Village Playbox Presents Laugh Out Loud Farce 'A Comedy of Tenors'
by Angela Robb
This past Saturday evening I walked down to the basement of First Presbyterian Church and School and into the home of Village Playbox to see "A Comedy of Tenors" by Ken Ludwig. This was the first show I have seen with this theatre company and I was welcomed to a small house (I counted only 40 seats) and stage with additions built onto it making it look a lot bigger than the stage I stood on during my auditions here over the years. Starting with "A Comedy of Tenors" Village Playbox has opened The Playbox Café, an expansion to the typical concession stand. There were small tables each adorned with a vase of flowers surrounding the counter holding the snacks and beverages for sale. Volunteer Chris Dziczek ran this area dressed like a French barista owner which really made their concession area stand out compared to other community theatre concession stands. Next time I see a show here I just might come earlier for some tea!
"A Comedy of Tenors" is a sequel written by Ken Ludwig to his classic farce "Lend Me A Tenor" and follows some characters from the original comedy including Henry, Max, Tito, Maria, and Maggie (the latter is not present but makes appearances via phone calls) as well as introducing new characters such as Mimi, Carlo, and Tatiana. The show takes place in an elegant hotel suite in Paris in the 1930s and continues the story of opera manager Henry Saunders as he organizes a concert starring his son in law Max, world renowned Italian tenor Tito Merelli, and newcomer Carlo Nucci as well as Russian soprano Natasha Racon. As with all farces, hilarity and mistaken identity ensue when Carlo has an affair with Tito's daughter, Mimi, which is discovered by her mother, Maria. Tito thinks that Maria is actually having an affair with Carlo and refuses to perform with him, leading to him being replaced by a bellhop named Beppo, who is Tito's doppelganger. Natasha is added to the bill and wants to resume her previous relationship with Tito unbeknownst that she is actually flirting with Beppo. Meanwhile, Max is preparing to become a father, and Henry a grandfather, when his wife/Henry's daughter, Maggie, is about to give birth back home.
If you, like me, have not seen "Lend Me A Tenor" don't let that dissuade you from seeing this show. I still understood the entire plot and despite the fact that it uses many of the same characters from its predecessor they are in a completely new set of circumstances. The only references to “Lend Me A Tenor” involve character relationships which are explained through dialogue so no prior knowledge is required.
The production is directed by Anita Rowland and assistant directed by Jan Johnston. This is Rowland's ninth production at Village Playbox in the director's chair. In addition, she has also performed in several other productions on stage and behind the scenes. If you have seen a show at Village Playbox it's probably been touched in one way or another by Rowland. The directing team did a great job with this show. The pace was maintained and no moment of the show drug on which is very important for a comedy. However, I wish Rowland and Johnston worked a bit more with the cast regarding emotions. There were several moments that fell flat for me regarding characterization. Certain performers didn’t seem to make their characters stand out and instead said their lines rather than maintaining the necessary emotions and motivation needed for the scene and the role. In addition to directing Rowland also designed the costumes along with Donna Allen. The costumes all fit the period with the men in tuxedos and the women in dresses. The style of the women's dresses varied depending on the situation which was a nice attention to detail. For example, Mimi is wearing a casual sun dress earlier in the show but changes into a dark blue gown for the concert.
The set was designed and constructed by John Rowland and was excellent. Design wise it really set the tone of an elegant French hotel perfectly with a backdrop of Paris outside the window and a large charcuterie board of fruits, cheeses and even tongue on the table. The walls were adorned with gold accents and paintings and the room was set with antique looking furniture including rotary telephones. The construction of the set was very structurally sound with three doors that were used frequently throughout the show to lead to different rooms in the hotel. The actors were able to open, close, and even slam the doors without causing any sort of damage to the set. Gary Kochey designed the lights and sound for the production. No microphones were used on stage and the actors just projected and I could hear everyone with no trouble at all. Sound effects were also done well and sounded great; however some of the sound came out of nowhere. For example, if music played it just played rather than someone walking to the radio and turning it on. The lighting was simple but well done. No one was washed out and I could easily see what was going on during scene changes due to a blue light fading into a blackout during a transition.
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No fight choreographer was listed in the program which leads me to believe that this production didn't have one. There were a couple fight sequences including slaps that looked really fake. Having a good fight choreographer could have resulted in these moments looking real as well as ensuring safety for the performers.
Steve Allen played Henry Saunders, the event coordinator of the concert. He toed the line between a straight-laced business man and frustrated at the outrageous situations going on around him. His son in law, Max, was played by Doug Cohen. Cohen brought a lot of humor to the role with his line delivery while also being a voice of reason to all of the chaos. Allen and Cohen had great chemistry with each other and played the straight men of the piece very well. Gary Kochey, in addition to designing light and sound for the production, played the role of Tito Merelli. This is a role he reprises from Village Playbox's previous production of “Lend Me A Tenor”. He was absolutely fantastic in the role and was my favorite part of the production. Based on the laughter he brought to the audience it was clear he was the crowd favorite too! Kochey had great chemistry with all of the other actors, especially Maria and Natasha. Not only did he play the role of Tito but doubled as Beppo and had to quickly make entrances and exits on opposite sides of the stage while switching between the two characters. In spite of this challenge Kochey never missed a cue and stayed in the moment of which character he was playing at each specific time.
Bonnie Leigh Renner played Maria Merelli, the fiery wife of Tito and mother of Mimi. She was another stand out in the production for me. She had great chemistry with her husband and daughter. Renner brought a lot of feisty energy to the role and gave Maria a lot of personality. Tito and Maria’s daughter, Mimi, was played by Ashely Trasser. She was well prepared for the role and did not stumble on any of her lines throughout the show. Her love interest, Carlo Nucci, is played by Ryan Lynd. Lynd was one of the best actors in the show and played off of Tito well, balancing both respect for his hero and fear of the wrath of his father in law to be. Rounding out the cast is Natasha Thompson in the role of Tatiana Racon. Thompson brought larger than life diva energy to the role of Tatiana. Despite her character joining the story later she jumped in like she was there the whole time. Not only was there a lot of humor in her line delivery but her vocal inflections and body language made her lines even funnier.
Village Playbox has been a mainstay in Haddon Heights for generations and is celebrating its 85th season. At this particular performance the house held 40 seats, though I am unsure if this is standard or changes depending on ticket sales. This ensures an intimate setting with a perfect view no matter where you sit. The show is not only hilarious but well directed and all of the actors give cohesive performances, so I encourage you to make it to Haddon Heights before “A Comedy of Tenors” closes on November 16, 2024. I guarantee that you will laugh out loud and you’ll even be back at your car by 10pm! This was my first show at Village Playbox but it won’t be my last! You can purchase tickets here: http://www.villageplaybox.org/tix/checkoutmainstage.htm
