Lone Star Love: new musical comedy, starring Randy Quaid

Academy Award-nominee Randy Quaid is to make his Broadway debut as Colonel John Falstaff in the Broadway premiere of the musical comedy Lone Star Love, opening at the Belasco Theatre on 3 Dec 2007, following previews from 1 Nov 2007.

The musical comedy is inspired by Shakespeare�s The Merry Wives of Windsor transplanted to post-Civil War Texas. Confederate "Colonel" John Falstaff slathers his charms on the wives of two wealthy cattle ranchers, with an eye on their husbands' land and money. But who�s fooling whom?

The Red Clay Ramblers (the jazz-rock-blues string band behind Fool Moon) will be onstage as Falstaff's sidekicks.

The musical will also feature Robert Cuccioli as Frank Ford and Dee Hoty as Margaret Anne Page, and will be directed and choreographed by three-time Tony Award nominee Randy Skinner.

Lone Star Love, has a book by John L. Haber, adapted from Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor, with music and lyrics by Jack Herrick.

The musical played off-Broadway at the John Houseman Theatre from 8 Dec 2004 - 6 Feb 2005, directed by Michael Bogdanov, and starring Jay O. Sanders as Colonel John Falstaff. The musical has been revised for its up-coming Broadway premiere.

Lone Star Love's creative team includes Derek McLane (sets), Jane Greenwood (costumes), Ken Billington & Paul Miller (lighting) and Tom Morse (sound).

The musical is being produced on Broadway by Avenue A Productions, Robert Boyett Theatricals, Edmund and Eleanor Burke, Rusty and Susan Carter, Jon and Jeanne Cutler, Michael Speyer and Bernie Abrams, and Daisy Theatricals.

Complete casting, schedule and ticket information will be announced shortly.

The musical is to have a pre-Broadway try out at the Seattle 5th Avenue Theatre from 8 - 30 Sep 2007.

Quaid (Colonel John Falstaff) has appeared in over 90 movies, he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his role as Larry Meadows in the film 'The Last Detail' (1973), in 2005 he was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor for his characterisation of 'Colonel' Tom Parker in the TV mini-series 'Elvis' (2005). He was recently seen as Joe Aguirre in the movie "Brokeback Mountain".

Cuccioli (Frank Ford) made his Broadway debut as a replacement 'Javert' in the original Broadway producton of Les Mis�rables. He was nominated for the 1997 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his leading role as 'Dr Jekyll/Mr Hyde' in Jekyll & Hyde (1997).

Hoty (Margaret Anne Page) has been nominated for three Tony Awards, all for Best actress in a musical. The first time was for her role as Betty Blakein The Will Rogers Follies (1991), second for playing Mona Stangley in 'The Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public' (1994), and the last for her performance as Vi Moore in Footloose (1998).