|
Regional Reviews: New Jersey George Street Lend Me a Tenor Also see Bob's review of Rosemary and I
However, this Lend Me a Tenor is even better than that. Director David Saint Saint has delivered to New Jersey audiences a most worthy successor to the legendary Broadway production. He has done so by employing a stellar cast of Broadway veterans, and then honing the pace and timing of the entire production to near perfection. No lover of theatrical farce should miss it. From the get-go, Ludwig provides us with rich humor deriving from an assortment of outsized comic characters defined by their pompous, self indulgent, selfish, jealous and overbearing behavior. The entire action takes place in a two room hotel suite in a Cleveland, Ohio hotel in 1934. The Cleveland Grand Opera has engaged Tito Merelli, the great Italiano opera singer known as "Il Stupendo" for its gala, a performance of Verdi's Otello. However, things begin to go wrong from the moment that he arrives at the hotel. As a result of a series of hilarious complications which no reviewer in his right mind would try to detail, Max, the drab assistant to the General Manager of the company (and an amateur tenor), dons Merelli's costume and makeup, and goes on stage pretending to all (but the GM who is in on the scheme) that he is Merelli. The temporarily indisposed Merelli (mistakenly thought to have committed suicide by our conspirators) awakes, dons his makeup and duplicate costume (this occurs during the intermission between the two acts), setting off a fuselage of farcical mistaken identity twists and turns which propel the balance of the evening to heights of hilarity. Peter Maloney garners the lion's share of laughter with his apoplectic portrayal of Saunders, the company GM. Saunders' harried assistant Max, timid but ultimately no less loony, is appealingly and effectively played with proper restraint by the resourceful Romain Frugé. Garrett Long brings a foolish sweetness to Maggie, Saunders' daughter and Max's intended, who at one point thinks that she is giving herself to "Il Stupendo." Tito Merelli is hilariously more "Il Stupido" than "Il Stupendo." In the able hands of Patrick Quinn, he has a genuine likeability that wears well. However, his Italian accent is curiously wan and unconvincing. This will not interfere with your enjoyment of his "La donna e mobile." And don't miss the laugh when Quinn's Tito pats his wife Maria's bun to punctuate his promise that he will take her for a vacation in Greece. In smaller roles, longtime favorite Alix Elias as the dotty Opera Guild chairperson and newcomer Michael Cyril Creighton as the starry eyed bellhop perform with aplomb.
Note Testa and Fraser's terrific timing together when Maria finds Diana in Tito's suite: Maria: "Who are you?" Diana: "I'm a friend of the family. Who are you?" Maria: "Family." It is much, much funnier in their mouths than it is on paper. George Street Artistic Director David Saint's staging hits all of the right marks. A farce of this nature must necessarily rely on the inventions of original Broadway director Jerry Zaks which are inherent in the script. One such outstanding moment is the post-play recap perfectly captured here by Saint and his company. The art deco styled set by R. Michael Miller makes its own contribution to the humorous doings. It is appropriately garish, brightly lit, and provides all the basics essential to this farce (i.e., six doors to slam). The furniture is red trimmed with black, the doors are red trimmed with gold and black accents, the floors are in cream and red, and the walls are cream. Atop the rear wall is a matching art deco design which suggests the hotel's façade and/or marquee. I am aware that Lend Me a Tenor is not for everyone. There are those who hate farce. There are others who find "low brow" American farce (essentially anything not as brilliant as Feydeau) not up to their level. However, if you do not fall into either of these categories, I suggest that you get your tickets immediately. George Street's Lend Me a Tenor is likely to the hottest ticket of the New Jersey theatre season. Lend Me a Tenor continues performances (Eves: Tues.-Sat. 8 P.M./ Sun. 7 P.M.; Mats: Sat. & Sun. 2 P.M. except. 2/19; extra Mat. 2/17 at 2 P.M.) through March 6, 2005 at the George Street Playhouse, 9 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ 08901. Box office: 732-246-7717; online www.GSPonline.org. Lend Me a Tenor by Ken Ludwig; directed by David Saint Cast (in order of appearance) Max .......... Romain Frugé Maggie .......... Garrett Long Saunders .......... Peter Maloney Tito Merelli .......... Patrick Quinn Maria .......... Mary Testa Bellhop .......... Michael Cyril Creighton Diana .......... Alison Fraser Julia .......... Alix Elias
|
