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Always…Patsy Cline
By J.P. Kiralla
The heart wrenching voice of Patsy Cline has touched the lives of listeners for years. Maya Angelou once said, "It's wonderful that whenever Patsy Cline's name is mentioned, people's voices fall and they become right sentimental. And, rightly so."
Though Patsy Cline died at age 30 in a plane crash 45 years ago, her musical legacy is alive and well. The mournful contralto managed to record several timeless songs in less than ten years, including truly spellbinding classics like "Crazy," "Walkin' After Midnight," "Sweet Dreams," "I Fall to Pieces," "She's Got You," and "Strange" (the list continues).
At The Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center the aptly titled production Always…Patsy Cline is currently playing. It is a compelling account of one woman's brief friendship with Patsy Cline. I attended a performance recently and as soon as actress Michele McRae, who plays Patsy Cline, tore into "Three Cigarettes in An Ashtray," I fell to pieces and marveled at how great those songs are.
Louise Seger, who befriended the singer in 1961 at the Esquire Ballroom in Houston, Texas, narrates Always…Patsy Cline. Although Seger did not recognize Patsy Cline at the Esquire Ballroom initially, mistaking her for Cline's manager, she quickly realized who the singer was and approached her. Seger said to Patsy Cline, ""I just wanted you to know how much I admire your music. I have 'I Fall to Pieces' played for me four or five times every day."
Patsy Cline was friendly and asked Seger, "Would you do me a favor during the show and watch the drummer so he won't rush me?" Having come to Houston alone, the modest singer was concerned about the size of the venue and the musicians' lack of familiarity with her music. After Seger assured Patsy Cline that the night would be a big success, they struck up a friendship that lasted until the singer's untimely death.
While Patsy was hailing a cab to her hotel that same night, Louise Seger insisted that Patsy Cline come back to her house to get something to eat. Seger recalled the night explaining that the two women sat at the kitchen table and chatted about "broken hearts, husband problems, children problems, loves lost, loves won." Patsy Cline ate bacon and eggs with Louise Seger and following several hours of talking, Patsy Cline slept over.
In the morning, Seger decided to call local Radio DJ Hal Harris at his home to inform him that Patsy Cline was sleeping at her house and that she would bring Patsy Cline to the radio station that morning. Thinking that Louise Seger had tied one on the night before and was pulling the DJ's leg, Hal Harris advised Seger to get some rest and promised that he would play "I Fall to Pieces" for her that morning.
The comedic delivery of Kathleen Silverman, who plays Louise Seger, is impeccable. Seger recounts Radio DJ Hal Harris' reaction upon Patsy Cline's arrival at the studio. Seger exclaims, "Hal fell through his asshole and hung himself!"
While Patsy Cline's night in Houston, Texas in 1961 resulted in one fan's story of a lifetime, the relationship that developed thereafter was perhaps one of the most touching aspects of the production. That night, as Louise Seger and Patsy Cline bared their souls and stayed up smoking and singing "until 4:00 in the morning," the two women found that they had several things in common. Patsy Cline kept in contact with Louise until her death though phone calls and letters. Real life Louise Seger once revealed in an interview, "I often would receive calls at 1:00 in the morning. She'd be singing in some town wanting a friend to talk to."
Near the end of the production a letter from Patsy Cline is read aloud from Louise Seger's kitchen. In the letter, a true sense of Patsy's character shines through as she humbly writes that she "must get back to her ironing." Patsy Cline was warm and compassionate towards Louise and her family. Moreover, she poignantly expresses her concerns about her musical career separating her from her children. The absolute sincerity of Patsy Cline's letter parallels the honest heartache of her voice. The letter closes with the production's title, "Always, Patsy Cline," and the fondness expressed in the letter is heartwarming.
The play is cleverly orchestrated. Writer and original director Ted Swindley weaves Louise Seger's witty banter and Patsy Cline's greatest hits. Producers Fred Helsel and David Ralphe, along with the entire crew at Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center, pull off a perfectly paced production that is humorous and entertaining.
Michele Mc McRae captures Patsy Cline's voice quite well and Kathleen Silverman is captivating. The two have a wonderful chemistry on stage and encores were certainly in order for their stellar performances. Check out www.simi-arts.org for information about upcoming performances of Always…Patsy Cline.