DELIGHTING METRO AUDIENCES WITH ADDED PERFORMANCES SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 13 AT 3 PM AND 7:30 PM

By Clif Warren

Ever since its Jan. 26 opening at the Lyric Plaza, when Julie Johnson (Patsy Cline) and Brenda Williams (Louise Seger, Patsy’s No. 1 fan) kicked off their exuberant tribute to “the most acclaimed female country vocalist of the 20th century,” audiences ready and willing for nostalgia began responding with on-beat tapping feet, spirited cheers, and loud applause. With a dream duo—Johnson as the songbird and Williams as cheerleader and comic—teamed with tight direction by Michael Baron, skilled musical backup by Brian Hamilton, frequent colorful and period-appropriate costume designs by Jeffrey Meek, ‘Cline’s’ a five star show.

“Always … Patsy Cline” features 27 songs made famous by this ever-popular mid-century artist. Johnson, whose full voice and radiant, unforgettable style, with the exception of a few Texas-flattened vowels, almost completely nails Cline’s Winchester, Virginia-honed technique.   The true story, carefully rendered by playwright Ted Swindley, allows Johnson the full range of Cline’s career highlights from the first meeting with devoted fan Seger (1957) to the tragic plane crash (1963) that ended an incredible, meteoric rise, covering a barely six-year period.

While Johnson is clearly the center of the musical review, it’s Brenda Williams’ Seger, who first heard her idol on small town Texas radio and demanded daily replays of Cline’s songs, who now keeps the fires smoldering under what otherwise might be just another musical review.

Williams, a local actress, teacher and director, for a number of years brought both gravitas and hilarity to the Pollard Theatre ensemble casts at Guthrie in hit after hit. She uses her fine-tuned skills to pump this show to the top—milking responses from the audience, applying a whole bag of saucy comic tricks to keep the interplay warm and feisty, challenging everyone to sing along, and most importantly, helping bring to life an intimate friend’s heartbreak over a Schlitz or a cup of coffee.

From happy songs early in Cline’s career, like “Honky Tonk Merry Go Round,’’ “Back in Baby’s Arms” and “Anytime,” to novelty tunes like “Stupid Cupid,” all the music demands rhythmic responses. But it’s the forlorn wail in “Walkin’ After Midnight,” “I Fall to Pieces,”  “She’s Got You,” “Crazy,” “Seven Lonely Days,” and “Faded Love” that still tantalizes audiences after the show is over.

“Always … Patsy Cline” is one of those bonding stage shows you never want to end, and it’s a pity the weather played havoc with the missed nights, so this week-end will be the last chance to see this quite special production, which will surely reign as one of the best theatricals of the year.

Notice to ticketholders:

(Not to be undone by the massive snows, Lyric Theatre moved its Feb. 9 and Feb. 10 performances to Sunday, Feb. 13 at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at Lyric’s Plaza Theatre.  Patrons holding tickets for the 9^th or 10^th may exchange their tickets on either date for the Sunday performances by calling the box office at (405) 524-9312 or going to the Lyric Plaza ticket office at 1727 NW 16.)

–

Clifton Warren, who holds a Ph. D. in comparative literature and letters from Indiana University, is a former chairman of the English Department at Oklahoma City University, and former dean of the Liberal Arts college at University of Central Oklahoma, where he established an M.A. degree in creative studies.  He is also a recipient of a Governor’s Arts award.