CEDAR CITY — A host of people have been credited with the old show business adage, "Death is easy; comedy is hard." Was it Oscar Wilde, Edmund Kean, George Bernard Shaw, Peter O’Toole, Edmund Booth, Richard Burbage, or Edmund Gwenn on his deathbed? No one seems to know for sure, but the Utah Shakespearean Festival, in their 2007 season, can certainly attest to it. Not only is the Festival presenting a beautiful production of Shakespeare’s comedy "Twelfth Night," and George Bernard Shaw’s bright and funny "Candida," they presented the world premiere of a new musical comedy adaptation of Ken Ludwig’s popular comedy "Lend Me a Tenor." Working closely with Ludwig, who gave Librettist Peter Sham and Lyricist Brad Carroll free reign to his original script, "Lend Me A Tenor: The Musical" is a full scale, door slamming broad farce packed with mistaken identities, stereotypical characters, and memorable music. "It’s all so strange," Sham said in a June 27 interview with the Intermountain Catholic. "We put everything under a microscope, and in the middle of it all, we realized we had so much on our plates." Writing the book, lyrics, and music for the musical took Sham and Carroll a full 18 months. In the last weeks of rehearsal, director Roger Bean and the cast were still trying to determine where the laughs would come. In a preview performance June 28, the laughs came often and loud. The story involves the staging of Verdi’s "Otello," by the Cleveland Grand Opera Company. But the show’s star, tenor Tito Merelli (Steven Stein-Grainger) is missing. When he does show up, he’s caught in an argument with his wife. Feeling sick to his stomach, he takes some medication, drinks some wine, and is dead to the world. Max Garber (Jered Tanner), who thinks himself an opera singer, is pressed into service to play the role. However, in the middle of the opera, Tito wakes up, and the fun begins. The production is full of physical comedy, visual jokes, and eventually, multiple Titos. In addition to Ludwig’s generous support of the project, Sham said another blessing was teaming up again with Carroll. The two previously created the Festival’s popular "A Christmas Carol: On The Air." "There are some things in a play that can only be said in song," Carroll said. "So we would start with Peter’s Lyrics. We ended up surprising each other sometimes." Admitting that most of their writing was done between midnight and 2 a.m., and for Sham, between feedings of his son, Orlando, born three weeks before the project began, the two brought to adaptation to life. "We told each other that this is going someplace, if we don’t screw up," said Sham. "Ken let us make it our own, and the Festival gave us a home for it." @ @ "Twelfth Night," directed by B. J. Jones, is a visually exciting romantic comedy set in the mythical Illyria. Duke Orsino (Michael Sharon) is in love with Olivia (Carey Cannon), who has put herself in seven years of mourning after her brother’s death. At the same time, Viola (Shelly Gaza), has washed ashore from a shipwreck atop her drowned brother’s clothing chest. Dressing as a man, Viola works her way into the employ of Duke Orsino, to whom she finds herself attracted. However, the Duke, believing Viola is a man named Cesario, sends her off to Olivia to plead his case. Olivia finds herself attracted to Cesario/Viola. Adding to the confusion is Sir Toby Belch (Phil Hubbard), Olivia’s uncle, one of Shakespeare’s most endearing comic characters. Eventually, Sebastian (Ryan Schabach), Viola’s brother, rescued by a sea captain, arrives in Illyria, and Olivia, thinking he is Cesario, takes him off to marry him. Yes, "Twelfth Night" offers this talented cast and the audience plenty of opportunities for laughs, but by determining the Illyria is actually ancient Turkey, Scenic Designer Bill Forrester and Costume Designer Donna Ruzika offer a production with the added mystery and traditions of that land. Sharon and Gaza are sweet together as their relationship and Viola’s affections grow. Gaza has some very funny moments with Michael Littig as Fabian, Hubbard’s Sir Toby,, and Michael David Edwards as Sir Andrew Aguecheek. Anne Newhall’s Maria, a gentlewoman of Olivia commands the stage as she enters into the machinations of Sir Toby, Sir Andrew, and contrives some of her own. The summer season of the Utah Shakespearean Festival, with its Greenshows, backstage tours, and literary seminars and actors’ seminars on the plays runs through Sept. 1. For ticket information call 800-PLAYTIX (752-9849) or e-mail guestservices@bard.org.
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