Always... perfect to the last detail

By Meghan D'Souza

City Circle - Although I realize this is the internet and once a secret is out, it's out for good... I'm going to let you in on a little secret of mine. I used to daydream about somehow running into Jodie Sweetin, that is Stephanie from the TV show Full House, in the podunk little river town that I grew up in and becoming one of her closest friends. I look back at the ways my childish mind figured we could meet and laugh now, but when I attended Always... Patsy Cline, based on a true story, I realized that such far fetched childish dreams can come true.

Always... Patsy Cline, which is put on by the City Circle Acting Company of Coralville and currently showing at the Children's Museum at Coral Ridge Mall, is a story of the chance friendship between Patsy (Marcia Hughes) and one of her greatest admirers and close friends, as told by this friend, Louise Seger (Patti McTaggart). Louise tells of the first time she heard Patsy sing on the Arthur Godfrey Show in 1957 and never forgetting that voice. As Patsy's stardom grew and she went on tours, Louise began requesting her music on the radio. After getting to know the DJ from hassling him so much, he told her that Patsy was going to be performing in their city of Houston. Louise went to the performance, met Patsy, and they became friends instantly. A fan's dream come true.

That's the quick summary of the musical. The biggest fans are most definitely going to be Patsy Cline fans. Hughes had gigantic shoes to fill when presented with the task of being Patsy Cline. She rose to the challenge and did a gorgeous job with such songs as Walkin' After Midnight, Crazy, and Stupid Cupid. She spent most of the two hours singing Cline's greatest hits and it was incredible. Heads were bobbing, hands were clapping, toes were tapping. I overheard those in the audience who were around during Cline's days say they were moved by Hughes voice and taken straight back to the late 50s-early 60s.

Because Hughes sang so beautifully and because the musical was preceded with pre-show music sung by Carolyn Matousek, the second biggest fans will simply be fans of music. One really does not need to know a thing about Patsy Cline to enjoy this show. They just need to be in the mood to enjoy true talent.

I did my research to learn about how Cline did her hair, make up, and wardrobe. Apparently, Hughes did, too. She wore ruby red lipstick, which was Cline's favorite. She had short, '60's styled hair, with the sides by her ears curled outwards towards her cheeks. Cline began her career wearing typical Country Western clothing. As she became better known, she chose to dress in more formal attire. Hughes showed where they were in the story by dressing accordingly. When she dressed casually, she wore capris, a button-down shirt with a "P" monogram and a scarf around her neck.

The show was not all about Hughes, though. While she commanded the stage as a celebrity and sang twenty-six songs in two hours without showing any signs of wishing for more than an intermission as a break, the success of the show depended on McTaggart. The wonderful thing about McTaggart was that I did not feel like she was acting like a friend of Patsy Cline. I felt like she really was reliving her experience as Patsy's friend. She had the '60s bouffant hair with a scarf around it, but her brown boots, denim skirt and vest felt like something she could have worn in the '80s, '90s, or today. I wondered if this was because she was looking back on her friendship, telling us about the past, and then would hop into the story she was telling. Unlike Hughes, McTaggart did not have any costume changes.

McTaggart's ability to tell a story in a way that grasps the audience, making them lean in so they don't miss a word is incredible. Her sense of humor and comedic timing gets actual laughs, not just smiles. She was usually a kooky, bubbly woman who you just want to share gossip and funny stories with, you can see why Patsy would be friends with her, but there are sad moments and McTaggart knows exactly how to transition from bubbly to sad without being abrupt. McTaggart basically spent two hours telling a story by herself, sometimes using the band and, of course, having Hughes there to sing or occasionally exchange dialogue, but this could not have been as easy as she made it look. She used her voice, smile, body language, and props all to her advantage. Most fun for the audience was that she did get members of the audience involved, creating more laughs.

Only one time did her comedic relief take something away from the show. Patsy had asked Louise to keep a strict eye on the drummer while she sang Your Cheatin' Heart. Watching Louise and the drummer interact was very funny. However, Your Cheatin' Heart is a heartachingly wonderful song and the comedic interaction going on behind Hughes distracted from her performance.

Though City Circle had to perform at the Children's Museum because their new home on 5th Street is not yet finished, they were not missing anything with their set. The museum just happens to have a barn with a stage right now, so they used that to give the country vibe for a Grand Ol' Opry performance. The band, consisting of drums, a piano, steel guitar, guitar, violin, and bass was set up on the stage with the members wearing cowboy hats to add some country charm. The few set details that I enjoyed the most was the old carbon microphone that was set up for all of Patsy's stage performances. This would be exactly the kind of microphone used in the late '50s/early '60s. I also liked that the front row for the audience was a set of tables draped with red clothes for couples. These tables had glowing candles and "reserved" signs on them. The folks in these seats tended to be more involved with the show, which pleased all of us (well, maybe some were embarrassed). My final favorite detail was a television screen slightly above the set. It had different uses, most often as a sign during different scenes. I most liked when it was used as Louise was recalling that first time she ever heard Patsy, on the Arthur Godfrey Show. As she spoke, a clip from the actual show was shown on the television. When she recalled how Patsy was announced, the television show suddenly changed to real time and showed Hughes stepping on the stage that was right in front of us. The transition on the television was really unexpected and took a moment to realize that what I was now seeing on the television was right there in front of me. Louise reenacted the moment, watching the television while we the audience, of course, were to enjoy the live Hughes right in front of us.

So we have a musical based on a true story that tells a tale that we all wish would happen to us. The music, from the pre-show through each of the twenty-six songs, makes your heart feel like it is being hugged by the ladies' voices. The most minor of details all the way down to the lipstick, microphone and Southern accents, are accurate. There are great laughs and a genuine feeling of friendship through the whole show. I challenge anyone to get through the performance without falling in love with Patti McTaggart and Marcia Hughes.

P.S. And did I mention there is free, authentic Southern barbecue and biscuits during intermission? The details are incredible.


Meghan D'Souza lives in Coralville with her husband and beloved dog. She is a University of Iowa graduate and works at the Iowa City Public Library. She has written for The Burlington Hawk Eye and is currently a freelance writer.