Music Leads the Way in "Always ... Patsy Cline' at LTOB

NORTH BEND — It must be hard to sing like Patsy Cline.

Like Johnny Cash or June Carter, it’s the sort of role that should win an Oscar for anyone who can actually pull it off.

And yet Little Theatre on the Bay found Doris Smith, who stars in “Always … Patsy Cline,” opening tonight.

“It’s scary how much she sounds like her,” said Becca Ruley, a member of the show’s crew.

The show, which features 26 of Cline’s songs, essentially demands as much.

Smith said she watched a lot of tape of Cline in preparation for the role and had always been influenced by her style. Formerly the singer of local band High Lonesome, Smith has appeared in two seasons of Little Ole Opry and “Anything Goes” and competed in the 2005 Colgate Country Showdown, reaching the top four locally.

It’s not a lot of experience, but Smith said it took her a long time to come out of her shell.

“This is like a dream come true,” she said. “I’m so thrilled to be playing Patsy Cline!”

The delight both she and co-star Pam de Jong take in their roles is evident throughout the show, which is directed by Don Williston.

The story centers on a May 1961 night when Louise Seger (de Jong), a divorced, single mother and obsessive fan, met Cline at a concert in Houston.

While the music dominates, it would be unfair to de Jong to characterize the show as little more than an excuse to hear oldies favorites. Seger’s Texas-sized personality keeps the show moving, allowing it to present a compelling story, as well.

After first hearing the voice that changed her life on a TV talent show in 1957, Louise rediscovers Cline four years later when her local country radio station plays “I Fall To Pieces,” prompting her to call the station to request it five times a day for several months. (A restrictive recording contract that limited what Cline could sing during the intervening years may account for the gap.)

In one of her many conversations with DJ Hal Harris, Louise learns that Cline will be coming to Houston to perform at the Empire Ballroom. Louise finds that her boss at the electronics factory and a few other friends also want to go to the show, but no one is a more dedicated fan than Louise.

On the night of the show, she insists on arriving an hour and a half early, before there are any other cars in the parking lot. Her friends grumble about sitting up front next to the piano.

“We did not come here to hear ourselves talk,” Louise says. “We came here to hear Miss Patsy Cline.”

But what they get is much more than that after Louise approaches Cline, sitting alone before the show, and invites her to sit at their table, where the two women become fast friends.

Upon learning that Cline will be expected to perform for several hours with only one break, Louise marches into the club’s office and introduces herself as Cline’s manager, proceeding to dictate her client’s availability for the night. It’s enough time for Cline to sing about a third of the show’s numbers, with Louise bringing her a drink after each one.

At the end of the concert, Louise convinces her friend Patsy that she’ll never be able to get a cab at that hour in Houston, and that she’ll have to get a ride with her. And there’s no sense in going straight to the hotel without stopping at Louise’s house for bacon and eggs.

As the night wears on, the two women stay up late talking, sharing their heartbreaks. The stories are similar, except when Patsy wants to talk about her marriage, she sings “Crazy.”

It’s the hardcore fan’s ultimate dream, and for Louise, it keeps getting better.

Music is provided by musical director Janice Kendall or Luanne May on piano and Dwain Rayburn on steel guitar.

The show runs through Oct. 14, with performances at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and at 2 p.m. Sundays. Tickets are $12, $10 for seniors and $8 for children.