Crystal Bowersox and Annette O'Toole Will Star in Broadway's Always… Patsy Cline

By Andrew Gans
26 Mar 2013

Crystal Bowersox
Crystal Bowersox

Burke-Cohen Entertainment/Jimmy Burke and Jeff Cohen will produce the Broadway premiere of Ted Swindley's Always… Patsy Cline, which is scheduled to begin performances on Broadway in July with an opening in August at a theatre to be announced. Tony Award winner John Rando will direct.

The cast will feature "American Idol" finalist Crystal Bowersox and Oscar and Emmy Award nominee Annette O’Toole.

In a statement producer Jeff Cohen of Burke-Cohen Entertainment said, “Crystal is the ideal performer to portray Patsy Cline. In what amounts to a 'life-imitates-art' twist, Patsy Cline was discovered on the 'Arthur Godfrey Show,' the number one TV talent show of its day. And Crystal was discovered on 'American Idol,' the number one TV talent show today…Annette is a wonderful actress (and a native Texan) who will bring the perfect combination of earthiness, warmth and pluckiness to the role. She has humor and heart in abundance and will establish a very special rapport with our audience.”

The scenery will be designed by Anna Louizos, who is currently represented on Broadway with Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella.

Always… Patsy Cline, according to press notes, is a "fun loving, crowd-pleasing musical full of down-home country humor and a big heart. Based on a true story, the show features nearly 30 classic songs from the Patsy Cline songbook which will be heard for the first time on a Broadway stage. The show tells of the friendship that developed between Patsy and Louise Seger, her most devoted fan. Louise narrates the story of the day in 1961 when she met Patsy at Houston's Esquire Ballroom. Afterward, Patsy kept in touch by writing her long hand-written letters until the day she died tragically in a plane crash. She signed the letters '(Love) Always, Patsy Cline.'"

The show features 27 chart-topping songs, including such Cline classics as "Crazy," "Walkin' After Midnight," "I Fall to Pieces," "Sweet Dreams" and "Back In Baby's Arms." It also features such country classics as "Your Cheatin' Heart," "San Antonio Rose" and "Blue Moon of Kentucky," pop classics like "Bill Bailey," "You Belong To Me," "True Love" and rock 'n' roll classics like "Shake, Rattle and Roll" and "Stupid Cupid."

The centerpiece of the show is Cline's live concert at the Esquire Ballroom.