Lend Me a Tenor

It will be misunderstandings and mishaps a plenty when the Ringgold Playhouse (TRP) opens its hysterical farce, "Lend Me a Tenor," for a two-week, seven-performance run beginning Thursday night, July 20.

Fresh off the heels of the Pulitzer Prize-winning drama, "Rabbit Hole," TRP is switching gears to Ken Ludwig's classic comedy in order to bring audiences the funny this summer.

"It's a very funny show with a fabulous cast," said director Kimberly Tyner Jones. "The whole crew has been wonderful, and it's a fantastic show."

Play synopsis

"Tenor" is a door-slamming, dress-dropping farce with mistaken identities, mischievous misunderstandings and compromising positions. This Ludwig farce is set in September 1934. Saunders (Dan Lyons), the general manager of the Cleveland Grand Opera Company, is primed to welcome the world-famous Tito Merelli (Ed Huckabee), II Stupendo, the greatest tenor of his generation, to appear for one night only as “Otello”. The star arrives late, and through a hilarious series of mishaps, is given a double dose of tranquilizers and passes out. His pulse is so low that Saunders and his assistant, Max (Justin Young), believe he’s dead.

In a frantic attempt to salvage the evening, Saunders persuades Max to get into Merelli’s “Otello” costume and fool the audience into thinking he’s II Stupendo. Max succeeds admirably, but Merelli comes to, and gets into his other costume ready to perform. Now two Otellos are running around in costume and two women are running around in lingerie, each thinking she is with II Stupendo. A sensation on Broadway and in London’s West End, this madcap, screwball comedy is guaranteed to leave audiences teary-eyed with laughter.

"For the audience, it's a nonstop ride of mistaken identity and double entendre leading to rash assumptions that have outrageous results," Tyner Jones said.

Local community theatre veteran Ed Huckabee is in the title role of tenor Tito Merelli, and is joined by the talented cast of Justin Young, Ayana Winchester, Dan Lyons, Christine Keefe, Kitty Reel, Bobby Daniels, and Lindsey Knox.

The show is stage managed by Renee Lierow, and includes the musical madness of vocal coach Scott Tinker.

Production dates for the show's run are July 20-22 and 27-29 at 7:30 p.m. with a special matinee performance slated for Saturday, July 29 at 2 p.m.

Tickets are $10 general admission and $8 for seniors and students, and can be purchased in person at Ringgold City Hall, over the phone at 706-935-3061, or online at cityofringgoldga.gov.