Cast Announced for Lone Star Love Off-B'way

TheAmas Musical Theatre has announced additional casting for its mounting of Lone Star Love. Hairspray's Tracee Beazer, Gary Bristol, Peter Connelly, Stacey Harris, former 42nd Street star Beth Leavel, Drew McVety Titanic, Big River, Emily Miksell, Nick Sullivan, former Hairspray star Clarke Thorell who appeared in Lone Star Love out of town, Julie Tolivar and Brandon Williams will join previously announced star Gary Sandy for the show.

Lone Star Love relocates William Shakespeare's comedy The Merry Wives of Windsor to Texas. In the musical, Falstaff is still up to his shenanigans, but this time they happen on the Texas prairie. Conceived and adapted by John L. Haber, Lone Star Love features music and lyrics by Jack Herrick of the string band The Red Clay Ramblers and contributions from Michael Bogdanov, Bland Simpson and Tommy Thompson. Herrick and the other Red Clay Ramblers Clay Buckner and Chris Frank are featured onstage with the actors.

The tuner has been in the works for years. It was first produced, under the title The Merry Wives of Windsor, Texas, at Houston's Alley Theater in 1988. The show had two more regional productions in St. Louis and Cincinnati. Bogdanov signed on as director in 1996 and two workshops followed. A revised version, under the name Lone Star Love, was unveiled at the Great Lakes Theater Festival in the fall of 2001.

The Amas Musical Theatrer production of Lone Star Love, directed by Bogdanov and choreographed by Randy Skinner, is scheduled to begin previews at Amas' 39th Street space on November 21 in preparation for a December 8 opening. The creative team for the show includes set designer Derek McLane, costume designer Jane Greenwood, lighting designer Brian MacDevitt and sound designer Tom Morse.