LEND ME A TENOR Begins 5/18 at Bay Street Theatre

Bay Street Theatre begins the 2013 Mainstage Season with Lend Me a Tenor (May 28 - June 23). This hilarious Ken Ludwig comedy started rehearsals this week in New York City under the direction of Don Stephenson. The cast includes Judy Blazer, Scott Cote, Betsy DiLellio, Donna English, Nancy Johnston, Noah Plomgren, Steve Rosen and Roland Rusinek. Ticket prices are $59.50 and $69.50. For more information call the Box Office at 631-725-9500 or buy online at www.baystreet.org.

Previews for Lend Me a Tenor (May 28-31) are sponsored by Peconic Landing. For the May 28 performance at 8 pm, there will be a limited amount of "Pay What You Can" tickets available only at the Box Office after 2 pm on that day.

Set in 1934, Lend Me a Tenor tells the story of the renowned "Il Stupendo" as he is accidentally given a double dose of tranquilizers causing a chain reaction of mistaken identity, double-entendres and musical mayhem.

"We think the three shows this summer are some of the best comedies written for the stage," says Gary Hygom, Producer for Bay Street Theatre, "and Lend Me a Tenor is going to be such a night of fun for audiences of all ages."

Lend Me a Tenor was produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber on both the West End (1986) and Broadway (1989). It received nine Tony Award nominations and won for Best Actor and Best Director. As a Broadway revival, Lend Me a Tenor opened in 2010 and was nominated for the Olivier Award as Comedy of the Year.

Ken Ludwig is an internationally-acclaimed playwright whose work has been performed in at least 30 countries in over 20 languages. He has had six shows on Broadway and six in the West End. Awards include two Laurence Olivier Awards, three Tony Award nominations and two Helen Hayes Awards. His best known plays include Lend Me A Tenor, Crazy For You, Moon Over Buffalo, Leading Ladies, Twentieth Century, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Game's Afoot, The Fox on the Fairway, Midsummer/Jersey, The Three Musketeers, Treasure Island and The Beaux' Stratagem. His book, How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare, will be published in June 2013 by Crown Publishing. He studied music at Harvard with Leonard Bernstein and theatre history at Cambridge University in England.

Don Stephenson's directing credits include: the critically acclaimed productions of The 39 Steps, Titanic, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Oleannaand The Great Unknown. Broadway acting credits include The Producers, Dracula, Titanic, Parade, By Jeeves, Wonderful Town, Private Lives, Rock of Ages, and Pardon My English. Off Broadway includes Take Me Along at Irish Rep, Chess and The Tavern at Equity Library Theatre. For television, Stephenson appeared as himself on an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm. He is married to Emily Loesser, daughter of Guys and Dolls composer Frank Loesser. Stephenson has also appeared in Turandot: The Rumble for the Ring at Bay Street Theatre.

Judy Blazer began her career as a young singer in opera, oratorio, and recital in New York City and throughout Italy. She moved into Broadway Theater with leading roles in Me and My Girl, A Change in the Heir, and Titanic. Off-Broadway includes Candide and Sweeney Todd with the New York City Opera and Hello Again. Most recently she performed a solo piece at Primary Stage's Inner Voices: Whida Peru: Resurrection Tangle by David Simpatico and Josh Schmidt, directed by Jonathan Butterell.

Scott Cote's credits include the first Broadway National Tour Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. He originated the role of Gus Gus in the new musical Twice Charmed: An Original Twist on the Cinderella Story for Disney Creative Entertainment. His other regional credits includeGuys and Dolls, Boeing Boeing, The Drowsy Chaperone, Cabaret, and Moon Over Buffalo, to name a few.

Betsy DiLellio has been seen on such National Tours as The Light in the Piazza directed by Bartlett Sher and The Sound of Music. Her Off-Broadway credits include Enter Laughing: The Musical, Glimpses of the Moon and The Baker's Wife. DiLellio is a member of the Actor's Equity Association. Her last appearance at Bay Street was in Enter Laughing: The Musical.

Donna English has appeared on Broadway in Nice Work if You Can Get It, Lend Me a Tenor (directed by Stanley Tucci), and Broadway, directed by the legendary George Abbott. Off Broadway credits include Madame X (2011 NYMF Outstanding Performance Award),Forbidden Broadway SVU, Forbidden Broadway 20th Anniversary, Forbidden Broadway Strikes Back!, Taking a Chance On Love, The Gig, Ruthless!, and Company.

Nancy Johnston has performed in multiple shows on Broadway including The Secret Garden, The Music Man, Beauty and the Beast, Elf,and The Producers. Off-Broadway includes, Splendora, Merrily We Roll Along, Nunsense (with Phyllis Diller) and Olympus On My Mind.Johnston is co founder of Brick Town Theatre in Beacon, NY.

Noah Plomgren's recent credits include, the national tour of Hair, Next to Normal and Titanic, both at the Hangar Theatre; Tigers Be Stillat City Theatre Company, Sweeney Todd, and Mad Forest. Noah is a proud graduate of the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama.

Steve Rosen's Broadway credits include Spamalot, The Farnsworth Invention and the 2009 revival of Guys & Dolls. Most recently, Steve and his writing partner David Rossmer co-wrote and co-starred in the Off-Broadway musical The Other Josh Cohen, earning a 2013 Lucile Lortel Award nomination for Best Musical and six Drama Desk Award nominations including Best Musical and Best Leading Actor for Mr. Rosen's performance.

Roland Rusinek has been seen on Broadway in The Phantom of the Opera and A Christmas Carol at Madison Square Garden. You can see and hear Roland in the film The Producers, and Bear City. He is a grad of the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts and PCPA's Actor's Training Program.

The 2013 Mainstage Season continues with The Mystery of Irma Vep (July 2-28) by Charles Ludlam, directed by Kenneth Elliott and the Stephen Sondheim musical A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (August 6 - September 1) based on the book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart with Musical Director Ethyl Will, and Directed and Choreographed by Marcia Milgrom Dodge. Buy a subscription to all 3 Mainstage productions this summer starting at $138! Call the Box Office at 631-725-9500 or buy online atwww.baystreet.org

The Box Office is open Wednesday through Sunday 11-5 pm and will be open seven days a week beginning Memorial Day weekend.

Bay Street Theatre is a not-for-profit institution presenting new, classic and contemporary works with a commitment to challenging and entertaining our diverse community. This commitment extends to educational programs for all ages to foster the continued value of theatre as a vital art form for future generations.