IT! receives three Elly Nominations

Photo: Jan Le Pouvoir as Miss Skillon in See How They Run

Otto Coelho as Tito Merelli, the famous opera singer with his wife, Maria (played by Lori Whittle)

Imagination Theater is pleased to announce they have received three Elly nominations for two of their productions in the 2015-2016 season. Jan Le Pouvoir received a nomination for best supporting actress in her role as the uptight Miss Skillon in the British farce, See How They Run.  Two nominations were received for the comedy, Lend Me a Tenor.  Otto Coelho received a nomination for best supporting actor for his role as the opera star, Tito Merelli and Becky Jo Adams for Costume Design. 

The Elly Awards are presented annually by the Sacramento Area Regional Theatre Alliance (SARTA) and honor outstanding achievements of community theaters and artists in the Sacramento area. The Elly Awards are named for the late Eleanor McClatchy, who was a devoted patron of the local arts.  Awards will be presented on September 25 in Sacramento.

Imagination Theater, a nonprofit organization, is now in the sixteenth season of presenting live theater in El Dorado County.  The theater has one more week of The Complete Works for William Shakespeare (Abridged) closing Sunday, August 28.  Upcoming productions include A Christmas Story, The Musical, playing November 25-December 21 and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland in February 2017.  Tickets and information about these shows can be found at www.imaginationtheater.net.

Imagination Theater, located on the El Dorado County Fairgrounds, brings quality, live, local community theater to Placerville and El Dorado County. 

Support IT! and win a prize valued at $1,000

During the entire run of Lend Me a Tenor, Imagination Theater is holding a drawing with a grand prize package that includes a gourmet spaghetti dinner for eight at Madrona Vineyards, a library of Italian cookbooks, a pasta maker, and a collection of Italian opera and contemporary Italian artists like Frank Sinatra.  More surprises are to be announced, and tickets will be sold during intermission at each show. Tickets may also be purchased through the box office at 530-642-0404.  Tickets are 1 for $2 and 3 for $5.

Lend Me a Tenor continues through March 6

Solid hit and I embarrassed myself giggling! -- Chrissie A.


We felt very privileged to see "Lend Me a Tenor" on 'family night'. Not only is it well written - the direction was outstanding and the whole cast's performance was wonderful!! Hilarious! We can't wait to see it again with other friends! -- Rick G.


You all have an AWESOME SHOW! I laughed and smiled the whole time -- and the evening FLEW BY. Can't wait to see it again. Great job, everyone! For those of you who haven't seen it yet... get yourselves down to IT! ASAP! You'll love it! -- Jennifer J.


That was so much fun. Laughed with tears running down my face. Haven't laughed that hard in a while. - Andrea C.

Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays at 7:00 p.m.

Sundays at 2:00 p.m.   

Tickets - $17, Thursdays and Groups of 10+ $13

This lighthearted romp is rated PG13.

Buy Lend Me a Tenor Tickets

Lend Me a Tenor hits all the right notes. The show opens Feb. 12 at Imagination Theater in Placerville

Lend Me a Tenor  is a lighthearted and breathlessly zany production full of door-slamming physical comedy and hilariously improbable escapades.  The year is 1934, and the Cleveland Grand Opera Company is celebrating its tenth anniversary season by welcoming a very special guest star to its humble stage. The great Tito Merelli has graciously agreed to headline the Opera's gala performance of Otello, but the world-famous tenor's appearance in Cleveland is ill-fated from the start.

After a late arrival by train and an explosive argument with his wife, the stressed Merelli accidentally ingests a double dose of sedative pills and settles into such a deep sleep that he is mistaken for dead. With thousands of charitable dollars on the line, it falls to Max, the company's long suffering assistant and an aspiring opera singer, to disguise himself as Merelli and convince a discerning auditorium full of well-heeled patrons that he is the renowned and long-awaited tenor. Naturally, the real Merelli revives just in time to don a spare costume and hustle off to the theater for Otello's curtain. With two Otellos dashing through hotel hallways pursued by three lovelorn women, Merelli's irate wife, the company's harried manager, and a star-struck bellhop, mayhem of the most entertaining kind soon descends on the Cleveland Grand Opera.

