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Saturday, September 12, 2009
‘Tenor’ an excellent opener for Human Race
There's no way an opera company factotum could convincingly masquerade as the world's most renowned tenor. Not even in Cleveland.
That's the hole at the center of Ken Ludwig's sturdy door-slamming 1989 comedy "Lend Me a Tenor," which nevertheless proved to be an excellent season opener for The Human Race Theatre on Friday, Sept. 11.
The reason why, when the two-act script is staged as well as Joe Deer has orchestrated it at The Loft, is because the play is a valentine to the art form it targets.
Love of opera flows through it, especially from the underlings who turn out to be some of the main characters — the assistant who dreams of being a singer and gets his chance, the young woman whose heart is vulnerable to a well-sung aria, and a bellhop who is truly a buff.
Their passion for music serves as a backbone for much well-played nonsense that almost leads to disaster at a gala music event in 1934 Cleveland.
Deer carried that through nicely by casting two men who can sing in roles that ought to require it — Richard Marlatt as the overeating, bosom-fixated, but stupendously gifted Italian tenor TIto Merelli and Aaron Vega as the nondescript Max, who's forced to go on due to a lot of stress an a few too many pills in Merelli's system.
The action is funny early and often. There's hardly a weak link in a cast that also includes Tim Lile as distraught opera manager Saunders, Claire Kennedy as his daughter, Maggie, who wants a fling before settling for Max; Deb Colvin-Tener as board president Julia, Caitlin Larsen as Merelli's fiery wife Maria, Allison Moody as well endowed soprano Diana and Jeff Newman as the singing bellhop.
But the chemistry in some scenes is notable, particularly those between Lile and Merelli or Lile and Max, the one where Merelli gives Max a voice lesson, those between Merelli and Maria, and the one in which Diana seduces Merelli.
The play would be just as funny and maybe even funnier with about 15 minutes less script. But Ludwig doesn't like to step aside when he's on a roll, or even when he's finished.
The curtain call is a compressed romp of the entire play all over again.
If you're looking for a good time, this will provide it.
If you've seen one of the previous local productions of "Lend Me a Tenor," this ranks as the best.
"Lend Me a Tenor" will continue through Sept. 27 at The Loft, 126 N. Main St. Tickets are $15.50-$36 at (937) 228-3630, (888) 228-3630 or www.ticketcenterstage.com.
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