PCT'S ALWAYS . . . PATSY CLINE IS MORE THAN FUN

Theater Babe Says:  Go . . . and Take a Melodic Walk Down Memory Lane

For Peninsula Community Theatre’s third production of the season, director Stephen Mason and his talented cast present a show that is a rollicking good time and touches the heart.

Based loosely on a true story, Always . . . Patsy Cline depicts the development of an unusual relationship between the famous singer and a dedicated fan.  The cast is limited to those two characters and the musicians who perform with Pasty.  Louise carries the bulk of the dialogue, telling the tale of how she came to learn of Pasty Cline, and the night they met which forged a friendship that lasted a lifetime.  Interspersed through Louise’s memories are twenty-seven of Patsy’s best beloved songs which both shape and give depth to the story.

Mr. Mason wisely chose to double-cast the demanding role of Patsy Cline, but the Theater Babe only had the opportunity to see the show once.  Kathy Watley possesses an amazing voice, and delivers a strong performance that celebrates her pure pitch and pleasing, husky timbre.  Ms. Watley is slightly stiff in her initial banter with the musicians and does not quite capture the easy, folksy charm that was part of Ms. Cline’s appeal, but as the show progresses, the delivery of her lines becomes more relaxed and comfortable -- and therefore more credible.  Ms. Watley is a powerful, versatile singer, and her renditions of such diverse tunes as the classic, “Walkin’ After Midnight,” the wistful “If I Could See the World (Through the Eyes of a Child)” and the show-stopping “Lovesick Blues” are truly memorable.  Perhaps what is most impressive about Ms. Watley’s performance is that she embraces the distinctive stylings that were so unique to Ms. Cline’s vocals but does not merely duplicate the well-known recordings; within the strict confines of the role Ms. Watley is able to make the music her own, with gratifying results.

Structurally, the show depends on Louise’s character to give substance and context to what otherwise would be nothing more than a concert.  Heather Maury rises to the challenge and her finely-tuned, dynamic characterization of the quirky Louise is a commensurate match for Ms. Watley’s fine performance.  Ms. Maury shines in the broad comedy that is inherent in the role, but she does not permit that to be the sum total of her performance.  Rather, she also presents lovely, introspective moments that take her vibrant energy and channels it into a quiet intensity, depicting Louise as more than just a groupie.  It is because of Ms. Maury’s convincing performance that we believe that a real relationship exists between the two women, and that sincerity is what makes the show more than just a fun retrospective of Patsy Cline tunes. 

Mr. Mason’s blocking makes excellent use of the simple but effective set designed by Ellen Eames and is wonderfully enhanced by John Wilt’s lighting design.  The show is written in a pattern that seldom varies -- Louise explains the circumstances, then Patsy sings – and the consistency could easily become tedious.  Here, under Mr. Mason’s notable direction, the musical numbers are distinct in mood and presentation, and there is a subtle flow to his choice of staging that creates a cohesive whole.  A rare misstep is in the first act’s “Your Cheatin’ Heart,” where Louise “helps” Pasty by conducting the band.  While Ms. Maury gives it her all, unabashedly gyrating and shimmying, it is a single visual joke that warrants a quick, robust laugh, but is insufficient to last the entire length of the song.  Additionally, Ms. Watley’s outstanding interpretation of that song is undermined by the constant distraction of Louise’s antics.  Had the staging started and ended with Louise’s exploits, with Louise remaining frozen in position during the majority of the song, we could have better enjoyed Louise’s frenetic comedy, Patsy’s impassioned vocals, and the juxtaposition between the two.  That is a minor critique, however, in a show that is dominated by successful staging and a perfect partnership between two gifted performers.

The costumes, by Kat Fresh, are uneven.  Pasty’s wardrobe throughout is well done and faultlessly reminiscent of dresses and costumes preserved in photos and videos of Ms. Cline’s performances.  Louise’s overall appearance suffers from its indeterminate time period:  the shirt and jeans are of a 21^st century cut, while her make-up and hairstyle evoke the late 1960s/early 1970s.  Because the show is a depiction of her memories, a more uniform overall look that placed Louise’s character in a distinct timeframe would have reinforced the idea silently presented by the old-style furniture and jukebox of the set that this moment in time is so poignant to Louise that, years after the fact, it remains crystal clear.  Similarly, the jeans worn by Patsy’s female background vocal artist is a jarring note; in 1961, it is extremely unlikely that a female performer would have worn trousers, let alone jeans.  It is a small detail that unnecessarily detracts from the overall credibility of the performance.

The musicians are superb.  Music director Betsy Forrest has assembled a well-balanced and exceptionally talented group of instrumentalists (Bill Armstrong, Andrew Blackmon, Jeff Sherman, Elizabeth Delk Stacy, Kurt Stahmer, Mark Stahmer) and vocalists (David Murray, Nerissa V. Thompson, Jordan Wentland) who are simply a pleasure to hear, and their occasional interactions with the actors are delightful. 

Bottom line?  PCT’s production of Always . . . Patsy Cline is a fun, heart-warming show brimming with talented performers and is well worth the time and the ticket price.

Performances run thru March 16th at 8 p.m. at the Peninsula Community Theatre

10521 Warwick Boulevard, Newport News, Virginia 23601.
Tickets are $16 and can be obtained by
calling the box office at (757) 595-5728 or online at pctlive.org.

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