A Farce Slow and Sturdy in 'A Comedy of Tenors'

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Photo credit: Katrina Smith

Sunset Playhouse’s A Comedy of Tenors

Light comedy confidently slides across a stage in Sunset Playhouse’s A Comedy of Tenors. Ken Ludwig’s sequel to Lend Me a Tenor is smartly directed by Michael Pocaro, who allows everyone in the farce’s ensemble quite a bit of space to move around creatively.

Bob Fuchs plays opera legend Tito Merelli with a Chico Marx-like exaggeration of an Italian accent. It’s light mid-20th century-style sitcom humor, but Fuchs handles the heart of an aging stage legend with tenderness and empathy leaning admirably in the direction of something far deeper than what Ludwig renders in the script. Fuchs brings an admirably sharp definition between Merelli and the dual role of a passionate operatic bellhop named Beppo.

With lumbering plot elements that gradually march through from beginning to end, A Comedy of Tenors lacks the wild energy of an accomplished farce. The jokes casually filter through a plot with just enough energy to generate laughter. Though hampered by a rather slow-moving Ludwig script, the cast carefully navigates the chiseled architecture of a sturdily structured comedy. Merelli is in Paris for a mega-concert featuring three tenors including singer-assistant Max, played with a warm emotional presence by Cory Klein.

After a minor crisis threatens the concert, charismatic young tenor Carlo (Stefan Kent) arrives to save the show, but a misunderstanding over his relationship with Merelli’s daughter Mimi threatens to derail things completely. Alyssa Pankiewicz shows promising comic talent in the role of Mimi, cast into the chaos of an unravelling concert.

Through Sept. 22 at Furlan Auditorium, 700 Wall St., Elm Grove. For tickets, call 262-782-4430 or visit sunsetplayhouse.com.