“LEND ME A TENOR”

by Frank O'Donnell
Little Rhody Entertainment Writer

            Nerdy operatic wannabe Max (Michael Johnson) has a simple job, really.

            Keep an eye on the world’s greatest tenor, Tito Morelli, and get him to the Cleveland Opera stage on time.

            All he has to do is keep him away from booze and women for one afternoon.

            Simple, really.

            This is a bawdy farce, though, so simplicity gets tossed out the window in the first five minutes.

            Accidental overdoses, overzealous fans, an angry wife and mistaken identities create mayhem which turns into comedy gold in “Lend Me A Tenor,” now being presented by the Academy Players.

            Morelli (Terrence Shea) is late. He unexpectedly shows up with his hot-headed and jealous wife (Camille Terrelli). Max’s girlfriend Maggie (Kate Arthur) has a crush on Morelli and simply must meet him. Morelli’s wife discovers Kate hiding in Morelli’s closet and assumes the two are having an affair. Kate’s father, Saunders (Brian Lamothe), who is also Max’s boss, demands that Max do whatever it takes to get Morelli to his fundraising performance on time.

            To calm him down, Max mixes some Phenobarbital in Morelli’s wine. But Morelli has already taken some on his own. So when he lies down to take a nap, it seems he might never wake up.

            Max and Saunders mistake Morelli’s deep slumber for suicide, and conspire to keep Morelli alive for just one final performance.

            Director Vincent Lupino displays a flair for comedy, especially in the fast-paced second act, with actors flying in and out of the five doorways, two of them ending up in lingerie along the way.

            Shea’s Morelli is convincing, both as an Italian and an opera singer. Terrilli pulls off the hot-headed Italian wife nicely. And Arthur is fetching as the not-so-innocent Maggie.

            Most of the show’s big moments belong to Johnson. His Max is Wally Coxish – mild-mannered, nervous and bespectacled – but his Morelli is just the opposite – self-assured and full of bravado.

            “Lend Me A Tenor” will definitely help you forget your troubles – for a few hours anyway. Enjoy the break.

             [Presented by the Academy Players at East Greenwich High School through March 1. Check www.academyplayers.org for all the details.]