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The actress is about to portray someone she loves.

Gremel is the title character in Live Theatre Workshop鈥檚 production of 鈥淎lways ... Patsy Cline.鈥�

It not only draws from the great country singer鈥檚 life, it gives us some of Cline鈥檚 greatest hits.

鈥淒uring the process, I have wanted to run several times,鈥� Gremel says with a laugh. 鈥淚鈥檓 having a blast and at the same time I鈥檓 terrified.鈥�

Gremel was a young girl when she was first introduced to Cline鈥檚 music.

鈥淢y grandmother was a diehard fan, and she passed that love on to my mom,鈥� she says. And her mother passed her passion for Cline on to Gremel. 鈥淲e use to sing her in the car together.鈥�

鈥淎lways ... Patsy Cline,鈥� is based on a true story about a fan who met the singer at a concert. The two spent hours together and became fast friends. They corresponded for the next two years, until Cline died in a plane crash in 1963. She was just 30.

The play opens as the Cline fan, Louise (played by Samantha Cormier), learns of the singer鈥檚 death. She then regales us with stories about Cline, who floats in and out to help re-create moments. A live band will be on stage with the actors and 27 of her songs are incorporated into the script. Tunes such as 鈥淐razy,鈥� 鈥淲alkin鈥� After Midnight鈥� and 鈥淚 Fall to Pieces鈥� will waft out over the audience.

Gremel was offered the part about a year ago. Right after accepting it, she started preparing.

鈥淚 was just listening to her all the time,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 have a long drive into work and I listen to her in the car and hear and feel her voice. I watched as many documentaries about her as I could. She sounds like a hoot. I wish I could have met her in person.鈥�

Gremel鈥檚 goal isn鈥檛 an imitation of Cline.

鈥淚f I can somewhat sound like her, bring that essence of her, I鈥檒l have done my job,鈥� she says.

In the process of preparing, Gremel found that the experience of falling in love with Cline while singing with her mother in the car was repeating itself with her 6-year-old daughter.

鈥淚 was playing her music in the car and my daughter says, 鈥楳ama, will you turn that up? Who is this? This is real music.鈥� Even a 6-year-old knows this is great music,鈥� Gremel said.