‘Lend Me a Tenor’ opens Friday in Rogers City

The Rogers City Community Theatre’s fall production for 2012 is the hilarious comedy, “Lend Me A Tenor,” written by the award-winning American playwright, Ken Ludwig.

Numerous professional and amateur theatre groups around the world have performed this play. It was first produced in London’s West End by none other than Andrew Lloyd Webber, and was recently revived on Broadway to rave reviews.

“I’m so happy to have such a riotous cast to put on such a wonderful show. It’s one of the funniest plays I’ve ever seen,” director Karl W. Heidemann said.

“Lend Me A Tenor” is a door-slamming, dress-dropping farce with mistaken identities, mischievous misunderstandings and compromising positions. The play is set in 1934, where the world-renowned tenor, Tito Merelli (portrayed by Ed Perrault), known to his fans as “Il Stupendo,” is scheduled to sing the lead in the opera “Otello,” which is being produced as a gala fundraiser for the Cleveland Opera Company.

Unfortunately, even before the star leaves his hotel room, everything begins to unravel. Chaos ensues when Merelli’s wife (Theresa Gibson), who has mistaken an autograph-seeker hidden in his closet for a secret lover, leaves him a “Dear John letter.” The distraught Merelli is accidentally given a double dose of tranquilizers to calm him down and he passes out.

Saunders, the opera company’s general manager (Bob Starnes III) and his timid assistant Max (Mike Marx) mistakes the “Dear John letter” for a suicide note and thinks Merelli is dead. Saunders is determined that the show will go on (for his own financial sake), so he coerces Max to impersonate the opera star.

Max reluctantly agrees because he wants to keep Saunders happy so he can marry Saunders’ daughter Maggie (Meghan Riordan.) Neither of them knows that it was Maggie who was the autograph-seeker in the closet who started the chain of events.

Meanwhile, a belligerent hotel bellhop (Bob Starnes IV) attempts to meet Merelli, but instead gets in an ongoing feud with Saunders. The chairwoman of the opera guild Julia (Val Schalk) is determined to charm the great tenor, and the lead soprano Diana (Denise Perrault) wants to seduce Merelli so he will get her a job with the New York Metropolitan Opera.

Max puts on the wig and costume required for the role of Otello, and his disguise succeeds admirably – until Merelli wakes up and heads for the stage, also in wig and costume. What follows is a chain-reaction of mistaken identity, farcical plot twists, double entendres, innuendos, and constant entrances and exits throu

gh many doors.

Director Karl W. Heidemann also served as set designer and worked with Bill Halsey, Ed Perrault and Ruth Slone on set construction. Karen Maher is assistant director and stage manager. Halsey serves as sound technician while custom furniture was constructed by Lawrence Anderson.

Performance dates are Oct. 26, 27 and 28 and Nov. 2, 3 and 4. Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. Rated PG-13 for adult innuendos and mild language.

Tickets are available at the box office or at the offices of the Advance at 104 South Third Street, Rogers City.

 

 

CAST MEMBERS of “Lend Me a Tenor” include (front from left) Denise Perrault, Meghan Riordan, Val Schalk (back), Robert Starnes IV, Ed Perrault, Mike Marx and Robert Starnes III. Missing was cast member Theresa Gibson. (Photo by Richard Lamb)