Town Hall Theatre Company presents
Ken Ludwig’s clever and wildly entertaining Lend Me a
Tenor –winner of two Tony Awards, as well as
four Drama Desk and three Outer Critics Circle Awards.
The story is set in 1934. The
Cleveland Grand Opera is celebrating its biggest night
in history. World famous tenor Tito Merelli, known to
his fans as “Il Stupendo,” is scheduled to sing the lead
in "Otello" to raise $50,000 for the company. Chaos sets
in when a “Dear John” letter is mistaken for a suicide
note, and Tito’s appearance onstage seems
unlikely. However, for Henry Saunders, general manager
of the Cleveland Opera, “the show must go on!” under any
circumstances – even if it means a replacement onstage.
“This is the second funniest play
ever written,” says director Daren A. Carollo. “It’s
fast-paced and constantly manic, and as a director, it’s
a constant challenge to stay ahead of the audience. This
is a great show for Town Hall – clever writing, terrific
acting, and it gives an opportunity to our cast to make
their own comic bits. They’re being given free rein to
be funny, and I guarantee it will be a good time.”
“I’ve been acting in New York and
recently moved to this area. When I heard about Lend Me
A Tenor, I was really excited to take on the challenge
of Saunders,” says Curt Williams. “Everything Saunders
does to save the show turns out wrong, and it’s all
hysterically funny. This is going to be a really
entertaining show.”
About the Cast and Crew:
Curt Williams, playing
general manager Saunders, has been a member of Actors
Equity Association since being hired by the New York
Shakespeare Festival in the 1960's. He has appeared on
Broadway in the musical Purlie and in Play Memory. He
recently wrote and performed a one-man show as John Hemings,
publisher of Shakespeare's folio, in which Hemings
recounts his adventures in Shakespeare's acting company.
Katie Pelensky, who plays
Saunders' daughter Maggie, is doing her first show with
Town Hall Theatre Company. A recent graduate of Santa
Clara University’s Theatre Arts program, she enjoyed
appearing in past productions such as The Shadowbox
(Beverly), King Lear (Regan), and Stop Kiss (Callie).
Henry Perkins, as Max,
recently performed at Town Hall Theatre as Henry in
Design for Living, as Eddie and Dr. Scott in this
season's Rocky Horror Show, and in 2001 as Bottom in
Midsummer Night's Dream. He has also performed for
Contra Costa Musical Theatre as Jim Farrell in Titanic
and as Kenickie in Grease. He worked with the Kaiser
Permanente Educational Theatre Program, is a member of
the Fantasy Forum Actors Ensemble, and teaches with the
Town Hall Kids Bravo program.
Ben Ortega, in the title
role of opera star Tito Merelli, was last seen as Jack
in the Role Players' production of Incorruptible. Since
1996, Ben has appeared in numerous stage productions in
Los Angeles and in the Bay Area. Favorite roles include
Ivor Fish in Rough Crossing, George Hay in Moon Over
Buffalo, Felix in The Odd Couple, and Verdecchia in
Fronteras Americanas (a one-man show). Ben is also a
stand-up comedian, having performed in clubs on both
coasts.
Candy Campbell plays Julia,
head of the Opera Guild. Candy, who has been doing
stand-up comedy for the past 12 years, performed locally
in You Can't Take It With You for The Willows. She was
nominated for a Dean Goodman Critics Circle Award for
her portrayal of Mrs. Brice in Funny Girl (Broadway By
the Bay). She also appeared in The Seven Sins, which
ran for an entire year at the Sheldon Theatre in Union
Square (where she alternated between Envy, Greed, and
Pride).
Amanda Mitchell, playing
Tito's wife Maria, is pleased to be making her debut
with Town Hall Theatre. She has worked with California
Conservatory Theatre, AtmosTheatre, Theatre Q, and
Broadway West. In addition to performing, Amanda tours
with Theatre of All Possibilities and teaches with San
Franciso Shakespeare Festival and TheatreWorks.
Dana Zook, also new to Town
Hall Theatre, plays Diana, the soprano with designs on
Tito. She was last seen onstage in Contra Costa Civic
Theatre's chilling Sweeney Todd, directed by Daren A.C.
Carollo.
A Town Hall Theatre favorite, Sean
Robert Griffin is the bellhop. Our audiences will
remember him as Angel the Cat in Carol of the Bells,
Riff-Raff in Rocky Horror Show, Werner Heisenberg in
Copenhagen, and many other roles.
The show is directed by Daren
Carollo, Executive Producer of DLOC, one of the
premiere musical theatre companies of Contra Costa
County. He is also an Associate Artistic Director for
Contra Costa Civic Theatre. He received his BA in
Theatre from Illinois State University in 1999 with a
focus in acting and directing. He has stage directed 18
productions in the last three years, including Town Hall
Theatre's hilarious 5 Women Wearing the Same Dress, DLOC's
Miss Saigon and A Grand Night for Singing, A Funny
Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Fiddler on the
Roof, Noises Off, Jekyll and Hyde, One Flew Over the
Cuckoo's Nest, To Kill a Mockingbird and most recently
Sweeney Todd at CCCT.
Sophisticated themes – for
mature audiences (adult themes and comic sexuality). Not
recommended for children under 10.
Length – 2 hours
Performance dates for "Lend me a Tenor"
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March/April 2007
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sun |
mon |
tue |
wed |
thu |
fri |
sat |
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22
8 p.m.
preview
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23
8 p.m.
preview
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24
8 p.m.
open
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25 |
26 |
27 |
28 |
29
8 p.m.
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30
8 p.m.
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31
8 p.m.
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Apr 1
2 p.m.
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2 |
3 |
4 |
5
8 p.m.
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6
8 p.m.
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7
8 p.m.
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8
2 p.m.
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9 |
10 |
11 |
12
8 p.m.
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13
8 p.m.
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14
8 p.m.
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15
7 p.m.
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16 |
17 |
18 |
19
8 p.m.
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20
8 p.m.
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21
8 p.m.
Close
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Ticket Prices for "Lend me a Tenor" |
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Adult prices
Preview, 8pm: $18
Thursday, 8pm: $24
Friday, 8pm: $29
Saturday, 8pm: $29
Sunday Matinee, 2pm: $25
Sunday Evening, 7pm: $25
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Senior prices
Preview, 8pm: $15
Thursday, 8pm: $20
Friday, 8pm: $25
Saturday, 8pm: $25
Sunday Matinee, 2pm: $23
Sunday Evening, 7pm: $23
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Youth prices
Preview, 8pm: $13
Thursday, 8pm: $19
Friday, 8pm: $21
Saturday, 8pm: $21
Sunday Matinee, 2pm: $20
Sunday Evening, 7pm: $20
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Youth - 17 and under
Senior - 62 and better
Student Rush: 15 minutes before
curtain, Student ID and $12 cash
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