BWW Reviews: Slapstick LEND ME A TENOR Sings at Ocean State Theatre

Lend Me a Tenor, now on stage at Ocean State Theatre, is a lighthearted and breathlessly zany production full of door-slamming physical comedy and hilariously improbable escapades.

The year is 1934, and the Cleveland Grand Opera Company is celebrating its tenth anniversary season by welcoming a very special guest star to its humble stage. The great Tito Merelli (played by Bruce Sabath) has graciously agreed to headline the Opera's gala performance of Otello, but the world-famous tenor's appearance in Cleveland is ill-fated from the start.

After a late arrival by train and an explosive argument with his wife, the stressed Merelli accidentally ingests a double dose of sedative pills and settles into such a deep sleep that he is mistaken for dead. With thousands of charitable dollars on the line, it falls to Max (Nick Gaswirth), the company's longsuffering assistant and an aspiring opera singer, to disguise himself as Merelli and convince a discerning auditorium full of well-heeled patrons that he is the renowned and long-awaited tenor. Naturally, the real Merelli revives just in time to don a spare costume and hustle off to the theater for Otello's curtain. With two Otellos dashing through hotel hallways pursued by three lovelorn women, Merelli's irate wife, the company's harried manager, and a star-struck bellhop, mayhem of the most entertaining kind soon descends on the Cleveland Grand Opera.

Lend Me a Tenor features iconic aspects of screwball comedy: a classic case of mistaken identity, witty repartee and zinging one-liners, the closely guarded secret of Merelli's "death," and an impressive display of door slamming (six doors, to be precise) that keeps the characters darting in and out of hallways, closets, and bathrooms throughout the show. So many of Tenor's laughs hinge on impeccable timing that even a missed beat could cause the humor to fall flat, but director Kevin Pariseau (himself a seasoned Tenor veteran) has crafted his actors' interactions to perfection.

Gaswirth and Sabath are simply outstanding as Max and Merelli. Their comedic skill is second to none, especially in the scenes when the two Otellos appear onstage together, and Tenor provides both men the opportunity to demonstrate their truly excellent operatic voices. Gaswirth gives Max all the depth and appeal his character needs. He easily transitions from anxious company assistant to confident stage performer, and he plays Max's discovery of Merelli's lifeless body with all the macabre humor the scene demands. Sabath strikes an admirable balance between portraying Merelli's artistic hubris, his genuine warmth toward Max, and his utter confusion as circumstances rapidly unravel following his "death."

Kevin Broccoli is brilliant as the hotel's opera-singing bellhop. Each of the bellhop's appearances finds him more determined to be introduced to the great Merelli, and Broccoli outright steals every scene he enters with his hilariously animated performance. Alexander Cook masters the art of the dryly delivered punchline as Saunders, the Cleveland Opera's general manager. Cook's early restraint and offhand snarkiness make Saunders' frenzied reaction to Merelli's "death" all the more entertaining. Elizabeth Boyke is sweet as Maggie, demonstrating both the naiveté and flirtatiousness needed to keep her character charming and likeable, for all her flightiness.

Amanda R. Hall designed an impressive set piece, allowing the abundance of doors to feel natural to the hotel suite rather than solely serving as a comedic theatrical device. Her efforts extend through to detailing even the small glimpses the audience sees of the closet, bathroom, kitchenette area. Costumer Ryan J. Moller created some memorable and glamourous 30s-style fashions for OSTC's Tenor, from Signora Merelli's traveling clothes to "aunt" Julia's glittering opera gown to Otello's suitably showy costume.

The company's comedic skills make for laugh-out-loud scenes, but parents should note that Lend Me a Tenor has some coarse language and is fairly well laced with double entendre and innuendo. While played for laughs, these aspects make the production unsuitable for younger audiences.

Performances of Lend Me a Tenor run through April 19, 2015 at the Ocean State Theatre. Tickets range from $34-49 and can be purchased online at www.OceanStateTheatre.org, by phone (401) 921-6800, or at the OSTC box office, 1245 Jefferson Blvd., Warwick, RI. Rush tickets are available. Call (401) 921-1777 x112 for information on group discounts.

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Pictured (L-R): Nick Gaswirth and Bruce Sabath (both costumed as Otello)
Photo by Mark Turek

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