Review: PTC’s ‘A Comedy of Tenors’ strikes the right notes for farce

"A Comedy of Tenors" continues through Pioneer Theatre through Nov. 4. Photo: PTC

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Oct. 23 (Gephardt Daily) — It’s 1930s Paris, the day of “the opera concert of the century,” and promoter Henry Saunders is having a very bad day.

That’s a thin summary of “A Comedy of Tenors,” playing through Nov. 4 at Pioneer Theatre Company.

To thicken the plot, add a temperamental star tenor, Tito (Gregory North), suffering a mid-life crisis; a son-in-law tenor, Max (Hansel Tan), who wants to get home to his pregnant wife, Henry’s daughter; and a rising-star tenor, Carlo (Storm Lineberger), whose success intimidates the veteran tenor even before the real action starts.

And things only get more complicated for Henry (Andy Prosky) and all his tenors from there.

Contributing to the mayhem are Tito’s spitfire wife Maria (Jennifer Cody), his lusty former girlfriend, Russian soprano Racon (Kirsten Wyatt), and his aspiring-actress daughter, Mimi (Jessica Fontana), who may be keeping a secret or two.

Then there’s late arrival Beppo, who may be either the solution or the problem, or a little of each.

With a stage of larger-than-life personalities and a luxurious set (by designer Eric Renschler), you are all ready for 1930s-style twists and turns that add up to a classic farce.

For full enjoyment, you will need to suspend disbelief and just roll with it. Enjoy the perfect timing, the mistaken identities, the slamming doors and the sight gags that pack this Ken Ludwig show, brought to life by directer by Wes Grantom.

There’s no weak link in the show. The actors are great at playing their character’s foibles, and playing off each other.

For lovers of old-style farce and of Ludwig’s previous play, “Lend Me a Tenor,” this is about as polished a production as you could hope to find.

“A Comedy of Tenors” continues through Nov. 4 at Simmons Pioneer Memorial Theatre, 300 S. University St., Salt Lake City. For ticket information, click here.

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