Set in the 1930s, Lend Me a Tenor is a madcap screwball comedy that takes place when Tito Merelli, the fiery-tempered and world famous Italian superstar, arrives in Cleveland, Ohio to make his debut with the local opera and promptly goes missing. As Saunders, the show's presenter, conspires to cover for Tito’s absence, placate his hot-blooded wife, and distract his most passionate fans, chaos on a truly operatic level ensues.
Stanley Tucci makes a slam-bang Broadway directing debut, with the brio and instinct for timing that you would expect from a seasoned actor. He has, moreover, inspired a cast of comic equals (even in the smaller roles) to harmonize the insanity, land the gags and top each other for the daffy monomania that is the sine qua non of farce. And what a vehicle they have: Ludwig’s old-fashioned screwball door-slammer is structurally perfect, all missed connections, mistaken identities, girls hiding in closets and an enraged impresario throttling his deceased tenor—multiple times.
deal of the credit goes to Stanley Tucci, in his Broadway directing debut. Tucci obviously spent a great deal of time working with his actors on their timing and perfecting delightful flourishes like the flying objects and one particularly blood-curdling scream from one of the actresses. The rest of the credit goes to the stellar cast: All involved are great, but LaPaglia, Shalhoub, Bartha, and Maxwell particularly stand out. (Shalhoub's searing and repeated 'goddammit!' during the show's first act is especially memorable.)
1989 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
2010 | Broadway |
Broadway Revival Broadway |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2010 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Direction of a Play | Stanley Tucci |
2010 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Play | Jan Maxwell |
2010 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Costume Design | Martin Pakledinaz |
2010 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play | Jan Maxwell |
2010 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Play | 0 |
2010 | The Hewes Awards | Costume Design | Martin Pakledinaz |
2010 | Tony Awards | Best Costume Design of a Play | Martin Pakledinaz |
2010 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play | Jan Maxwell |
2010 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Play | Broadway Across America |
2010 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Play | The Shubert Organization |
2010 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Play | Wendy Federman/Jamie deRoy/Richard Winkler |
2010 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Play | Lisa Cartwright |
2010 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Play | Spring Sirkin |
2010 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Play | Scott and Brian Zeilinger |
2010 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Play | Olympus Theatricals |
2010 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Play | Rodney Rigby |
2010 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Play | Carl Moellenberg |
2010 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Play | Stuart Thompson |
2010 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Play | The Araca Group |
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