Hershey Area Playhouse to Present LEND ME A TENOR

Hershey Area Playhouse will present Lend Me A Tenor, a wacky comedy filled with misunderstandings, mixed signals and mistaken identity.

Written by York, Pa., native Ken Ludwig, Lend Me A Tenor is set in September 1934 at the Cleveland Grand Opera Company. The world's most talented Italian opera tenor, Tito Merelli, has arrived to perform Otello. Through a series of tranquilizers and confusions, Tito is mistaken for dead and the scramble ensues to find a replacement for the world-renowned performer. The misunderstandings and troubles of mistaken identity will keep audiences laughing in this delightful musical comedy.

Directed by theatre veteran Jeff Cartwright, who most recently directed Leading Ladies at the Playhouse, Lend Me A Tenor debuted on Broadway in 1986, was revived in 1989 and again in 2010. A laugh-out-loud farce with high-flying antics throughout, Lend Me A Tenor is sure to please audiences of all ages.

"It's a crazy, zany plot with outlandish characters," said director, Jeff Cartwright. It's a lot of going in and out of doors, which our cast must practice over and over to get the timing just right. You add in the mix of props, lines that overlap, and singing in Italian, and you have what appears to be the equivalent of running a marathon, but in formal wear."

Cast members include: Gene Ellis as Tito; Barbara Ellis as Maria; Rob Kopko as Saunders; Marjorie Bicknell as Julia; John Messmer as Max; Eileen Daub as Maggie; Renee Howard as Diana; and Larry Dorf as Bellhop.

Lend Me A Tenor runs April 16-19 and April 23-26, 2015 at the Playhouse, located at 830 Cherry Drive, Hershey. Thursday through Saturday performances begin at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday performances begin at 2 p.m.

Tickets are $20 for teens/adults and $17 for kids ages 12 and under. Tickets are available by visiting www.HersheyAreaPlayhouse.com or by calling the Playhouse's box office at 717-533-8525.