con't from Mike Redfern for the Kimberley Daily Bulletin
Lend Me A Tenor is a farce set in a hotel suite in Cleveland in 1964. The artful set designed by David Stock and built by Lorne Wright splits the stage down the middle into the elegant sitting room and bedroom of the suite, enabling the audience to enjoy all the action that frequently takes place in both rooms at the same time. Like all farces there are numerous doors leading off stage through which characters disappear and reappear, sometimes at frenetic speed, as they weave their way through this story of misunderstood intentions, mistaken identity, and misguided passions.
The story, put simply, is about the chaos that results when the famous Italian operatic tenor booked to sing the lead in the Cleveland Opera Company’s production of Othello is unable to perform, for reasons that I am not about to give away here, and the opera house manager has to find a substitute who can pretend to be the Italian tenor and sing the part. And if that is not sufficient cause for chaos, add to the mix three women and a bellhop separately bent on attracting the amorous attention of the eminent Italian whose hot-blooded and jealous wife is already angry with him for past indiscretions.
The cast is excellent, not a weak performance among them. Lisa Aasebø is beguiling and passionate as Maggie, the starry-eyed daughter of Mr. Saunders, the opera house manager, in search of an exciting liaison with Tito Merelli, the Italian Tenor, before resigning herself to engagement to her boyfriend, Max. Nilson Tiefenbach, brother of the very talented Kayley Tiefenbach who starred in, choreographed, and directed several previous Kimberley Summer Theatre productions, is equally talented as Max, flustered boyfriend to Maggie, harried assistant to her father, and – well, I don’t want to give too much away! Bob McCue somehow avoids having a heart attack as the apoplectic opera house manager, Brent Gill struts impressively as the Italian opera star until events undermine his equilibrium, and Shandra McQueen is commanding as his domineering wife (it’s a pity we don’t see more of her). Cameron Lomon is engaging as the persistent bellhop, and Amanda Ball as Julia, president of the opera board, is both regal and star struck at the same time. In the preview performance attended by this reviewer, the part of Diana, the rising soprano seeking the approbation and romantic attention of Signor Merelli, was played by the play’s director, Tanya Lang-Gehr, who was alluring, to say the least, whatever her state of dress! Her part will be played by Kimberley Davidson.
Kimberley Summer Theatre’s Lend Me A Tenor is hilarious, a winner you won’t want to miss. It plays even dates to August 16 at 8 p.m., alternating with the musical review, Secrets Every Smart Traveler Should Know.
Mike Redfern for the Kimberley Daily Bulletin