Randy Quaid Seattle-bound

Screen actor Randy Quaid, who is featured in the new Milos Forman film "Goya's Ghosts," will star as the amorous bumbler John Falstaff in the Broadway musical "Lone Star Love." The production comes to Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre in September, before moving on to New York.

Based on Shakespeare's comedy "The Merry Wives of Windsor," the story is reset in Texas and accompanied by a country-music-style score. Also in the cast are Robert Cuccioli, a seasoned Broadway musical-theater actor who has co-starred in 5th Avenue stagings of "Jekyll & Hyde" and "A Little Night Music," and Dee Hoty, a three-time Tony Award nominee. Members of the folk-bluegrass band The Red Clay Ramblers will also appear.

The 5th Avenue presentation of "Lone Star Love" runs Sept. 8-30, and the show's Broadway debut is slated for December.

Details and tickets: www.5thavenue.orgor 206-625-1900.

Misha Berson, Seattle Times theater critic

Roman to program TownMusic

Joshua Roman, the 23-year-old principal cellist of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra, has joined Town Hall Seattle as programmer for TownMusic, Town Hall's exploratory classical-music series. Roman, who holds two degrees in performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music, will program the series for 2007-08. Details of the series will be announced when available.

Bellevue Philharmonic's 40th

The Bellevue Philharmonic, the Eastside's professional orchestra, has announced its 40th-anniversary season for 2007-08.

Music director Fusao Kajima will be on the podium for six pairs of concerts, starting Sept. 29-30 at the Theatre at Meydenbauer in downtown Bellevue.

The season's repertoire will range from the Mozart Requiem to tango master Astor Piazzolla, with soloists including pianist Andrew Armstrong (currently playing at the Seattle Chamber Music Society's Summer Festival); cellist Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi; violinist Kyung Sun Lee; bandoneon player Peter Soave; and BPO principal oboist Dan Williams.

The opening program, "Red, White and Blue," is set for 7:30 p.m. Sept. 29 and 2 p.m. Sept. 30, with Dvorák's "New World" Symphony and Armstrong playing Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue."

Subscription packages are available for adults, seniors and students. Subscribers who purchase before July 31 will receive an additional 5 percent discount.

For a season brochure, call 425-455-4171 or e-mail info@bellevuephil.org. To order subscriptions, visit www.bellevuephil.org or call TicketWindow, Tuesday through Sunday, noon-6 p.m., at 206-325-6500.

New artistic director for Choral Arts

Choral Arts, an internationally noted professional chamber choir founded by Richard Sparks and based in Seattle, has named Robert Bode of Walla Walla as its new artistic director, following an intensive yearlong search.

Bode, a Whitman College music faculty member since 1986 and a guest conductor for ensembles from China to the Czech Republic, joins Choral Arts for its 15th season this fall.

Choral Arts performs a concert series in Tacoma and Seattle, and has made three recordings. Info is available at www.choral-arts.org.

Melinda Bargreen, Seattle Times music critic