A comedy that recently saw a revival on Broadway is taking to the stage as the Vagabond Players’ last production of the season.
The theatre group is staging Ken Ludwig’s Lend Me a Tenor, running June 4 through 27 at the Bernie Legge Theatre in Queen’s Park.
The play, described as “an accelerating snowball of laughter,” is one of the most successful farces of modern theatre, offering up a hilarious take on the world of opera management.
“When world-renowned tenor Tito Merelli signs on to play Otello at a Cleveland opera company in the fall of 1934, the town is in an uproar of excitement,” a synopsis says. “But through romantic intrigues, late arrivals, mix-ups with tranquilizers and intrusions from aspiring singers, nothing turns out the way it’s expected.”
Lend Me a Tenor stars Liam Coughlan as Tito Merelli, alongside Ryan Erwin as the harried assistant Max. Wayne Nolan is Henry Saunders, the anxiety-ridden general manager, and Julia Grace is his bubbly daughter, Maggie, who is also Max’s girlfriend.
The cast is rounded out by Rebecca Oben as Maria, Tito’s wife; Diane Tzingounakis as a man-eating soprano; Alison Main-Tourneur as Julia, the chair of the opera guild; and Jeremy Heynen as a singing bellhop. It’s directed by Miles Lavkulich.
The show runs Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m., with Sunday matinees at 2 p.m.
Tickets are $15, or $13 for seniors and youth, with $10 previews on June 4 and 5. Reserve by calling 604-521-0412 or email [email protected].
