CurtainUp
The Internet Theater Magazine of Reviews, Features,
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CurtainUp The Internet Theater Magazine of Reviews, Features,
Annotated Listings |
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A CurtainUp NJ Review
A Comedy of Tenors
Without drawing too many comparisons between the two productions, I was initially encouraged to see that Don Stephenson has reunited members of the cast he previously directed in Lend Me a Tenor at the Paper Mill Playhouse but they need more time to inhabit rather than invade their roles. As it is, there is plenty of fun to be had for audiences who are both new to the play and for those who remember and love Lend Me a Tenor. However, you only had to listen to the appreciable difference in audience response to the terrific Act II in contrast to their reaction to Act I to see the problem. For those who may need a fast refresher course on characters, here goes: A trio of temperamental tenors (are there any other kind?) one wife, one lover and a few significant others have been recruited to create havoc, make love to the wrong person, slam the usual number of doors, leap head first off a balcony, hide, dress and undress in corresponding bedrooms and one pretending to be who he is not. The absurdist situation involves a look-a-like hotel porter who amazingly sings, a talking pickled tongue and a nervous producer who can't keep the approaching preparations from spiraling out of control and into complete chaos. As it should, the play moves along at breakneck speed, but the laughs belong to Ludwig's gleeful text . A Comedy of Tenors takes place two years after the events of Lend Me a Tenor. The events mostly concern the frustrations that beset the world-class tenor Tito Merelli (John Treacy Egan) as he arrives in Paris, accompanied (once again) by his tempestuous wife Maria (Judy Blazer) to sing at a gala concert. The gimmick is that he is contracted to sing with two other tenors Max (David Josefsberg) and Carlo (newcomer Ryan Silverman) for what has been promoted by their high-anxiety producer Saunders (Michael Kostroff) as "the biggest concert in the history of Paris." All the action takes place in a luxurious suite in a swanky Paris hotel (handsomely designed by Michael Schweikardt) in which a little hanky-panky is already in progress. Unknown to Tito is the affair that is going on between his beguiling daughter Mimi (Jill Paice) and Carlo of whom Tito not only disapproves but who he mistakenly believes is having an affair with his wife. Add the singing hotel porter (also played by Egan who, except for his beard, is the spitting image of Tito) and a sexy Russian soprano (Donna English)— who, unbeknownst to Maria, once had had a torrid affair with Tito. Max, who was Saunder's assistant in Lend Me a Tenor and his now his son-in-law, is anxious to get through the concert before his wife (unseen) goes into labor. If some of the outrageous behavior as guided by director Stephenson needs reigning in, the ensemble has been corralled to work seamlessly as a team and individually as shameless scene-stealers. There are opportunities for designer Mariah Hale's period-perfect costumes to steal a scene or two. If A Comedy of Tenors too often mistakes frantic for funny, it does so in the age-old tradition of farce that inspired and sometimes even confounded many playwrights from Plautus to Moliere to George S. Kaufman. |
Search CurtainUp in the box below PRODUCTION NOTES A Comedy of Tenors by Ken Ludwig Directed by Don Stephenson Cast: Michael Kostroff (Saunders), David Josefsberg (Max), Judy Blazer (Maria), John Treacy Egan (Tito), Jill Paice (Mimi), Ryan Silverman(Carlo), Donna English (Racon) Scenic Design: Michael Schweikardt Costume Design: Michael Schweikardt Lighting Design: Stephen Terry Sound Design: Randy Hansen Hair & Wig Design: Paul Huntley Music Direction & Arrangements: Alexander Kariotis Fight Direction: Michael Rossmy Production Stage Manager: Gary Mickelson Running Time: 1 hour 50 including intermission Paper Mill Playhouse, 22 Brookside Drive, Millburn, N.J. Performances: Wednesday at 7:30pm, Thursday at 1:30pm and 7:30pm, Friday at 8:00pm, Saturday at 1:30pm and 8:00pm and Sunday at 1:30pm and 7:00pm. From 02/01/17 Opened 02/05/17 Ends 02/26/17 Review by Simon Saltzman based on performance 02/05/17 NJ CONNECTIONS NJ Theaters NJ Theatre Alliance Discount Tix Information REVIEW FEEDBACK Highlight one of the responses below and click "copy" or"CTRL+C"
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