JJ Says: 'Always...Patsy Cline’ is worth missing a basketball game or two to see

<p>Warning: The following is not a sports column. It is about the qualities we admire in our athletes — enthusiasm, dedication, teamwork, attention to detail and talent, but it is not about sports.</p><!-- Nothing to do. The paragraph has already been output --><p>First, a confession. I am an avid country music fan. I don’t care much for the tinny, lyrics-deprived modern country, but I love the traditional lonesome wail of Hank Williams, the raspy ballads of Johnny Cash, the nasal twang of Tammy Wynette and, most of all, the soulful blues of Patsy Cline.</p><p>Given my near obsession — I subscribe to Sirius radio just for the Road House stream of uninterrupted classic country — the very title of the Cinnabar Theater’s current effort, “Always...Patsy Cline” was enough to entice me to the intimate theater on the hill.</p><p>I dragged along a friend whose musical tastes are much more sophisticated than my own. She prefers Brahms to Buck and the Marin Symphony to the Texas Troubadours. But even she was impressed by the magic that transpired in the Cinnabar Theater Saturday night.</p><p>It certainly wasn’t what I had expected.</p><p>I had anticipated a play about the life and times of Patsy Cline, her loves, her fame, her heartache and her tragic death in an airplane crash at 30. I had hoped for a few reasonable renditions of her more well-known recordings. </p><p>What I, along with the rest of a capacity audience, received was authentic Patsy Cline, a hilarious and touching story line and enough energy to warm us on a chilling winter evening.</p><p>It isn’t only my love for authentic country music that moves me to become novice play critic, but the quality of the performance and the music. It is dang good.</p><p>Mary Gannon-Graham doesn’t cover Patsy Cline, she sings Patsy Cline. Close your eyes and she is Patsy Cline. </p><p>One of the trademarks of country music is the universal appeal of its lyrics. In the voice of a master like Cline or Gannon-Graham, they become soul-touching poetry. </p><p>When Cline/Gannon-Graham croons about “crazy for lovin’ you,” everyone, male or female, who has ever been tortured by unrequited love can relate. When she sings about “Sweet Dreams,” she is singing right to the soul of anyone who has ever fantasized about a lost love whose memory just won’t leave.</p><p>There are songs of hurt (“I Fall to Pieces”), hope (“True Love”), faith (”How Great Thou Art”) and fun (“Stupid Cupid”) all delivered in the true Patsy Cline mellow and oh-so-sexy mix of blues, swing and country. </p><p>The six-piece band — the Bodacious Bobcats — introduced as Billy Bob (Jim Peterson on guitar), Jim Bob (Dave Zirbel on steel guitar), Joe Bob (Stuart Rabinowitsh on piano), Jay Bob (Josh Fossgreen on bass), Ray Bob (Michael Kane on fiddle) and Bob Bob (Robin Zickel on drums) has the country western thing down. </p><p>You feel like you’re at a dance hall. When Patsy orders a Schlitz, you can taste it in the music. </p><p>The only other cast member is perpetual motion Liz Jahren who plays Patsy’s hero-worshiping friend and confidant Louise Seger. </p><p>Louise is the plain-talking, fun-loving down-to-earth woman that I suspect most women secretly envy for her honesty and love of life — virtues she tries to instill in her soul-hurting friend.</p><p>The relationship between Patsy and Louise is a love story without the messy trappings of sex. It is pure country caring of one human being for another, as honest and straight-forward as Patsy’s music.</p><p>But it is far from maudlin. Louise is a hoot. It is not so much her dialogue, although she does deliver a few one-line zingers, it is her enthusiasm, joy and, believe it or not, her athleticism.</p><p>Her energy infects the entire audience.</p><p>I passed up a basketball game to see “Always...Patsy Cline” and I would do it again. I can give it no higher accolade.</p><p>(Contact John Jackson at acsports@arguscourier.com)</p>