Photos: First Look at LEND ME A TENOR at The Farmington Players Barn

Farmington Players Barn has released a first look at their production of Lend Me a Tenor. The play opens Friday February 9th and runs through Saturday the 24th in Farmington Hills. Weinstein Jewelers of Novi, is sponsoring the show and holding a special 50-50 raffle giveaway.

Check out photos from the production below!

The cast features Armand Banooni (Novi) as Max, Hillary Borlack (West Bloomfield) as Maria, Kate Jones (Ann Arbor) as Maggie, Donna Kinsey (Northville) as Julia, Bree Murphy (Lake Orion) as Diana, Mattie Raybaud (Farmington) as Bellhop, Daryl Treger (Farmington Hills) as Tito, Gary Weinstein (Farmington Hills) as Saunders.          

Dave Reinke (Novi) directs, with Nancy Cooper (Farmington) as Assistant Director, Laurel Stroud (Redford Twp.) as Producer, and Jill Jones (Southfield) as Stage Manager.

A STAR IS DEAD—OR IS HE?

The story serves as a farce with a heart. It focuses on the Cleveland Grand Opera Company preparing for a fiery-tempered, world-famous Italian superstar Tito Mirelli to debut in the title role in Pagliacci. Tito, (played by Daryl Treger of Farmington Hills) arrives late and passes out after mixing wine with a double dose of tranquilizers.  The star appears dead, so opera manager Henry Saunders (Gary Weinstein of Farmington Hills) scrambles to find a replacement. He encourages an inspiring singer to suit up – his hapless assistant Max (Armand Banooni of Novi) who just happens to know the role and would be perfect to pretend he’s Tito. Suddenly, the real Tito wakes up, and wild things start to happen.

CLEVER COMIC REVERSALS

Director Dave Reinke of Novi has enjoyed much of playwright Ken Ludwig’s work for years, especially Lend Me A Tenor, first produced for Broadway in 1986 and loaded with slapstick, mistaken identities, bizarre antics, and clever comic reversals. “ I have staged managed two productions, produced one, and acted in one,” says Reinke.  Now that he’s directing one, he faces the challenge of flawlessly pulling off the fast-pace of a farce; and he has nothing but praise for the actors who help achieve that. “These actors have been a joy to work with. They all worked hard and all brought great ideas about their characters. It was a true collaboration,” says Reinke.

ZANY CHARACTERS

Some of the zany characters include: Tito’s long-suffering, hot-tempered wife Maria (Hilary Borlack of West Bloomfield); Saunders’ daughter and Max’s girlfriend Maggie (Kate Jones of Ann Arbor); The wacky bellhop who hits and unforgettable “falsetto” (Mattie Rayboud of Farmington); the flirty diva Diana (Bree Murphy of Lake Orion); Finally Julia, the Chair of the Cleveland Opera Guild and a fan of Tito (played by Donna Kinsey of Northville.)

Reinke describes his production as a “delightful romp” that carries a “powerful message of transformation.”  These are not “one dimensional characters,” says Reinke.  “They grow and evolve throughout the production …  look out for how certain characters transform as you laugh yourselves silly.”

“NIGHT AT THE OPERA” GIVEAWAY

Lend Me A Tenor, sponsored by Weinstein Jewelers of Novi, runs February 9th through 24th.  Weinstein intends to give away an opera-length cultured pearl necklace and 27 other items as part of the Barn’s 50-50 raffle campaign.  Patrons need to purchase 50-50 tickets, for a chance to win those prizes.

Show tickets are available now at the button below or at the box office: (248) 553-2955.

ABOUT THE FARMINGTON PLAYERS:

You can find the Farmington Players at www.farmingtonplayers.org and also on Facebook (The Farmington Players Barn Theater).  The Barn began as an offshoot of the American Association of University Women. The first production, The Torchbearers, was performed at a local church. After performing in various city and educational locations, the Farmington Players moved into an old dairy barn located on the site of their present facility on West Twelve Mile Road.

Initially, productions were staged downstairs on a dirt floor. Over the years, improvements to the original Barn transformed it into a more finished space, with the theater itself eventually moving upstairs into a traditional and finished setting.

Since 1953, the Farmington Players have staged more than 200 different musicals, dramas, mysteries and comedies, all as a community theater with 100% volunteer membership.

We at the Farmington Players continue to invest in the Barn to enhance our patrons’ theatrical experience and focus on bringing high quality theatrical productions to this community in a space that is both comfortable and welcoming to our patrons and membership. Over the last decade we invested in improved rigging, lighting and sound systems, a new stage floor complete with hydraulics for a trap door, and improved our lobby restrooms. In 2016, we received a matching grant which facilitated a new digital sign to advertise our upcoming events and opportunities. During the lockdown we completely refreshed our lobby with fresh paint, improved lighting and enhanced fan ventilation. Finally, we put up new show pictures for your enjoyment along with updating our green room.