DATE: Sunday, September 28, 1997            TAG: 9709260365

SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON   PAGE: 13   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: THEATER REVIEW 

SOURCE: Montague Gammon III 

                                            LENGTH:   80 lines

``LEND ME A TENOR'' COMEDY IS FIRST RATE, WITH PLENTY OF GRINS

The Little Theatre of Virginia Beach has put together a thoroughly competent production of an exceptionally funny script. The farce ``Lend Me a Tenor'' starts the group's new season with nonstop grins, plenty of chuckles and a pretty fair helping of guffaws.

Ken Ludwig's script concerns the misadventures of the Cleveland Grand Opera Company in 1934, when it imports a world-famous Italian singer for its premiere production of ``Otello.'' When ``Il Stupendo'' cannot perform, the company's mild-mannered clerical assistant gets the chance to realize his fantasies of being a singer.

Pretty soon a deliciously frantic array of mistaken identities, attempted and completed seductions, witticisms, satire and slapstick swirl through a hotel suite, in and out of its closet, its bathroom and the hall outside. Without giving away any of the plot twists or jokes, it should be noted that these are the characters involved:

The hot tempered, hard-drinking, and lecherous singer, Tito, whose appetites are as grand as his art and who travels with his devoted but justifiable jealous and short-fused wife, Maria.

Mr. Saunders, the much put-upon and caustic general manager of the company, whose sweet, and heretofore innocent, daughter Maggie yearns for excitement and, should one say, romance.

Company clerk and general factotum Max, who loves Maggie but is cowed by Saunders, and in fact by just about everything.

Soprano Diana, whose insatiable hunger for men has become legendary in the company.

Board chairperson Julia, a society matron who hasn't outgrown a hormonally influenced approach to opera stars herself.

A snippy bellhop, who wants to be a singer and might just find a certain tenor every bit as appealing as do Julia, Diana and Maggie.

There are even some policemen who don't appear but whose influence is strongly felt.

A few inanimate objects crop up also, the most notable being two bottles of phenobarbitol, one bottle of chianti, some rapidly deteriorating offstage shrimp and one pair of Otello costumes with wigs.

The performances are all first rate. John Anderson takes on the role of Tito as if it were written for him, and Lucia Forte is equally strong as his wife. The part of Maggie fits Lesa Azimi like the proverbial glove and Aaron McGlothlin is great fun to watch as he runs through all the terrors, insecurities and self-discoveries that give Max interest. Jim Mitchell is sharp as the bellhop, Carmen Vogt on key as Diana and Karen Buchheim silken smooth as Julia.

The suggestion that there is room for improvement in all this fun might not be very popular, but there remains a step to be taken to turn this set of individual performances into an even more entertaining ensemble. Just a little sharper timing, a tightening of the interactions would boost the fun factor measurably. It also wouldn't hurt if the actors could hold for laughs so that lines don't get lost.

The production did gloss over a few passages without making them altogether clear. For example, exactly when does Maggie realize, or think she realizes, the ruse that has been practiced on her? Just when and in what steps, do rivals Maggie and Diana become allies? Does the bellhop have a yen for Tito, or isn't he sure, or what?

Kay Burcher directed, Jorja Jean designed costumes, Paul Schubert designed lighting and Sandy Lawrence designed a lovely set.

The script has a predictable moral akin to that tale of ``the little engine that could,'' but it matches this mossy bit of philosophy with a cogent point about the difference between being self-conscious and being self-aware. The distinction is of special value to performers.

There's even a line that does every critic's heart good. Early in the play, Max rather weakly claims that the worth of his then-untutored and unpracticed singing is ``a matter of taste.'' Maggie, with her knowledge of opera and of Max, replies ``No it's not.'' ILLUSTRATION: Graphic

WHEN & WHERE

WHAT: ``Lend Me a Tenor,'' by Ken Ludwig

WHEN: 8 p.m. Oct. 3, 4, 10, 11 and 3 p.m. today and and Oct. 5.

WHERE: Little Theatre of Virginia Beach, 24th Street and

Barberton Drive.

TICKETS: 428-9233.

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