Annette O’Toole Will Join Idol Alum Crystal Bowersox in Broadway's Always…Patsy Cline

Oscar and Emmy Award nominee Annette O’Toole will star opposite American Idol runner-up Crystal Bowersox in the Broadway premiere of Ted Swindley’s musical two-hander Always…Patsy Cline. Broadway.com broke the news that Bowersox would make her Broadway debut in the title role. Urinetown, A Christmas Story and Superman director John Rando will helm the production, and Cinderella’s Anna Louizos will design the set. Performances will begin in July at a yet to be announced Broadway theater, with an official opening sometime in August. Exact dates and theater are to be announced.

Always…Patsy Cline tells the true story of the friendship that developed between Patsy Cline 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 with her number one fan 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.” Bowersox will play Cline and O’Toole will play Seger.

The musical features 27 chart-topping songs including such Patsy 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.”

O’Toole is making her Broadway debut in Always…Patsy Cline. She appeared off-Broadway in Kindness and The Seagull. An accomplished film and television actress, O’Toole’s screen credits include Superman III, Smallville, Nash Bridges, The Kennedys of Massachusetts, Lie to Me and 48 Hours. She was nominated for an Oscar for penning the original song “A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow" for the film A Mighty Wind.