Lend Me a Tenor

“From here on out, it’s clear sailing. Nothing can go wrong now.”
These are dangerous words from the play, “Lend Me a Tenor” and can give you a hint of what might happen.
“Lend Me a Tenor” is a comedy about a well-known tenor, Tito Merelli, who likes the ladies much to the distress of his wife. Tito is to be the featured singer at a fundraiser for the Cleveland Grand Opera Company. With the entire play taking place in his hotel room, that should give you a hint to this farce.
When a woman who wants Tito’s autograph and affections is in his hotel room, he quickly hides her in the closet to prevent his wife from being jealous. She naturally discovers the girl and decides to leave Tito. When he finds her note, he overdoses on sleeping pills. This is only the beginning of the snap judgments which don’t always have the best results.
Council Bluffs’ performer, Joseph Dignoti, was perfectly cast as the philandering Tito. His voice was both powerful and charismatic as an accomplished opera singer. He also masterfully commanded the stage as an actor in this demanding role. Noah Diaz, also a Council Bluffs’ resident, was wonderful ly overbearing as the bellhop who wants his time with the star.
Anthony Clark-Kaczmarek as Max was masterful as his character developed from the bundling assistant to the confident performer. Maggie, portrayed by Jodi Vaccaro, was enchanting as the ingénue who admires the romantic gestures of a lady’s man. As the short tempered and passionate wife, Laura Leininger, beautifully became Maria complete with flashily curving actions, clothes, and furs. Dennis Collins as Saunders, Cathy Hirsch as Diana, and Stacie Lamb as Julia were also wonderful in their roles.
The costumes, lighting, sound, directing, and sets were all perfect for the comedic production.
Performances of “Lend Me a Tenor: continue at the Omaha Community Playhouse through May 6th with performances on Wednesdays through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. For adults, the tickets are $19 to $35 and $21 for students. You can either purchase tickets online at OmahaPlayhouse.org or TicketOmaha.com or by calling (402) 553-0800. A special ticket price of $10 will be on Wednesday, April 18th for those who purchase their tickets at the Playhouse box office for that night’s performance only.
For truly an entertaining experience, go see “Lend Me a Tenor” at Omaha Community Playhouse.