Lend Me a Tenor: Hits The High Note
Mary Moody Northen Theatre,
through July 8
Running Time: 2 hrs, 20 min
Need a laugh? St. Edward’s University has the cure with Lend Me a Tenor. In this farce by Ken Ludwig, the 1934 version of the Cleveland Opera House manages to get world- famous tenor Tito Merelli to sing the title role in its production of Otello. Aspiring singer Max is assigned to stick to the womanizing, boozing Tito like glue, and after an accidental drug overdose, Max thinks Tito is dead. Comic chaos ensues.
The undeniable strength of the St. Ed’s production, directed by Melba Martinez, is the acting. John Neisler is on the nose as the nebbishy, confused Max, complete with way-slicked-back hair, Clark Kent-ish glasses, and polka-dot bow-tie provided by costume designer Patrick Johnson. Matching him blow for blow is designer Johnson’s Saunders, the blowhard producer who has arranged Merelli’s visit. Other standouts include Robin Long as the ingénue Maggie, who surrenders her most prized possession to the ostensible Tito; Brooke Parker as sluttish soprano Diana, determined to sleep her way to the top; and Jenny Larson, who effectively embodies a stereotypical Latin spitfire while avoiding the pitfalls commonly associated with such a caricature.
The undeniable weakness of the production is Martinez’s direction. Sometimes she has the actors move so much on the round stage of the Mary Moody Northen Theatre that you can’t focus on what they’re saying, especially with the echoing acoustics. Other times she has them stay in one place so long, you think you may never see their faces again. In addition, she far too often has the actors doing things that make them appear either stupid or blind, such as hiding in plain sight.
Gary Van Der Wege provides a visually delightful set design: Numerous wrought-iron gray doors dominate the black and white set-pieces, with splashes of color provided by flowers, fruit bowls, and two hanging stained-glass lamps. However, for some unfathomable reason, both the bedroom and living-room doors open outward into the hallway. I couldn’t help thinking about what might happen to unsuspecting guests moving quickly down that hallway, but we never actually see anyone smashing into these illogical doors. In addition, the set sports not one but two elevators, complete with matching, unmoving floor indicators. These elevators always light up and “ping” to announce anyone’s arrival and are always immediately available, sans lights and “pings,” for anyone’s exit.
Add to this Zack Murphy’s strange lighting design (with lights flashing on and off seemingly at random), and one of the most self-indulgent curtain calls I’ve ever seen (in which the cast takes an inordinate amount of time reprising the entire plot of the show in a series of way-too-quick and sloppy tableaux before actually bowing), and you have to wonder how much studied consideration was put into many of the choices made.
None of which should stop you from attending. The nearly full house had a raucously good time, and there is a tremendous amount of acting talent, most of it student, on display. St. Ed’s is recruiting some outstanding professional and student performers, and you certainly could do worse than spend your time watching what could be the future of American theatre working their butts off to entertain you. Actually, you certainly couldn’t do much better.
This article appears in July 6 • 2001.