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Whitefish Theatre Co. presents “Always…Patsy Cline” in Cabaret-style
June 25, 2012
editor@montanaliving.com
Based on a true story, “Always ... Patsy Cline” by Ted Swindley is a revue of Cline's music and also a story of one night in the life of the young country singer, when she befriended someone ordinary and showed how ordinary she herself was in turn. The friendship, between the star and a divorcee (Louise Seeger) with two small children, began at a Texas honky-tonk in 1961 where Seeger sat in the front row, and lasted via correspondence until Cline’s tragic death in a plane at age 30, in 1963. This show offers an enjoyable evening of tender friendship and rare camaraderie, built upon one woman’s heart-aching sound of lost love and loneliness coming through the radio waves to another woman’s heart-worn soul. Today, in a culture seemingly dominated by celebrity shamelessness, the thought that a famous artist might also be a genuine human being is comforting. Cline meant something different to her original fans, like Seeger, who came to realize “it isn't just the music that's lovely, it's also the singer” –Austin Chronicle.
Borrowing the sentiments of the Charleston City Paper, “Vintage dresses and bouffant hair do not a Patsy make. You don't have a show unless you have the voice.” With seeming ease, Amanda Duff Caldwell, star of the Whitefish Theatre Co. production of “Always...Patsy Cline,” has the vocal chords to revive the iconic country legend with style. “Always” packs 23 songs into two hours — a real testament to Caldwell's voice, which reproduces Cline's sultry stylings and gestures to the delight of the Cabaret audience, who are apt to feel they’ve stepped back 50 years and are sitting at a Patsy Cline concert. Pair this with the fast-talking, boisterous, and ballsy narrative of Louise Seeger (played by Scarlett Schindler, a Texas darling!), and you’ve got yourself an evening to remember. Caldwell and Schindler shine as two local theatrical gems and add a lot of heart to the touching friendship that Cline and Seeger actually lived.
Tickets are $25 for table or mezzanine seating, all seats reserved, with fine food and wine available for purchase. It is also possible to reserve an entire table if you have a large group.
Director for the production is Nancy Nei. Lonnie Porro is the costume designer.
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