The Blue Slipper Theatre of Livingston has announced its stage production of Ken Ludwig’s Lend Me a Tenor will run
September 2nd–25th, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, with a Sunday matinee at 3pm.
Winner of three Tony Awards, four Drama Desk Awards, and nominee of a 2010 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play, local performances will take place Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, with a Sunday matinee at 3pm. Call (406) 222-7720 or contact blueslippersteel@bpt.me for tickets.
Directed by the lovely Kari Blaylock, this production stars Dale Ruhd, Kelly Hillman, Gary Fish, Erin Nelson, Justin Weisgerber, January Mahon, Becky Cummings, and Kari Doll. For mature audiences, this is sure to be a riot! Lend Me a Tenor is set in September 1934. Saunders, the general manager of the Cleveland Grand Opera Company, is primed to welcome world famous Tito Morelli, Il Stupendo, the greatest tenor of his generation, to appear for one night only as Otello. The star arrives late, and, through a hilarious series of mishaps, is given a double dose of tranquilizers and passes out. His pulse is so low that Saunders and his assistant Max believe he’s dead. In a frantic attempt to salvage the evening, Saunders persuades Max to get into Morelli’s Otello costume and fool the audience into thinking he’s Il Stupendo. Max succeeds admirably, but Morelli comes to and gets into his other costume ready to perform. Now two Otellos are running around in costume and two women are running around in lingerie, each thinking she is with Il Stupendo. A sensation on Broadway and London’s West End, this madcap, screwball comedy is guaranteed to leave audiences teary-eyed with laughter. It was directed on Broadway by Jerry Zaks, and in London by David Gilmore. Jim Helsinger of the PA Shakespeare Festival said, “An accelerating snowball of laughter, Lend Me A Tenor has the class and charm of a Kaufman and Hart comedy plus all the door-slamming hilarity of a Marx Brothers’ classic like Room Service.” Time Out New York called it, “A furiously paced comedy with more than a touch of the Marx brothers…A marvelous combination of wonderful farcical moments and funny lines.” The Sunday Express of London promises the show, “Fills the theatre with the sound of laughter.” Don’t miss this one!
The Blue Slipper Theatre continues its tradition of offering the best in community theater as it has for 50 years. Located in the heart of Livingston’s historic downtown district, the theatre produces four or five full-length productions each season, with a variety of comedic and dramatic selections included in the annual lineup. The Blue Slipper hosts touring productions, music, and comedy throughout the year and offers a holiday variety program to the public free of charge. The Blue Slipper also hosts a Kids Playwriting Festival in the spring to give area students the opportunity to write, direct, and star in their own plays. The theatre is located at 113 East Callender Street. For tickets or more information, call (406) 222-7720 or visit www.blueslipper.com/. •