Lend Me a Tenor is a play by Ken Ludwig. For more information on Ken Ludwig and plays & musicals by Ken Ludwig, visit www. ...

Set in 1934, the farce revolves around renowned tenor Tito Merelli, known to his fans as "Il Stupendo," who is scheduled to sing the lead in Otello, produced as a gala fundraiser for the Cleveland Opera Company. Unfortunately, even before the star leaves his hotel room, everything begins to unravel. Chaos ensues when a "Dear John" letter left by his wife, who has mistaken an autograph-seeker hidden in his closet for a secret lover, is misinterpreted as a suicide note. The distraught Merelli accidentally is given a double dose of tranquilizers to calm him and passes out. Saunders, the company's General Manager, is determined the show must go on, so he enlists the aid of his assistant Max to impersonate the opera star. Max is succeeding admirably . . . until Merelli awakens and heads for the stage. What follows is a chain-reaction of confusion, plot twists, double entendres, innuendoes, and constant entrances and exits through many doors. A farce is a comedy written for the stage, or a film, which aims to entertain the audience by means of unlikely and extravagant - yet often possible - situations, disguise and mistaken identity, verbal humour of varying degrees of sophistication, which may include puns and sexual innuendo, and a fast-paced... In music, a tenor is a male singer with a high vocal range. ... Otello is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Arrigo Boito, based on Shakespeares play Othello. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... A sedative is a drug that depresses the central nervous system (CNS), which causes calmness, relaxation, reduction of anxiety, sleepiness, slowed breathing, slurred speech, staggering gait, poor judgment, and slow, uncertain reflexes. ... The Teatro alla Scala in Milan. ... A double entendre or innuendo is a figure of speech similar to the pun, in which a spoken phrase can be understood in either of two ways. ... Look up Innuendo in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

The West End production opened on March 6, 1986 at the Globe Theatre, where it ran for ten months. // West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre in London, or sometimes more specifically for shows staged in the large theatres of Londons Theatreland . Along with New Yorks Broadway Theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of theatre in the... March 6 is the 65th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (66th in Leap years). ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Schillers Don Carlos starring Derek Jacobi as Philip II of Spain at the Gielgud Theatre, February 2005 The Gielgud Theatre, named after British actor John Gielgud, is a West End theatre in Londons Shaftesbury Avenue at the corner of Rupert Street. ...

After sixteen previews, the Broadway production, directed by Jerry Zaks, opened on March 2, 1989 at the Royale Theatre, where it ran for 476 performances. The cast included Philip Bosco, Victor Garber, Ron Holgate, Tovah Feldshuh, and Jane Connell. Broadway theatre[1] is often considered the highest professional form of theatre in the United States. ... Jerry Zaks is a director and actor born in Stuttgart, Germany on 7 September, 1946. ... March 2 is the 61st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (62nd in leap years). ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Royale Theatre is located on 45th Street in Manhattans Theatre District. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... Victor Joseph Garber (born on March 16, 1949 in London, Ontario, Canada) is a six-time Emmy award nominated Canadian film, stage and television actor and singer. ... Ronald Holgate (born May 26, 1937, in Aberdeen, South Dakota) is an American actor and opera singer, best known as Richard Henry Lee in the original Broadway production of 1776. ... Tovah Feldshuh (born Terri Sue Feldshuh December 27, 1952) actress, singer, playwright. ... Jane Connell is an American actress of film, stage and television. ...

The play has been translated into sixteen languages and produced in twenty-five countries. It is a popular choice of regional theatre companies and community theatre groups. Regional theatres (also called resident theatres) in the United States are professional theatre companies outside of New York City that produce their own seasons. ... It has been suggested that Amateur theatre be merged into this article or section. ...

A musical adaptation was presented in May 2006 as a staged reading as part of the Utah Shakespearean Festival's New American Playwright Project. Based on feedback received from the audience and industry professionals, the creative team fine-tuned their work, which is scheduled to premiere on June 27, 2007 as part of USF's summer repertory season [1]. The Utah Shakespearean Festival is a festival of repertory productions of the works of William Shakespeare and other dramatists. ... June 27 is the 178th day of the year (179th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 187 days remaining. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Awards and nominations

• Laurence Olivier Award for Comedy of the Year (nominee)
• Tony Award for Best Play (nominee)
• Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play (winner)
• Tony Award for Best Actor in Play (Bosco, winner; Garber, nominee)
• Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play (Feldshuh, nominee)
• Tony Award for Best Scenic Design (nominee)
• Tony Award for Best Costume Design (nominee)
• Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play (Bosco, winner)
• Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play (Feldshuh, winner)
• Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Play (winner)
• Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Costume Design (winner)
• Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lighting Design (nominee)
• Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Set Design (nominee)
• Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Set (winner)
• Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Costumes (winner)
• Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Lighting Design (winner)

The Laurence Olivier Awards, previously known as The Society of West End Theatre Awards, were renamed in honour of British actor Laurence Olivier, Baron Olivier in 1984, having first been established in 1976. ... What is popularly called the Tony Award (formally, the Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre) is an annual award celebrating achievements in live American theater, including musical theater, primarily honoring productions on Broadway in New York. ... Created in 1955, the Drama Desk Award was created to recognize Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway shows in addition to Broadway shows. ... Begun during the 1949-1950 theater season, the Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on and Off-Broadway. ...

External links

• Internet Broadway Database listing
• New York Times review