Theatre review: Metro Theatre's pitch-perfect Lend Me a Tenor hits all the right notes
A louche opera star brings comedic chaos to a Cleveland hotel in Ken Ludwig’s Tony Award winner
Andrew Cownden and Chad Matchette in Lend Me a Tenor. Photo by Matt Reznek
Metro Theatre presents Lend Me a Tenor to October 25
IN LEND ME A TENOR—Ken Ludwig’s Tony Award-winning comedic play—we see just how far that old theatre saying “The show must go on” can go.
Originally premiering in London’s West End in the 1980s before transferring to Broadway, the play embraces British-style farce in full force, with mistaken identities, misunderstandings, physical gags, and escalating absurdity. Metro Theatre’s production, directed by Chris Adams, brings this wacky humour to life in a high-energy performance packed with stellar comedic work, all set against gorgeous visual designs.
Set in a Cleveland hotel suite in 1934, the story follows Max (Andrew Cownden) and his girlfriend Maggie (Abigail Woodhouse) as they await opera star Tito Merelli (Matt Ramer). Tito is scheduled to headline that evening’s performance of Pagliacci at the Cleveland Grand Opera, where Max works, and Maggie’s father Henry (Chad Matchette) is the general manager. But just as Tito is reputed for his voice, so too is he known for his fondness for women and drink, and Max must keep him in line.
We soon learn that the stakes are high not only for the opera company, but also for the colourful array of characters. Diana, the company’s prima donna (a comically flirtatious Bianca Kenna), hopes to springboard her career by performing with Tito. Meanwhile, Maggie is curious if romantic sparks from her first encounter with Tito might ignite again. However, when something goes awry, the ensuing chaos reaches operatic proportions.
Adams skillfully brings Ludwig’s comedy to life, with full collaborative efforts from fantastic cast members who never miss a beat. Leading the way is Cownden, who unleashes an arsenal of talents, to phenomenal effect. At one point, he and Ramer engage in a hysterical round of physical comedy as they flail their bodies around the stage to “loosen up”. The continuous urgency and panic in the way Cownden delivers his lines is wildly entertaining, constantly highlighting the absurdity of what’s happening. And even without saying anything, his look of sheer terror is comic gold.
Woodhouse, who made a gigantic splash in the Vancouver theatre scene this past summer as Elle Woods in Theatre Under the Stars’ Legally Blonde, turns in another standout performance here as Maggie. This time out, Woodhouse colours her fresh, infectious energy with distinct 1930s period stylings in vocalization, mannerisms, and movements.
A welcome help here is the lovely work of the costume-design team of Michael Gnansounou and Joscelyne Tamburri, whose looks for Woodhouse, as well as the rest of the cast, makes it seem like the characters have walked off the pages of Vogue. The female characters’ costumes are particularly impressive, each with handbags, accessories, and shoes to match their array of exquisite evening wear.
Speaking of fantastic visuals, Heather Stewart’s hotel set suite is a stunning, idealized vision with gorgeous chandeliers and plush furniture. The details are outstanding here—every time a character opens a door to, say, go into the hallway or a closet, we get a glimpse of what’s behind the door. Combined with Harika Xu’s lighting, which gives the set a dreamy glow, there’s a light, airy atmosphere that’s great for the show’s light-hearted comedy.
There are seven doors onstage, and all seven are constantly used, with actors flying in and out of them. It’s a well-choreographed whirlwind of chaos that’s so much fun to watch. Metro Theatre’s Lend Me A Tenor hits all the high notes with its pitch-perfect comedy, production elements, and performances that ensure the show absolutely must—and does—go on. Bravo! 
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