The Theatre Company of Saugus presented Lend Me A Tenor in April 2003. This wildly exciting comedy farce by Ken Ludwig is set in the world of professional opera. This energetic comedy mixes celebrity worship, backstage maneuverings, and mistaken identities to tell the story of a simple guy who rises to the top! It takes place in a hotel suite, and features a great Italian tenor hired as a guest artist. When he falls unconscious, the assistant has to go on secretly in his place. What follows is “a rollicking display of gimmicks and twists as old as farce itself. They include an apparent suicide, a heroic impersonation, mistaken identities on a grand scale, secret connivings, double-entendres, amorous interludes, and assorted incidental surprises…” (John Beaufort, The Christian Science Monitor).
The director was Chris O’Neill, who is currently a graduate student in theater education at Emerson College.
We welcomed a new member to TCS: Tom Gilligan, who played the pivotal role of Tito Merelli, known as the great Italian tenor Il Stupendo. The rest of the cast included returning members: Jean Amorosi, who appeared in Light Up The Sky, played Diana, the ambitious soprano; Rosemary DeGregorio, last seen in The Diary of Anne Frank, played Julia, the grand dame; Lisa Scopa, from our award-winning production of Interview, played Maggie, the star-struck girlfriend; Larry Segel, also in Anne Frank, played Saunders, the anxious boss; and others from the cast of To Kill A Mockingbird: Barbara Hunt as Maria, the fiery, excitable, jealous wife; Rich Italiano as Max, the undervalued gofer; and Josh O’Hara as the Bellhop, a determined fan.
Theatre Company of Saugus 