LEND ME A TENOR, by Ken Ludwig, Actors' Summit, 2004

Years after this one got away at the Play House, I finally have a chance to direct it. We had staged Ken's first professional production, Dramatic License, and then let this one slip through our fingers. It came across my desk while I was the CPH Dramaturg with a different title as I recall, and several sets. I seem to recall a scene in the lobby for example. But it had a perfect part for our own Cliff Bemis and, while there wasn't a role for me in it (I thought) I was sure that the Cleveland tie and its clever construction (even then) would carry the day. But I didn't push hard enough, and the "new play" slot in the season went to the semi-disastrous To Die For Grenada instead. But then, had we done Tenor, it might never have had the national/international success it was to achieve.

This production turned out to be a total delight. I got a phenomenal cast headed by Neil Thackaberry as the impresario and Chris Bohan as Max with Paula Duesing as Merelli's wife, and Chris' real-life inamorata Kristy Lang as the horny/virginal love interest. For budgetary (and other calamitous reasons), I was pressed into service as an unlikely Tito Merelli, but the chemistry (alchemy?) worked, audiences howled and had their heartstrings tugged. Had we not faced competition from a couple of other productions in the immediate area, the business would have been even better than it was. Major fun.