Penobscot’s ‘Tenor’ shines despite flaws

Give me the bonus of laughter as I lose hold.

– Sir John Betjeman

That is precisely what Penobscot Theatre Company of Bangor has done with its season opener, “Lend Me a Tenor.” Ken Ludwig’s uproarious Tony Award-winning farce is exactly what theatergoers need as we lose our tenuous hold on sunlight and slowly slip into the dark days of winter.

Ludwig’s 1989 farce, set in 1932 Cleveland, includes mistaken identity, lust, greed, romance and six doors. (Doors and beds are essential elements of any farce.) The action takes place in a hotel suite, which provides the requisite number of doors and beds with a couch thrown in for variety.

The onstage chaos starts when opera star Tito Merelli, nicknamed “Il Stupendo” by his fawning female fans, becomes too “ill” to perform. Faced with refunding $50,000 in ticket sales, impresario Saunders allows his nebbish assistant Max to take the tenor’s place.

As always, women complicate the plot. The arrival of Tito’s wife upsets the plans that Saunders’ daughter has to experience “a fling” before marrying Max. The head of the opera guild and a rising local soprano also vie for the affections of “Il Stupendo,” unaware that often they are seducing the wrong man. A singing bellhop adds to the confusion.

“Lend Me a Tenor” brings Ron Adams back from a summer hiatus to PTC’s stage as Max. Adams’ dramatic performances have proved he is adept in almost every theatrical form, but he truly has a gift for broad comedy. Adams is not afraid to act with his entire body and the actor’s facial contortions alone can bring tears of laughter to the dourest spectator.

His Max plays out the Walter Mitty fantasy of becoming an opera star, getting the girl of his dreams and then some. Adams brings an “everyman” quality to nearly every performance with an energy that is infectious. At times Friday night, it seemed as though he was carrying this show alone. Adams is definitely up to that task, but he shouldn’t have to cart around so many of his fellow actors.

“Lend Me a Tenor” also marks the return to the stage of PTC’s producing artistic director Mark Torres, who also directed this production. Torres’ turns in “Amadeus,” which he also directed, and in “Flea in Her Ear” are burned into theatergoers memories as some of the best acting ever seen on PTC’s stage. His performance as Saunders on opening night, however, was no where near those standards.

Saunders is a buffoon and a blowhard who bullies Max and everyone else into doing what he wants. His ego should be as big as “Il Stupendo’s.” But Torres seemed to be holding back opening night, as if he did not want to overpower Adams’ performance. Instead, the actor-director let Adams heft this show alone and disappointed loyal PTC ticket holders who know Torres is capable of much, much more.

This is the fourth PTC production Deborah Elz Hammond has co-starred in with Adams, and it shows. She plays Maggie Saunders, Max’s love interest, and is the only actor to match Adams’ vitality and verve onstage. Elz Hammond brings to life a young woman star-struck with an opera star, the way girls took to rock stars in the 1960s. She is delightfully funny.

The rest of the cast gives adequate performances, but several seem miscast in roles they are not physically suited for. Most notably, Paul DiMilla as Tito is a whole head shorter than Adams. It is hard to believe that the opera star’s spare costume would fit Max so perfectly. As Julia, the dowager head of the opera guild, Sharon Zolper is too svelte and sultry to bring off the laughs the playwright intended.

Colleen Frashure is a bit cartoonish and sometimes hard to understand as Tito’s wife, Maria, but in the end captures her passionate and shrewish nature. Katharine Clark has all the right physical attributes required for her role as seductive soprano Diana, but her performace does not stand out in any other way. Zachary Field, best known as the diminutive fire juggler at the Maine Shakespeare Festival, makes the most of his small part as a bellhop.

Greg Mitchell’s set is a garish art deco monster of pink and purple that works well on the Opera House’s wide but rather shallow stage. Lynne Chase’s lighting and Ginger Phelps’ costumes complement the set, and the actors actually sing their own arias thanks to the fine vocal coaching of Francis John Vogt.

In the end, the most important element in performing farce is split-second timing. Friday’s opening night performance, however, had not yet found the smooth, familiar rhythm needed to make the play appear seamless and effortless. This company is no stranger to farce. Its productions of “Flea in Her Ear” and “Noises Off” were standouts. PTC simply has a habit of opening shows that look more like good dress rehearsals than polished productions.

For all its flaws, “Lend Me a Tenor” is a funny and delightful evening of theater. Seeing Adams perform again in a genre he is so adept at, is worth the price of admission. And, like wine, PTC gets better with age and every performance.

“Lend Me a Tenor” will be performed Oct. 12 – 15. For tickets, call 942-3333.