Kimberly Donovan and Melissa WolfKlain Photo by Tracy Martin

Always...Patsy Cline distinguishes itself in numerous ways. To begin with, it retells a real and unlikely incident that occurred in one night in 1961 and footnotes the powerful pen pal friendship that ensued. Louise Seger had become a fanatic fan of the early recordings of Patsy Cline, and when Patsy is scheduled to perform at the Esquire Ballroom in Houston, Louise and her male friends are the first to arrive at the venue.

Through a little moxie on the fan's part, Louise invites Patsy to her home after the performance, and they spend the wee hours sharing intimate stories of love and loss over bacon and eggs. Patsy catches a few winks before Louise drags her to radio station KIKK for an interview with DJ Hal Harris before taking her to the airport.

Melissa WolfKlain portrays Patsy. While the actor's notable acting and singing have been on display at various Bay Area venues, belting through 20 or so songs commands considerable skill and endurance. The role demands a strong mezzo voice with the ability to twang subtly and convincingly, an appearance with suitable likeness, and a warmth to engage with Patsy's newfound friend. WolfKlain succeeds with great aplomb.

The Patsy Cline catalog plays big throughout, with her greatest hits highlighted–"Walkin After Midnight," "I Fall to Pieces," and of course, the Willie Nelson composed classic "Crazy." But WolfKlain also gets to sing an array of standards like "Your Cheatin' Heart," "San Antonio Rose," and "True Love." The songs are fully supported by a six-piece country band that includes the distinctive country sounds of the whining pedal steel guitar and fiddle.

Equally important in the casting is the need for a great comedienne who can ham it up in a homespun, Texas style. The great anomaly is that the heart of the show really belongs to Louise, who is played by Kimberly Donovan. Think of synonyms for broadly smiling, maximum energy, enthusiastic, and effusive, and they all apply to Donovan's performance.

Under Dyan McBride's direction and choreography, Louise buzzes like a bee, dancing and prancing around the stage. She throws her hips with verve and throws out her back in pain, humorously crawling on the floor and falling into the supine position while smoking a cigarette. She not only breaks the fourth wall but completely ignores it, as for the greater part, she is talking to us, and we love it.

Another unusual feature of Always...Patsy Cline is its structure. Louise carries probably 90% of the narrative on her own, and Patsy sings most of her songs in front of a microphone. It's like Louise performs a one-person show and Patsy sings a concert in the same time frame, with a small amount of intersection when the two interact at the Esquire and at Louise's house. It works because we care for both women and because the elements are spliced together with such care.

Their brief meeting charms and warms with the many issues common to both of them shared in candor and intimacy. A sad and final pull on the heartstrings that adds poignancy to the show is that Patsy will remain young and distant like a dream. She would die in an airplane accident two years after that memorable bonding experience with Louise.

Jukebox musicals often lack any substantive underpinning, but this one is an exception. It reminds us of the importance of perseverance, which Louise displays on many occasions, and the values of friendship and family, both close and afar. Conversely, we also see a pernicious sexism that we hope stays in our rearview mirror.

Always...Patsy Cline runs through September 15, 2024, at Hillbarn Theatre, 1285 East Hillsdale Blvd., Foster City CA. For tickets and information, please visit www.hillbarntheatre.org.