September 13th - 30th, 2007 

Joshua Estrada in Lend Me a Tenor

Opening Night! Its September of 1934 and this is the biggest night in the history of the Cleveland Grand Opera as world famous Tenor, Tito Morelli, is to perfom the demanding role of Otello.  However, through a hilarious series of mishaps, the famous tenor is incapacitated. What to do, replace him with Max, an aspiring singer. All is well until Tito Morelli awakens, and now there are TWO Otellos running around in costume, two women are running aound in lingerie, and lots of doors are slamming!

Women shine as brightest ”Tenor” Stars

By Kimberley Poore-1960 Sun 

The Texas Repertory Theatre Co. opened its fall season with “Lend Me a Tenor”. If this comedy is any indication of the upcoming season, theatre lovers are in for a real treat. Directed by Craig Miller, “Lend Me a Tenor” features a wonderful cast of vibrant actors and actreses. This lively show keeps the audience rolling with laughter from start to finish. The show started off with a hesitant girlfriend denying the love of her father’s opera assistant, who is also an aspiring opera singer. The arrival of the famous Italian opera singer Tito Morelli and his wife, Maria, steps up the tempo of the first act. Through a series of mishaps, Tito ends up unconscious and unable to perform. The assistant steps up and fills in for the role of Otello.  The audience was anxious to get back to see how everything turned out. The story continues and the second act is even better than the first. The last 20 minutes of the show proved to be the best. The upbeat tempo made 20 minutes feel like five. Viewers were hesitant to get up at the end of the play, hoping there was more. The highlight of this show is definitely the actresses. Alison Nicole Luff, who plays Tito’s wife, Maria, was impressive. Her Italian accent was phenomenal. The role was made for Luff, and she was a highlight of “Tenor”. Jennifer Gilbert, as Diana, the female lead in Otello, was fantastic. Her portrayal of the aspiring opera singer was classic. She brought sex-appeal and humor to all of her scenes. The audience waitied to see what she would do next. The actors and actresses were nearly flawless. “lend Me a Tenor” presented the audience with overwhelmingly hilarious night. The Texas Repertory Theatre Co. did an excellent job of casting this production. The actors and actresses were stellar. The performance was virtually perfect, and the remainder of the season has a lot to live up to.  Season tickets, as well as individual sales are underway. To purchase tickets contact The Texas Repertory Theatre Co. box office at 281-583-7573 or visit online at www.texreptheatre.org