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LEND ME A TENOR - A VERY FUNNY PLAY

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Contributed by: betty carson on 11/21/2008

Theatregoers can always rely on the Woodland Hills West Valley Playhouse , if they desire the finest performance of quality plays and bargain admission prices The company's subscription series always includes a mystery, a comedy, a drama and their ever popular musical show.
The latest production of this great theatre group is no exception.` So - if you want to see a hilarious comedy, with an outstanding cast and brilliant direction, then get your tickets to see "Lend Me A Tenor", now playing at this lovely theatre.
Written by Ken Ludwig and directed by Jon Berry, this play about mistaken identity will have you both smiling and laughing out loud.
The plot concerns the arrival of Tito Merelli, enthusiastically played by Keith Moreton. Morelli is to perform Otello, his greatest role at the gala season-opener. Saunders, the General Manager,played by Anthony Liveri, hopes this will put Cleveland ( where the play takes place), on the operatic map.
Morelli is late; when he finally arrives, it is too late to rehearse with the company. Through a hilarious series of mishaps, he is given a double dose of tranquilizers which, mixed with the booze he has consumed causes him to pass out.. His pulse is so low that Saunders and his assistant Max believe he is dead. What to do?
Max, excellently played bgy Ben Rosenfeld, is an aspiring singer and Saunders persuades him to get into Morelli's Othello costume and try to fool the audience into thinking he's the star Othello. Max succeeds admirably, but Morelli comes to, and gets into his other costume. Now two Othellos are running around in costume and two women, Maggie, played by Natasha M. Baumgardner) and Sasha Travis, as Diana, are running around, each thinking she is with Othello. This play was a sensation on Broadway and in London's West End.
Other cast members include Michael J. Aronovitz as the Bellhop, Rosemary Bird, as Julia, the opera's chairperson, and Nancy Solomons, as Maria, wife of Merelli. Each offered an excellent performance.
The last 20 minutes of the show were especially hysterical, thanks to the brillant direction of Jon Berry.
Lend Me A Tenor can be seen through December l3, 2008. Location is 7242 Owensmouth Ave., in Canoga Park. The show plays Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8 pm and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $24.00. Seniors and Students arre $22.00. For further information, please call (818) 884-1907.

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