“Always Patsy Cline”

The musical features over 25 songs ( or portions therof) that were among Cline’s biggest, including “Crazy”, “I Fall To Pieces” and “Your Cheatin’ Heart”. With  the small band on stage led by Ellie Kahn (keyboard, guitar and vocals), associate Kara Olander, Violin player Elleon Dobias, Electric Guitarist Brian Wilkie, electric bass Larry Kohut and Percussion, Patrick Morrow, the theater becomes “The Grand Ole Opry” and we hear Cline as she was meant to sound.

I found the story to be one that allows us to see yet another talent that was lost well before her time. Who knows how many other songs she may have scored big with, or what young talents may have followed in her footsteps.. While the story is a biography of Patsy Cline and her music, it is more about the relationship between the two women. Louise fell in love with the sound of Patsy and every day called her local radio DJ to request hearing her music. When Patsy came to town, she made sure she was there to see the show, and ended up becoming her almost manager and good friend. Besides the great sound of Cline and her music, we get a glimpse of what can bring two people together with very little in common. Weinstein and his ladies “nail it”!

On the tech side of the production, the lighting (Lee Fiskness) , sound (Leland Plumridge), costumes ( Emily M. Brink) and props ( Cassy Schillo) are all right on.  Ethan Deppe’s electronic music design, as always, was perfect! To be honest, this is 2 hours ( including a 10 minute intermission) of Good Old music and story-telling and it is done well. I am not a country western fan, but found myself enjoying every minute, feeling very entertained and knowing that anyone who attends this production will be walking out of the theater humming ( or even singing) a song or two on the way home.