After four years in New York City, former Aiken resident Brooke Lundy is allowing Pasty Cline to bring her home again.

Ms. Lundy will play the country singer in a production of Always ... Patsy Cline from Friday through Sunday at the University of South Carolina Aiken's Etherredge Center.

Ms. Lundy's last Aiken performance was an August 2004 production of the very same play on the very same stage.

"Doing this show (in 2004) really spawned my interest in going to New York," Ms. Lundy said.

"It was such a high-caliber show and people really responded to it. So it really does have a sweet feeling, coming back to do this again."

In the years since her departure, Ms. Lundy has been making a living as a musician, filling her calendar with a variety of theatrical, club and touring dates.

She said the best thing she ever did was to stop chasing the idea of stardom and embrace the idea of music as a career.

"I just realized that the glittery fame aspect of the music industry wasn't that appealing to me," she said.

"I respect the people that work. I respect the people that do this as a profession. I find it fulfills me more to hustle and work as much as I can. I'm much happier working than pursuing fame."

Still, the never-ending work of lining up gigs and performing can be a grind. She said she welcomes opportunities such as Always ... Patsy Cline because there's nothing like a homecoming to recharge depleted reserves.

"It happens anytime you go back to your roots," she said. "You can be so anonymous in a big city. Here I know there are people, I see the people that are always there to support you."

Ms. Lundy said there is also great appeal in playing Cline. She said the character, the story and the style of singing appeal to her as a performer and a fan.

"There was such a different way of singing," she said. "It was almost theatrical. It really does remind me of being a kid doing shows in Augusta, when we didn't have microphones on stage.

"I remember them telling me to sing for the lady in the back row. That's what I'm doing here, what I'm still doing."

Reach Steven Uhles at (706) 823-3626 or steven.uhles@augustachronicle.com.