Bringing Patsy Cline back to Life at the Red Barn

Think of your favorite singing superstar. Now imagine that you just happen to run into them, strike up a conversation, and within minutes have formed a friendship that lasts your lifetimes. Sweet dream, right?

For Louise Seger, a simple Houston housewife who loved Patsy Cline, it actually happened. And the story of how she met her idol one fateful day and became her fast and trusted friend is the basis for the wonderful musical play by Ted Swindley, “Always…Patsy Cline”, opening Monday at the Red Barn Theatre in Key West. The show will run Mondays through Saturdays only through March 10, curtains at 8 pm. Tickets are already limited.

The play stars two immensely talented singer/actresses: Chicago’s Christine Mild as Cline and Key West’s Joy Hawkins as Seger. Both have done the play hundreds of times, which makes the friendship they portray on stage even more believable and endearing.

Seger was waiting to enter a honky tonk in 1961 when Cline – an independent woman with a habit of traveling alone – arrived unheralded. The fan approached the star, and within two minutes, they were talking like long-lost friends. Seger took Cline to her home after the concert, made her bacon and eggs, and they talked all night about their lives, their men, and their families. They remained friends until Cline’s untimely death in 1963 at age 30 in a plane crash.

“I never tire of this show,” Hawkins said. “I’ve done it at least 1500 times, and I never get bored. There’s a sweetness in the relationship between these two women that I just love. And then there’s the music.”

Mild truly channels Cline as she delivers renditions of the singer’s top hits, including the iconic “Sweet Dreams”, “Crazy”, “She’s Got You”, “Walkin’ After Midnight”, and “Anytime”. And the music is authentic, as musical director Jim Rice has put together a remarkable ensemble, including Drew Perkins on fiddle, Roger Rettig on pedal steel, and Lee Vinters on drums.

Combining humor, sadness, and reality, the play focuses on the fateful evening at Houston’s Esquire Ballroom when Seger hears of Cline’s death. Seger supplies a narrative while Cline floats in and out of the set singing the tunes that made her famous.

“I think the audience will get lost in the music, remembering the songs,” Mild said. “I hope they’ll get an appreciation of how much really good music she produced in her short life. And it gives you a real good sense of what kind of gal Patsy was. She was fearless.”

The play is more about the friendship than the singer’s career, however, which provides a beautiful melding of story and music. Down home humor, true emotion, and even audience participation are just some of the reasons the play has become one of the most produced in the world.

Tickets are available at redbarntheatre.com/tickets or by calling 305-296-9911. It is sponsored by KONKLife, Design Group Key West, and the Monroe County Tourist Development Council.

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