KEN LUDWIG’S “LEND ME A TENOR”

About KEN LUDWIG’S “LEND ME A TENOR”...“Lend Me A Tenor” is set in September 1934. Saunders, the general manager of the Cleveland Grand Opera Company, is primed to welcome world famous Tito Merelli, known as Il 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 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 Il 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. A sensation on Broadway and in London’s West End, this madcap screwball comedy is guaranteed to leave audiences teary-eyed with laughter. Winner of 3 Tony Awards and 4 Drama Desk Awards.