Conejo Players Theatre To Open 2026 Season With Ken Ludwig’s LEND ME A TENOR

Conejo Players Theatre will open its 2026 season with Lend Me a Tenor by Ken Ludwig, beginning performances on January 16, 2026. The production will run through February 7, 2026 and is presented through special arrangement with Concord Theatricals.

Winner of three Tony Awards and four Drama Desk Awards, Lend Me a Tenor is set in September 1934 and centers on Saunders, the general manager of the Cleveland Grand Opera Company, who is preparing for the arrival of world-renowned tenor Tito Merelli, known as “Il Stupendo.” When Tito arrives late and is accidentally given a double dose of tranquilizers, he collapses backstage. Believing the singer to be dead, Saunders persuades his assistant Max to don Merelli’s costume and impersonate the star in an effort to save the performance, triggering a cascade of mistaken identities and escalating complications.

Director John Eslick said, “Lend Me a Tenor is a tribute to the ‘screwball’ comedies of the 1930s such as Bringing Up Baby and It Happened One Night. The characters themselves weren't funny, but their reactions were. And the music is practically another character in the story, so I had to direct it that way. The cast have worked tirelessly in order to sing their arias in a way that would make Pavarotti proud.”

Producer Kristin Krause added, “Along with the fast paced comedic timing, there is also the element of quick costume changes while applying and removing make up. The chemistry of this cast works perfectly to get all the laughs.”

The production stars Josh Medina, Lillianna Rose Villanueva, Michael Thompson, Joe Mulder, Brittani McNeal, Andrew Landecker, Jordan Birgy-Krasnoff, and Elena Mills.