Lend Me a Tenor at Portland Stage Company

The three-time Tony Award winning laugh riot Lend Me A Tenor follows the misadventures of Max and the Cleveland Grand Opera company. After preparing a lovely reception for Il Stupendo, the greatest tenor of his generation, for a one-night only performance in Pagliacci Max finds his star on the verge of death, the theater in potential ruins, and worst of all his fiance has a thing for tenors! As Max dons the makeup to stand in for Il Stupendo, hilarity and mischief ensue.

“A furiously paced comedy with more than a touch of the Marx brothers … A marvelous combination of wonderful farcical moments and funny lines.”
– Time Out

Lend Me A Tenor is an evening of hijinks, mistaken identity, and chance encounters. Following the belated arrival of Il Stupendo, Max does his best to keep the star calm, and makes sure he gets the rest he needs. Unfortunately, after giving Stupendo a double dose of his sleeping pills Max needs to don clown makeup to do the show, but can he sing as well as the greatest tenor of the generation? After the show multiple women want to sleep with Il Stupendo, but when Max finds the body missing, will he save his career? Or his relationship?

Lend Me A Tenor was originally produced by the American Stage Festival. It went on to a Broadway run where it won two Tony Awards and has had countless productions since.

Tickets go on sale December 16th, 2025.

Authors

• Ken Ludwig

Tony Awards and Nominations for Lend Me a Tenor