From November 3rd to November 5th, the BHS theater department put on their fall show “Lend Me A Tenor” by Ken Ludwig. The play was filled with various dramatic elements such as deception, miscommunication, and adultery, which made for an incredibly entertaining and humorous experience.
The story opens with the Cleveland Grand Opera employees in a hotel room, a manager, and his anxious assistant. They are frantically trying to organize the arrangements for Tito Merelli, a famous Italian tenor who would bring incredible fame to their opera house. When he arrives, they try their best to ensure that everything runs smoothly, but the universe seems to have other plans. Chaos ensues, resulting in a very wild and hilarious turn of events.
The world of “Lend Me A Tenor” takes place in the 1930s, and the cast embodied the different time period very well. The costumes, hair, accents, and overall aesthetic are reminiscent of the older times. Maddie Bozack ‘24 even had to wear curlers in her hair for three days straight, stating “It was painful and I think I have bald spots but it was worth it because I think it added to the character and the era.”
While the play involves some more serious subject matters, many jokes throughout the play had audience members bent over laughing. It is much thanks to the impeccable delivery and performance of the cast that the play was executed so well. Gabby Denicola ‘24 shared that “it is a great thing to be able to spend time with your friends and also be able to make other people laugh.”
The crew and stage crew also did a great job with the lighting and set design. The play takes place primarily in a hotel room, which could be potentially limiting for such a wild plot. The crew, however, was able to set up the stage in a way where you could see both rooms of the hotel clearly, as well as utilize the lighting to increase drama and humor. This type of effort from everyone in the cast and crew allowed for such a well-received show. Claire Taylor ‘25 saw the play and thought it was “really creative and showed the talents of many students at BHS.”
This fall play was the last one for the seniors, many of whom have contributed 4 years of hard work and effort to the BHS theater department. While bittersweet, “Lend Me A Tenor” was a great show to be their final play, and fans cannot wait to see their last production ever in the spring.
