Book by Ted Swinley
Always...Patsy Cline is based on the true story of Patsy
Cline's friendship with Houston housewife Louise Seger.
Having first heard Cline on the "Arthur Godfrey Show" in 1957, Seger
became an immediate and avid fan of Cline's and she constantly hounded
the local disc jockey to play Cline's records on the radio.
In 1961 when Cline went to Houston for a show, Seger and her buddies arrived about an
hour-and-a-half early and, by coincidence, met Cline who was traveling alone.
The two women struck up a friendship that was to culminate in Cline spending the
night at Seger's house--a friendship that lasted until Cline's untimely death in a
plane crash in 1963.
The relationship, which began as fan worship evolved into one of mutual respect.
It is the kind of relationship that many fans would like to have with their heroes.
Over a pot of strong coffee, the two women chatted about their common concerns.
When Cline finally left for Dallas, her next job, the two women had exchanged addresses
and telephone numbers. Seger never expected to hear from Cline again,
but soon after she left, Seger received the first of many letters and phone
calls from Cline. The pen-pal relationship provides much of the plot of the show.
The play focuses on the fateful evening at Houston's Esquire Ballroom when
Seger hears of Cline's death in a plane crash. Seger supplies a narrative while
Cline floats in and out of the set singing tunes that made her
famous--Anytime, Walkin' After Midnight, She's Got You, Sweet Dreams, and Crazy--
to name a few.
The show combines humor, sadness and reality. It offers fans who remember
Cline while she was alive a chance to look back, while giving new
fans an idea of what seeing her was like and what she meant to her original fans.
Auditons and cast info will be posted on the WCT News Blog as announced. This page will hold the program info and production pictures.