This is my third version of “Always…Patsy Cline,” and by far the best, thanks to the fantastic voice of Erin McCracken. Close your eyes, and there she is: The first great female country singer.

McCracken, who played Tracy in TBTS’s “Hairspray,” has a strong voice that she has shaped into Cline’s style, belting out such classics as “Crazy,” “Walkin’ After Midnight,” “I Fall to Pieces” and a couple dozen more.

The slim story is told by Louise Seger (Lulu Lloyd), a divorced mother of two who hears Cline singing on the Arthur Godfrey Talent Scout show in 1957 and follows her career until she comes to her Texas town in 1961. Louise befriends Patsy, bringing her home for breakfast, and the two become fast friends, sharing each other’s personal histories and thoughts. The two correspond as Cline’s fame grows and she travels around the country, always signing her letters, “Love Always…Patsy Cline.”

While the “play with music,” or is it “music with a play,” does touch on the close personal relationship between a star and her fan, it really is about the music.

While Cline was basically a country singer, she did cross over into pop and other genres. Among the many country favorites in the show, McCracken shines on everything from “Shake, Rattle and Roll” to “How Great Thou Art.”

McCracken is backed by a cracker-jack five-piece band directed by John C. Brown and including the sweet pedal steel guitarist John Widgren. RIC students Neil Jeronimo and Brian Pereira provide backup voices softly in the background. The musicians never overpower McCracken, allowing her powerful voice to dominate.

That can’t be said for Lloyd, who occasionally upstages McCracken with her strong personality.

While director Amiee Turner does a terrific job of keeping a steady pace with the show, and the script calls for a sassy, funny Seger, she needs to tone her down a notch.

The story ends sadly, as Patsy Cline’s career and life was abruptly ended by a plane crash.

But have no fear, McCracken returns for two encores, with the adoring audience on their feet clapping and singing along.

“Always…Patsy Cline” is at Warwick’s Ocean State Theatre Company, 1245 Jefferson Boulevard, through June 22. Tickets are $39-$45. Call 921-6800 for reservations.