[NEohioPAL]Berko review: Lend Me A Tenor (Actors' Summit)

[Roy Berko]

‘LEND ME A TENOR’--FUN AT ACTOR’S SUMMIT

Roy Berko
(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)

--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--
Lorain County Times--Westlaker Times--Lakewood News
Times--Olmsted-Fairview Times	

Okay, let’s get this straight from the start:  Ken
Ludwig’s ‘LEND ME A TENOR’ is not a great script.  But
what it is in the hands of Actors’ Summit’s generally
fine cast, is a hysterically funny,
laugh-until-you-get-a-stomach-ache, farce which
includes mistaken identities, desperate measures,
wacky actors, and surprises. Think the Marx Brothers
on a tear!

It’s a night in September of 1934, the biggest in the
history of the Cleveland Grand Opera Company.  The
world-famous tenor, Tito Morelli is to perform Otello.
Morelli through a hilarious series of mishaps, is
given tranquilizers which  mix with the booze he has
consumed and he passes out.  Is he dead?   What to do?
 Easy enough, substitute the company’s assistant
director and try to fool the audience.  It works, but 
Morelli comes to and gets into his other costume, gets
arrested by the police, escapes, and now we have two
Otellos running around, and two women are running
around in lingerie, and an upset wife running 
and...well, you get the point.

Under the adept directing of Wayne Turney, the stage
is a setting for flying bodies, slamming doors, bad
accents, overdone performances and more shticks than
you’ve seen in a long time...all to the joy of the
audience. 

A. Neil Thackaberry delights as the over-done general
manager of the opera.  Christopher Bohan is a perfect
Max.   He’s so dorky that one can only truly believe
he would try such a stunt as being talked into
imitating the opera singer and gaining his lady love
in the process.  Paula Duesing has a ball as Tito’s
overblown Italian wife.  Lucy Bredeson-Smith leaves
behind her dramatic award winning portrayals in
‘COPENHAGEN’ and ‘PICNIC’ and portrays a Cleveland art
patron to the hilt.  Kristie Lang and Kent LeMar are
acceptable in their roles as the girl friend and
bellhop.  Unfortunately, Lora Eves can’t pull off the
role of the sex-driven soprano.   

The crazed star of the show is Wayne Turney as both
the show’s director and Tito.

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT:  Go see ‘LEND ME A TENOR’ and have
a good time.   No thinking here... this is pure fun
with a capital “F.” 

For tickets to ‘LEND ME A TENOR,’ which runs through
May 23, call 330-342-0800.


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Roy Berko's web page can be found at royberko.info


	
		
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