The uproarious farce, Lend Me A Tenor The Musical, plays in the Solvang Festival Theater July 6 – 23. The riotous tale of mistaken identities and unexpected romance explodes with delight in this brand new musical comedy by Peter Sham and the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts’ (PCPA) Brad Carroll, based on the play by Ken Ludwig.
The creative team includes: Director Brad Carroll, Choreographer Katie Wackowski, Music Director Paul Marszalkowski, Scenic Designer Jason Bolen, Costume Designer Eddy L. Barrows, Lighting Designer Tim Thistleton, Sound Designer Elisabeth Weidener, and Production Stage Manager Ellen Beltramo.
The cast features: Matt Koenig as Bernie Guter, Erik Stein as Henry Saunders, Kitty Balay as the opera guild lady, Karin Hendricks as Diana Divane, George Walker as Tito Merelli, Bree Murphy as Maria Merelli, Leo Cortez, Katie Wackowski, and guest artist Joe Ogren as Max Garber.
It is the biggest night in the history of the Cleveland Grand Opera Company. World-famous tenor, Tito Merelli, is to perform Pagliacci at the 50th anniversary season opener. However, Tito Merelli is nowhere to be found and Executive Director Henry Saunders and his assistant, Max Garber, are in a panic. When Tito Merelli finally arrives he is ill and at odds with his wife, Maria Merelli, over his preoccupation with women. Maria Merelli writes a note and walks out of his life. Tito Merelli, after mistakenly ingesting tranquilizers and chianti finds Maria’s note and threatens to kill himself. He passes out and, when Gargber tries to rouse him, he appears to be lifeless. A horrified Garber and Sounders now realize they have only one hope, Garber must stand in for the “dead” singer and deliver the performance of his life.
Lend Me A Tenor The Musical was first performed at the Utah Shakespearean Festival in 2007. The musical moved to London with a two-week out of town tryout at the Theatre Royal in 2010. It opened at London’s West End in the Gielgud Theatre in 2011 and was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award. The show has had numerous subsequent performances throughout Europe. PCPA’s production is the West Coast premiere.
Carroll and Sham were in residence at the Utah Shakespeare Festival in 2006 when they were commissioned to write a musical. On a whim, they contacted Ludwig to ask for the rights to musicalize his play Lend Me A Tenor. Carroll said, “While initially it seemed like a random long-shot of an idea, it actually made perfect sense, Ludwig’s play was one of – if not the – most popular comedies in the country having played in most every regional theatre in the country over the course of two decades.” Ludwig granted the rights. Utah Shakespeare after seeing a partial script and one workshop committed it to their following season, five years later it premiered in London’s West End.
Visit www.pcpa.org/LendMeATenorTheMusical.html for photos, videos, and more information.
Lend Me A Tenor The Musical is generously sponsored by
Judge & Mrs. Jed Q. Beebe
Brad & Jacquie Hinds
The McLaughlin Clan