Taylor stop by for a pajama party and then share some bacon and eggs in the morning.

After that visit, as the play shows, Patsy and Louise continued corresponding with each other until Patsy was tragically killed in a plane crash when she was just 30 years old.

This show, created and originally directed by Ted Swindley, opened in New York City in 1997. It has played all over the world since then, giving countless female performers the chance to see if they can match the rich, soulful sounds that Patsy was able to create.

As one of the first country music singers to cross over into pop music, Cline carved out her own special place among vocalists in the 20th century. And this tribute is a fitting celebration of her brutally abbreviated career and life.

Always...Patsy Cline
Through May 19 at Great Lakes Theater, Hanna Theatre, Playhouse Square, 2067 E. 14th Street, 216-241-6000, greatlakestheater.org.

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