Lend Me a Tenor
is a comedy by Ken Ludwig. The play has been translated into sixteen languages and produced in twenty-five countries. It is a popular choice of regional theatre companies and community theatre groups. The play earned eight Tony Award nominations, winning one for Best Actor.
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LEND ME A TENOR TICKETS
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Synopsis
Set in 1934, the
farce revolves around renowned
tenor Tito Merelli, known to his fans as "Il Stupendo," who is scheduled to sing the lead in
Otello
, 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, who has mistaken an autograph-seeker hidden in his closet for a secret lover, leaves him a
"Dear John" letter. The distraught Merelli accidentally is given a double dose of
tranquilizers to calm him and passes out. Saunders, the company's General Manager, is determined the show must go on (for his own financial sake), so he asks his assistant Max to impersonate the
opera star. Max puts on the
blackface makeup required for the role of Otello, and his disguise succeeds admirably--until Merelli, also in blackface, wakes up and heads for the stage. What follows is a chain-reaction of
mistaken identity, plot twists,
double entendres,
innuendoes, and constant entrances and exits through many doors.
Productions
The play, originally titled
Opera Buffa
, had been produced at a summer theater, American Stage Festival. The English director David Gilmore read it and asked to direct;
Andrew Lloyd Webber was the producer.
[1]
The
West End production opened on
March 6,
1986 at the
Globe Theatre, where it ran for ten months, closing on January 10, 1987. The cast featured
Denis Lawson (Max),
Jan Francis (Maggie),
John Barron (Saunders),
Ron Holgate (Tito), Anna Nicholas (Maria),
Edward Hibbert (Bellhop), Gwendolyn Humble (Diana), and Josephine Blake (Julia).
[2] [3]
After sixteen previews, the
Broadway production, directed by
Jerry Zaks, opened on
March 2,
1989 at the
Royale Theatre, where it ran for 476 performances. The cast included
Philip Bosco,
Victor Garber, Ron Holgate,
Tovah Feldshuh,
Caroline Lagerfelt, and
Jane Connell.
Adaptations
A musical adaptation was presented in May 2006 as a staged reading as part of the
Utah Shakespearean Festival's New American Playwright Project. Based on feedback received from the audience and industry professionals, the creative team fine-tuned their work, which premiered as part of USF's Summer 2007 repertory season and received rave reviews .
Awards and nominations
;
Laurence Olivier Award for Comedy of the Year Nomination
;
Tony Award
- Best Play (nominee)
- Best Actor in Play
:Philip Bosco (winner)
Victor Garber (nominee)
- Best Featured Actress in a Play – Tovah Feldshuh (nominee)
- Best Scenic Design – Tony Walton (nominee)
- Best Costume Design – William Ivey Long (nominee)
- Best Direction of a Play (nominee)
;
Drama Desk Award
- Outstanding Actor in a Play – Philip Bosco (winner)
- Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play – Tovah Feldshuh (winner)
- Outstanding Director of a Play (winner)
- Outstanding Costume Design (winner)
- Outstanding Lighting Design – Paul Gallo (nominee)
- Outstanding Set Design (nominee)
References
- FAQ on Lend Me a Tenorkenludwig.com, accessed May 20, 2009
- Listing for West Endthisistheatre.com, accessed May 20, 2009
- Ludwig, Ken. ''Lend me a tenor'' (1989), Samuel French, Inc, ISBN 0573691215, p. 5