Always, Patsy Cline - Held Over

ALWAYS, PATSY CLINE - HELD OVER
By
Taylor Pero
I missed media night for The American Heartland Theatre's resounding hit show, Always, Patsy Cline, the hugely popular musical play that focuses on an endearing friendship between country music legend, Patsy Cline, and her most devoted fan, known simply as Louise. The good news is that this heartwarming play/country western tribute to Patsy's too short career has been so successful with KC's population that it has been held over for your pleasure until August 17th! My advice? Don't miss it.

Patsy's last ever performance was triumphant right here in Kansas City and she died in an airplane crash on her way home to her very young son, a catastrophe of enormous proportion to her global legion of fans and, of course, her family.

The role of Patsy Cline has become a staple in the repatoire of Kansas City's own Becky Barta who starred in the original production along with Cathy Barnett (Louise) at the AHT in 1995. They are now reunited on the very same stage in the very same vehicle and what a joy it is to see them tear up the boards in the award-winning salute to the legend that remains, written by the outstanding and prolific Ted Swindley.

It's a case of opposites coming together and exploding with talent from beginning to end with not a single missed beat. I virtually cannot say that one talent outshines the other. Cathy Barnett is enormously gratifying as Louise, the down home country housewife who discovers 'that voice' on her home radio and is instantly attracted to it. She places endless demanding calls to her local DJ insisting that he play 'her' Patsy for her, which he does. Louise is not one to take no for an answer and plows through life like a steamroller with limitless energy and a wicked sense of humor. She sees Patsy on The Arthur Godfrey Show, a staple in the early days of television, and is riveted to the brunette bombshell and her distinctive vocal talents. Louise is one of the first to recognize that Patsy Cline is a Star! Learning that Patsy is to perform live at a hall many miles from home, she loads her sexy car with friends and gaily drives off to finally meet her idol. The friendship that develops on that night becomes one of lasting quality up to Cline's untimely death. Louise (Cathy Barnett) remembers it all and weaves the tale throughout the show with unerring delight, hilarity and poignancy.

Like two fingers crossed for Good Luck, Becky Bartha and Cathy Barnett are invincible in telling the story of Patsy Cline and her music, her life, highs and lows, triumphs and disappointments, all of which are brilliantly illustrated against the backdrop of a real-life country band and the vocals of Becky Bartha, convincingly evocative of the range, tone, and pure country western songs of the beloved singer. You believe from the start that you're seeing Patsy Cline in concert ... all of her hit songs are woven into the two hours of sheer entertainment. With songs like Crazy, Sweet Dreams, and Walkin' After Midnight, the production includes a total of twenty-seven Patsy Cline recordings and songs.

The audience went bananas. The standing ovation was long and loud and prompted an encore from the band, Becky and Cathy. That brought a second standing ovation that went on until the theater lights dimmed. My date summed it up best, "It's the greatest thing I've ever seen on this stage."