Lend Me a Tenor features iconic aspects of screwball comedy: a classic case of mistaken identity, witty repartee and zinging one-liners, the closely guarded secret of Merelli's "death," and an impressive display of door slamming that keeps the characters darting in and out of hallways, closets, and bathrooms throughout the show. 

The company's comedic skills make for laugh-out-loud scenes, but parents should note that Lend Me a Tenor has some coarse language and is laced with some double entendre and innuendo. While played for laughs, these aspects make the production unsuitable for young children.

(Excerpt from a Lend Me a Tenor article from Ocean State Theatre)

Meet Connie of Lend Me a Tenor (Julia)

Connie Carpenter (Julia)  Connie began her acting journey in junior high school as a principle dancer in L’il Abner.  In high school she played Sarah in JB by Archibald Mac Leach.  Choosing theater over a journalism major, Connie received her B.A. in Theater Performance from UCSB.  Roses she has been fortunate to reprise include: Ibsen’s Peer Gynt where she played Peer’s mother, Penny Sycamore in You Can’t Take it With You, Ellen Turner in Thurber’s The Male Animal, The Madwoman in Madwoman of Chaillot, Miramne Estas in Winterset, Miranda in Shakespeare’s The Tempest, Mary in Juno and the Paycock, Jessica in The Pleasure of His Company, Betty in The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man in the Moon Marigolds, and Rosie in an original musical at Discovery Playhouse Hollywood and Vine, where she first met Director Jody Klemens!  At UCSB Connie performed a one woman show in the Arts & Lectures Series and was a participant in the student directors one act plays series.  Connie has had the honor to serve several years as Secretary on the Board of Directors including: Sacramento Ballet Association, Santa Paula Theater, and the Acting Company in Yuba City.  Connie was hired as Volunteer Coordinator in the Development Department of North Coast Rep Regional Theater in Solano Beach while living in San Diego.  Connie has been a licensed California attorney for 30 years and is now retired.  She wishes to thank Jody for bringing her back full circle to her theater roots.  It has been a thrilling experience for her working with this very talented cast.

Tickets for this lighthearted romp can be purchased online here. 

Meet Michelle of Lend Me a Tenor (Diana)

Michelle Harwell (Diana)  Lend Me A Tenor is Michelle’s ninth show onstage at Imagination Theater.  Since 2008, she has been seen in the Ensemble of Wizard of Oz, the operatic Armoire in Beauty and the Beast, the obsessively organized Miss Bellamy in Father of the Bride, the mischievous fairy queen Morgan Le Fe in Camelot, the melodious apparition Lily Craven in The Secret Garden, the Ensemble of Les Miserables, the Evil Queen in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and most recently as Winifred Banks in Mary Poppins.  Performing on this particular stage was a family affair as she grew up in this community (you might say it’s “in her blood.”)  Now, Michelle often shares the stage with her three children: Tristan (Tim the Enchanter in Spamalot), Trinity (Mary Lennox in The Secret Garden) and Taryn (Jane Banks in Mary Poppins), and they all consider Imagination Theater their second home.

 Tickets for this lighthearted romp can be purchased online here. 

Meet Marc of Lend Me a Tenor (Bellhop)

Marc Bonham (Bellhop)  My first experience with Imagination Theater was Lil' Abner in 2007. After a short break and reprioritizing my personal life I have been able to participate in many shows.  I have performed in The Secret Garden, Run For Your Wife, Les Misérables, Oliver and currently Lend Me A Tenor.  I am the theater’s sound technician for all shows beginning with A Little Princess and every show since.  IT! is a wonderful community of creative people and I have formed lifelong friendships with many of them. 

Tickets for this lighthearted romp can be purchased online here. 

