Metro Theatre’s Season of Joy gets underway with Ken Ludwig’s Lend Me A Tenor, as comedy on stage until October 25.
A farce in the full force, Ken Ludwig has crafted an over the top tribute to lunacy, mistaken identity, passion and opera. Directed by Chris Adams, Andrew Cownden leads a cast in a course in scenery chewing as Max, the assistant to opera impresario Henry Saunders (commandingly played by Chad Matchette), head of the Cleveland Grand Opera Company.
Max and non-committal girlfriend and Henry’s daughter Maggie Sauders (Abigail Woodhouse), are waiting in a hotel suite for famed Italian opera tenor Tito Morelli (Matt Ramer). Il Stupendo, as he’s known, is late, causing concern for the company. When he finally arrives unexpectedly accompanied by his high-strung and jealous wife, Maria (Claire Stewart), the action rolls into high gear. Stewart channels the broad, bold stereotype of an Italian wife loudly contrasting to Ramer’s browbeaten husband-by-night / charismatic icon-by-day.
That charisma causes Maggie to seek his attention throughout the show often to great laughter and mistaken identity. Wodehouse is a revelation with her delivery offering the perfect balance of feverish fandom and charming comedian. In a surprise turn of events, Max and Saunders come up with a scheme requiring Max to perform Pagliacci in place of Morelli.
Throughout the second act, Cownden as Morelli offers the polar opposite of Max, with a delightful charm as the suave, smooth-talking tenor. In a greatly comedic situation, the cast of characters are faced with a conundrum as there are now two identical Pagliacci-costumed Morelli’s to make the many slamming doors of Heather Stewarts hotel-suite set a source of slapstick. Adding in more desirous ladies in Michelle Collier’s oblivious but smitten opera-board chairwoman, Julia and Bianca Kenna’s fame-hungry siren Diana, the opera’s female lead, plus an excitable bellhop by Cole Howard creates the perfect recipe for farce.
With Ken Ludwig’s well-tooled script, the company of Lend Me A Tenor present the audience with a dizzying display of comedic prowess that’s a perfect antidote to the harried world around us.
Don’t miss your chance to laugh out loud as Ken Ludwig’s Lend Me A Tenor plays until October 25, 2025 at Metro Theatre, 1370 Marine Drive SW. Visit metrotheatre.com for show details and tickets.