Lone Star Love
Encyclopedia
Lone Star Love, or, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Texas is a musical
based on Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor
. The score is by Jack Herrick
(of the Red Clay Ramblers
), and the book is by John L. Haber and Robert Horn
. The setting of the piece has been moved to the Wild West shortly after the American Civil War
, and the musical features country and bluegrass music.
run in the 2004-05 season at the John Houseman Theatre directed by Michael Bogdanov, which featured Beth Leavel
and Jay O. Sanders
.
The musical started pre-Broadway try-outs at the 5th Avenue Theatre
, Seattle, on September 8, 2007, with an official opening on September 19, and is scheduled to play in Seattle through September 30. The 2007 version includes several new songs and significant modifications to the book. Randy Skinner
is the director and choreographer, John Rando
is creative supervisor, and the cast features Randy Quaid
, Robert Cuccioli
, Dee Hoty
, and Lauren Kennedy
. The Red Clay Ramblers band is featured on stage. The Seattle production has been reviewed as lacking pace.
On September 24, 2007, it was announced that the Broadway engagement, which had been scheduled to begin in November at the Belasco Theatre
, has been cancelled. The press release noted that plans for a Broadway run "will be announced when they are available." The New York Times reported that there was disagreement about the interpretation of the Falstaff character between one of the producers and Quaid and his wife (who is his manager), and that the producers felt that the show is not ready for Broadway.
for the Off-Broadway
production is available through PS Classics
.
The album artwork for this recording is often substituted by iTunes grace note database incorrectly. This includes OBC recordings for: 42nd Street, Tommy, The Wild Party (Lippa), Hairspray and Little Women.
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
based on Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor
The Merry Wives of Windsor
The Merry Wives of Windsor is a comedy by William Shakespeare, first published in 1602, though believed to have been written prior to 1597. It features the fat knight Sir John Falstaff, and is Shakespeare's only play to deal exclusively with contemporary Elizabethan era English middle class life...
. The score is by Jack Herrick
Jack Herrick
Jack Herrick is an American entrepreneur and wiki enthusiast. His entrepreneurial projects include wikiHow, eHow, Luminescent Technologies, and BigTray.In January 2005, Mr...
(of the Red Clay Ramblers
Red Clay Ramblers
The Red Clay Ramblers are a North Carolina-based band founded in Durham, North Carolina, performing continuously since their formation in 1972. The original members include Tommy Thompson , Bill Hicks and Jim Watson...
), and the book is by John L. Haber and Robert Horn
Robert Horn
Robert "Bob" Martin Horn is an American water polo player who competed in the 1956 Summer Olympics and in the 1960 Summer Olympics.He was born in Minneapolis....
. The setting of the piece has been moved to the Wild West shortly after the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, and the musical features country and bluegrass music.
Productions
After a long development process beginning in Houston Texas in the 1980s, Lone Star Love had an Off-BroadwayOff-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
run in the 2004-05 season at the John Houseman Theatre directed by Michael Bogdanov, which featured Beth Leavel
Beth Leavel
-Biography:Leavel was born in Raleigh, North Carolina. She attended Meredith College, earning a degree in social work. She completed a graduate theatre degree at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 1980. She acted during college, appearing in productions such as Cabaret and Hello,...
and Jay O. Sanders
Jay O. Sanders
Jay Olcutt Sanders is an American character actor.Sanders was born in Austin, Texas, to Phyllis Rae and James Olcutt Sanders. He is noted for playing Mob lawyer character Steven Kordo in the 1986–88 NBC detective series Crime Story...
.
The musical started pre-Broadway try-outs at the 5th Avenue Theatre
5th Avenue Theatre
The 5th Avenue Theatre is a landmark theater building located in Seattle, Washington, USA. It has hosted a variety of theatre productions and motion pictures since it opened in 1926. The building and land is owned by the University of Washington and was once part of the original campus...
