A case could be made that, in the past quarter century, two farces stand out among their competitors: Noises Off (1982), by British playwright Michael Frayn, and Lend Me a Tenor (1986), by the American dramatist Ken Ludwig. It is the latter that is closing out the Cape Playhouse's 81st season with plenty of laughter provided by its cast of eight.
Ludwig sets his play in 1934, when the Cleveland Opera Company has enticed world-famous tenor Tito Merelli to star in the title role of its gala production of Verdi's Otello. The action takes place in a hotel suite, which, like famous farces of Feydeau, has a half dozen doors in constant use with split-second timing.
Merelli, known to his fans as "Il Stupendo," arrives late and distraught and, after overdosing on tranquilizers, passes out and is thought to be dead. The company's general manager prevails on his assistant to impersonate Merelli in the performance. All this leads to an unending series of misunderstandings, misinterpretations, complications and sexual innuendoes.
Having set up a host of situations in Act I, Ludwig gets his play in Act II to take off into true hilarity when both singers in Verdian costume and blackface are repeatedly mistaken for each other.
Director Pamela Hunt keeps the show spinning along at a good clip. As the manager, Jeff Brooks is properly harried. As the substitute tenor, Hunter Foster is a bit bland in the first act but comes into his own splendidly in the second. Petite Jennifer Cody is his girlfriend, who has a wonderful moment when she hurls herself upon an actor and screams, "I want to bear your children!"
As Merelli, with a roving eye for the ladies, Steve Wilson is imposing; as his wife, Judith Blazer is jealously fiery. There is solid work from Leah Hocking as the opera company's soprano, Virginia Seidel as the socialite chairman of the opera guild, and Michael Keyloun as a bellhop.
The one major shortcoming is that Merelli is considerably taller than his substitute; ideally they should both be the same height since each must be taken for the other.
