I am very excited that I’m making my directorial debut at the Duluth Playhouse with this crazy, crazy show. And I’m doubly excited that it’s performing on the newly-renovated NorShor stage. These eight characters are insane (every one of them!) Every time they enter a room, open a door, or even open their mouths you just can’t expect what happens. It starts spinning early in the show and just never stops. By the time we reach the end…well…it’s not over. A surprise Curtain Call pushes it even further over the edge leaving both cast and audience fatigued from laughter. Come join me, will you? Audition Packets are available on the website. And bring your running shoes because once we start, we aren’t stopping.”
These eight characters are insane (every one of them!) Every time they enter a room, open a door, or even open their mouths you just can’t expect what happens. It starts spinning early in the show and just never stops. By the time we reach the end…well…it’s not over. A surprise Curtain Call pushes it even further over the edge leaving both cast and audience fatigued from laughter. Come join me, will you? Audition Packets are available on the website. And bring your running shoes because once we start, we aren’t stopping! — Michael Kraklio, director
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ABOUT THE SHOW
- Winner! 3 Tony Awards and 4 Drama Desk Awards
- Nominee! 2010 Tony Award, Best Revival of a Play
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 Morelli, Il Stupendo, the greatest tenor of his generation, to appear for one night only as Canio from Pagliacci. 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 Morelli’s Canio costume and fool the audience into thinking he’s Il Stupendo. Max succeeds admirably, but Morelli comes to and gets into his other costume ready to perform. Now two clowns are running around in costume and two women are running around in lingerie, each thinking she is with Il Stupendo.
A sensation on Broadway and in London’s West End, this madcap, screwball comedy is guaranteed to leave audiences teary-eyed with laughter.
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THE REVIEWS CALL IT…
- “Hilariously over the top.” – The Manchester Guardian
- “Fills the theatre with the sound of laughter.” – The Sunday Express, London
- “Free flowing honest-to-goodness unforced farce.” – New York Magazine
- “It’s hilarious… The funniest show on Broadway.” – WNEW
- “A rollercoaster of fun for everybody in the building… a solid, constantly accelerating snowball of a comedy!” – Phoenix News Times
- “The Big Winner!” – New York Daily News
- “Nonstop laughter.” – Variety
- “Uproarious! Hysterical!” – USA Today
- “A rib tickling comedy.” – The New York Post
- “Screamingly funny!” – CBS Radio
- “[A] three-ring circus of chaos involving celebrity worship, backstage shenanigans, and mistaken identities.” – Desert News
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ABOUT THE CHARACTERS
The Men:
- TITO MERELLI: The World’s most renowned opera tenor, and notorious “ladies man”. Age 30 and up. Not required to sing, although those auditioning that can sing may be an option.
- HENRY SAUNDERS: The Cleveland Grand Opera’s general manager. Father to Maggie. A blowhard who often loses his temper at the slightest mishap. Age 50 and up.
- MAX: Saunders’ long-suffering assistant, who is forced to take Tito’s place in the role of Canio. Age 20 – 50. Not required to sing, although those auditioning that can sing may be an option.
- BELLHOP: A comic relief character who has an ongoing feud with Saunders. An obnoxious opera fan. The Bellhop keeps showing up at the hotel suite at the wrong moment, trying to get an autograph and photo of Tito Merelli. He ends up getting chased around the suite with fear of being strangled. This role is very high energy. Precise comic timing and quick wit is required. Can be any age.
The Women:
- MARIA MERELLI: Tito’s suffering wife, with an “Italian temper”. Leaves Tito early in the play, but ultimately returns to him. Loves Tito. Despite his philandering. Age 30 and up.
- MAGGIE SAUNDERS: Saunder’s daughter, and Max’s girlfriend. She has a great admiration for Tito. Age 20 – 50.
- DIANA: The opera’s ingenue soprano, who is “fighting her way” to the top. A seductive woman and she knows it. Age 20 and up.
- JULIA: Chairwoman of the Cleveland Opera Guild, who considers herself a “Grande dame”. She wears an over-the-top dress which, Saunders says, makes her look like the Chrysler Building. Age 40 and up.
** Please note that the ages listed are not set in stone. Singing is not required for any role, however, if “Tito” and “Max” can sing, we may switch to live performance singing as opposed to recordings. We will place the best person for those roles, whether they sing or not.
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AUDITIONS ARE SEPTEMBER 16 & 17
- General Auditions: Saturday, September 16
- Time: Noon-3:00pm
- Callbacks: Sunday, September 17
- Callback Time: TBA
- Audition Requirements: Prepare one of the six monologues attached below and be familiar with the play. Memorization of the Monologue is preferred but not required. Callbacks will consist of readings from the script.
- Rehearsal Dates: Being February 25, and will run Sunday-Thursday evenings from 6:30-9:30pm. This show will only have 4 weeks of rehearsal before Tech Week. Rehearsal times may change due to needs of the cast.
- Performance Dates: April 5-15, 2018 at the NorShor Theatre
- DOWNLOAD THE AUDITION PACKET