Crystal Bowersox to Play Patsy Cline on Broadway

Crystal Bowersox, the runner-up on the 2010 edition of “American Idol,” will play Patsy Cline on Broadway this summer in a new production of the musical “Always … Patsy Cline,” a tribute show featuring classic songs performed by the country singer like “Crazy,” “Walkin’ After Midnight” and “I Fall to Pieces,” the producers announced on Tuesday.

The two-character show, written by Ted Swindley, brings Cline to life through the eyes of a friend and devoted fan; she will be played by the actress Annette O’Toole, who starred as Clark Kent’s mother, Martha, on the television series “Smallville” and shared an Academy Award nomination for best song for the 2003 movie “A Mighty Wind.”

“Always … Patsy Cline,” which ran Off Broadway in 1997 and has been produced at regional theaters ever since, will be directed on Broadway by John Rando (“A Christmas Story”). Performances are scheduled to begin in July, with an August opening; no theater has been announced. The lead producers are Jimmy Burke and Jeff Cohen, who are newcomers to Broadway.