Lend Me a Tenor
Beef and Boards Through February 2
By: Melissa Hall - Dec 30, 2013
Slamming doors and mistaken identities, it must be time for Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre’s season opening show! For the past few years Beef & Boards has opened every season with a slapstick farce. This year’s selection is Lend Me A Tenor, a Ken Ludwig comedy. A famous tenor, Tito Merelli, is scheduled to sing in Cleveland when unexpected obstacles complicate things. His highly-anticipated performance puts pressure on everyone involved, including a young man named Max and his boss Saunders.
The set is a simple hotel suite with clean lines and countless doors. It works wonderfully for the whirlwind production, which has actors coming and going at break neck speeds. The costumes are also particularly fun. The characters are decked out in evening gowns and tuxes for the big night and the performers don purple tights.
Max, played by David Schmittou, is a bumbling good guy with Bryan Cranston’s looks and Clark Kent’s sweet charm. He finds that when the need arises he has the strength and talent to rise to the occasion, surprising everyone with his powerful voice. The rest of the cast consists of a string of caricatures: ambitious singer, star struck young woman, overbearing boss, jealous wife, etc. The end result is predictable but fun show, best suited for a night out with friends instead of the kids.
Up next at Beef & Boards is Cats, followed by other fan favorites. You can see a complete list of the 2014 season here.
Performances: The show runs until Feb. 2. Doors open for evening performances at 6 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. The buffet is served from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. and the show begins at 8 p.m. For Wednesday matinees doors open at 11:30 a.m. and the buffet is served from 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The show begins at 1 p.m. For Sunday matinees doors open at 12 p.m. and the buffet is served from 12:15 to 1 p.m. The show begins at 1:30 p.m.
Tickets: To purchase tickets call (317) 872-9664 between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. Prices range from $38.50 to $63.50 and include the show, tax, coffee, tea and the buffet.
Photos courtesy of Beef & Boards