Hickory – Ken Ludwig’s farcical comedy Lend Me a Tenor begins performances this Friday, January 12th on the Jeffers mainstage of the Hickory Community Theatre.
The play is set in a September during the 1930s, in the hotel room of the greatest opera singer of the time. Saunders, the general manager of the Cleveland Grand Opera Company, and his assistant, Max, set about readying everything for the arrival of the world-famous tenor Tito Merelli. Merelli is scheduled to perform for one night only as Otello.
Unfortunately, through a series of comical events, Merelli ends up taking a double dose of tranquilizers, making Saunders and Max believe he is actually dead. In order to keep the show going, Saunders persuades Max to dress up as Merelli and perform Otello in his place. Everything is back on track and going to plan until Merelli wakes up and gets into his spare Otello costume. This leads to two men running around as Otello and two women running around in lingerie, each thinking that she is with the famous tenor.
Performances of Lend Me a Tenor are Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm (Jan 12, 13, 19, 20, 26 & 27); Thursdays at 7:30pm (Jan 18 & 25); and Sundays at 2:30pm (Jan 21 & 28.)
Standard adult tickets are $18, seniors are $16 and students or youth 18 & under are $10. On Thursday nights all adults and seniors are $14 and youth/students are $10. Tickets are now on sale online at hickorytheatre.org or through the Theatre box office, in person or by phone at 828-328-2283. Box office hours are 12-5 Wednesday through Friday.
HCT is a Funded Affiliate of the United Arts Council of Catawba County. The 2017-2018 Season is sponsored by Paramount Automotive and A Cleaner World. Lend Me a Tenor is produced by Commscope.
Photo: (L-R) Hollie Sherrill, Coleson Berlin, Carolyn Oursler, Mark Alton Rose and Benjamin Thomas-Reid in Lend Me a Tenor at the Hickory Community Theatre. The madcap comedy begins its run this Fri., Jan. 12. Photo by Ken Burns.