, Seattle, on September 8, 2007, with an official opening on September 19, and is scheduled to play in Seattle through September 30. The 2007 version includes several new songs and significant modifications to the book. Randy Skinner
Randy Skinner
Randy Skinner is an American director and choregrapher, primarily for the stage. He has been nominated three times for Tony Awards and twice for Drama Desk Awards for choreography.-Biography:...
is the director and choreographer, John Rando
John Rando
John Rando is an American stage director, winning the Tony Award for his direction of the musical Urinetown in 2002.-Stage productions:* 1994 Broken Glass * 2000 The Dinner Party* 2001 A Thousand Clowns...
is creative supervisor, and the cast features Randy Quaid
Randy Quaid
Randall Rudy "Randy" Quaid is an American actor perhaps best known for his role as Cousin Eddie in the National Lampoon's Vacation movies, as well as his numerous supporting roles in films, including his Oscar nominated performance in The Last Detail, Independence Day, Kingpin and Brokeback Mountain...
, Robert Cuccioli
Robert Cuccioli
Robert Cuccioli is an American actor and singer born in Hempstead, New York. He is best known for originating the lead dual title roles in the musical Jekyll and Hyde, for which he received a Tony Award nomination and won the Joseph Jefferson Award, the Outer Critics Circle Award, the Drama Desk...
, Dee Hoty
Dee Hoty
Dee Hoty is an American musical theatre actress. Over the course of her career, she has appeared in numerous high-profile Broadway productions and earned multiple Tony nominations for her performances.-Biography:...
, and Lauren Kennedy
Lauren Kennedy
Lauren Kennedy is an actress and a singer who has performed numerous times on Broadway. She most recently starred in the Off-Broadway show Good Ol' Girls at the Black Box Theatre during the 2009-2010 season...
. The Red Clay Ramblers band is featured on stage. The Seattle production has been reviewed as lacking pace.
On September 24, 2007, it was announced that the Broadway engagement, which had been scheduled to begin in November at the Belasco Theatre
Belasco Theatre
The Belasco Theatre is a legitimate Broadway theatre located at 111 West 44th Street in midtown-Manhattan.-History:Designed by architect George Keister for impresario David Belasco, the interior featured Tiffany lighting and ceiling panels, rich woodwork and expansive murals by American artist...
, has been cancelled. The press release noted that plans for a Broadway run "will be announced when they are available." The New York Times reported that there was disagreement about the interpretation of the Falstaff character between one of the producers and Quaid and his wife (who is his manager), and that the producers felt that the show is not ready for Broadway.
Synopsis
"Colonel" John Falstaff travels to Windsor, Texas, after being dishonorably discharged from the Confederate Army. Upon his arrival, the rascally Falstaff woos the wives of two wealthy and pre-occupied cattle ranchers in order to gain their husbands' land and money. But the ladies are wise to Falstaff's scheme.Characters and cast
- Col. John Falstaff - Randy Quaid
- Frank Ford - Robert Cuccioli
- Agnes Ford - Lauren Kennedy
- George Page - Dan Sharkey
- Margaret Anne Page - Dee Hoty
- Miss Anne Page - Kara Lindsay
- Miss Quickly - Ramona Keller
Recording
The cast recordingCast recording
A cast recording is a recording of a musical that is intended to document the songs as they were performed in the show and experienced by the audience. An original cast recording, as the name implies, features the voices of the show's original cast...
for the Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
production is available through PS Classics
PS Classics
PS Classics is a record label that specializes in musical theatre and standard vocals. Founded in 2000 by Grammy-nominated freelance producer Tommy Krasker and singer/actor Philip Chaffin, their releases have been critically acclaimed for their meticulous sonic detail and high-quality packaging and...
.
The album artwork for this recording is often substituted by iTunes grace note database incorrectly. This includes OBC recordings for: 42nd Street, Tommy, The Wild Party (Lippa), Hairspray and Little Women.