U.S. Playwright Ken Ludwig’s Lend Me a Tenor is coming to Oliver; show times are Friday 8:00 PM, May 30th and Saturday 8:00 PM, May 31st at the new Venables Auditorium.
Adults pay $18.00 and Seniors/Students pay $15.00.
Ludwig has a reputation as a writer of great stage comedies; an impressive list of very positive reviews can be found via a link on Wikipedia; there is a detailed commentary on www.canadianshakespeares.ca and Ludwig also has his own Web page; wwwkenludwig.com.
Oliver’s own Tom Szalay is making his debut as Director of S.O.A.P’s production of this screwball comedy.
Tom has been a member of SOAP for several years and has been Stage Manager, Assistant Director and now he has hit the Big Time. His cast include ‘Max’, (John Giuliano of Naramata); ‘Maggie’, (Tracey Granger of St. Andrews); ‘Saunders’, (Ted Osborne of Osoyoos); ’Bell Hop’, (David Badger of Oliver); ‘Tito’, (Nathan Linders of Oliver); ‘Maria’, (Carrie Lyle of Oliver); ‘Diana’, (Robin Stille of Osoyoos); and ‘Julia’, (Louise Szalay of Oliver). A “By invitation” dress rehearsal was held this past Wednesday evening and it was a great time in a superb venue.
In Ludwig’s Lend Me a Tenor, a world famous tenor, Tito Merelli, (‘Il Stupendo’ to his fans); with a penchant for ‘Buxom’ women is invited to the Cleveland Opera House to play the role of Othello in a Verdi adaptation of Shakespeare’s work. Ludwig’s play takes place in 1934, in a hotel suite. The suite forms two-room set with a sitting room with a sofa and chairs stage left, and a bedroom, stage right. A center ‘stage wall’ divides the rooms, and a door connects the rooms. (The audience can see what’s happening in both rooms at the same time.)
A harried Opera house assistant, Max, has been charged with seeing to Merelli’s needs, and with getting Merelli to the opera house in time for the performance. Many women are attracted to the famous opera singer including the love of Max’s life Maggie.
Tito arrives at the hotel suite, with his volatile Italian wife, Maria, who is jealous because of Tito’s passion for bosoms. Maggie is hiding in the bedroom closet, hoping to get Tito’s autograph and Maria angrily assumes that Maggie is Tito’s secret lover. Maria writes Tito a “Dear John” letter, and leaves the hotel; Tito now in costume and ‘Blackface’ appears to have committed suicide and this is where things start to go sideways for poor Max and his boss Mr. Saunders who tells Max he must also put on a costume and “Blackface’ to assume the role of Othello so the Opera House performance can go on.
It would spoil the play to tell you any more other than two more women who ‘want’ Tito now become involved. Mistaken identities abound and steamy scenes ensue followed by verbal innuendos which will have you laughing. Everything works out in the end but you will have to attend the performance to find out how.
by Pat Hampson