Meet Jeff of Lend Me a Tenor (Saunders)

Jeff Lathrop (Saunders) This is the first time since playing Sancho Panza in Man of La Mancha in 2009 that Jeff has been a single character…no rapid, panicked costume changes!  Jeff has been very lucky to play opposite the talented Rick Gaylord in both of Lanny Langston’s productions of the two man shows from the Greater Tuna series.  Jeff lives in the Placerville area with his amazing wife, Vanessa, and three children Simon, Eve,and Isaac.  He teaches at Ponderosa High School, a career which allowed him to finish his summer project of replacing the engine in a cruiser motorcycle.  Jeff finds the role of Saunders challenging and rewarding.  He wants to thank the directors and cast for making this play such a positive, high energy and raucous experience.

Tickets for this lighthearted romp can be purchased online here. 

Meet Wayne of Lend Me a Tenor (Max)

Wayne Campbell (Max) is excited to bring the frenetic Max to Imagination Theater.  Lend Me A Tenor marks Wayne’s second appearance at IT! and is one of the plays on his rather short theater bucket list.  He debuted as the coconut-banging squire Patsy in Monty Python’s Spamalot.  In his other life, he is a father to a precocious eight-year-old boy and the husband to a loving wife of ten years (who has graciously looked beyond the stage snogging and has not relegated him to the couch).  He is gainfully employed with a local collateral recovery firm and actively volunteers with his son’s Cub Scout pack and with his church.  Prior to IT!, he was last seen in 2003 at Cascades Theatrical Company in Bend, Oregon in I Hate Hamlet as Gary Peter Lefkowitz.  Other roles have included King Charlemagne in Pippin; Clive and Cathy in Cloud 9; Talthybius in The Greeks: The Wars, The Murders, The Gods; and as Officer Pudney in Rumors.  He has studied theater, theater history, film and stagecraft at Central Oregon Community College, briefly at the University of London, and through the writings of Constantin Stanislavsky, Sir Laurence Olivier and David Mamet.

Tickets for this lighthearted romp can be purchased online here. 

Meet Darcy of Lend Me a Tenor (Maggie)

Darcy Hall (Maggie) is excited to help start out the 2016 season at Imagination Theater by bringing her role as Maggie to life in Lend Me A Tenor.  Her last production with IT! was in the hilarious mobster comedy Breaking Legs as Angie Graziano in the summer of 2008.  Miss Hall has taken part in many productions in her youth.  She started at the young age of 14, gracing the state at California’s historic Old Coloma Theatre (OCT) as Eliza Doolittle in Lovely Eliza or Doolittle about Nothing.  That is where she first had the pleasure of working with Becky Jo Adams, now reunited as our current Assistant Director.  Hall was raised and grew up in Placerville, eventually attending, as well as, performing for Ponderosa High School drama department.  Darcy then spent the 1999 season performing for Run Away State productions in Sacramento, doing classic shows such as Grease and Jack and the Bean Stalk.  In her early 20s she began her seasons of working with D&D productions performing live dinner theater in Folsom.  Moving back to her roots in the summer of 2014, Darcy returned to OCT to star in two original comedy melodramas.  She was awarded Best Heroine award for her performance as Dora Jarr in The Best Little Tea House in the West or When a Deed is Done.  Currently Miss Hall enjoys being a local nanny and working as a part-time server for a catering business.  She is engaged and excited to start the journey of building a family here in northern California.

Tickets for this lighthearted romp can be purchased online here. 

Meet Otto of Lend Me a Tenor (Tito)

Otto Coelho (Tito)

This is Otto’s first show with Imagination Theater, but it’s not the first time he’s ever heard of Lend Me a Tenor. He was supposed play Tito 20 years ago in Los Angeles, but it never came to fruition. He is very happy to be a part of this wonderful production. Otto was last seen locally as Lord Evekyn Oakleigh in Modesto Performing Arts production of Anything Goes. He spent more than 20 years as a professional actor, working in theatre companies across the country as well as in film, television, and theatre in Los Angeles. Favorite roles include Falstaff in Henry IV, Part 1, Leonato in Much Ado About Nothing, Dim and the Governor in the West Coast premiere of A Clockwork Orange, and other roles too numerous to mention here. TV shows include Quantum Leap, Mad About You, Knotts Landing, and The Drew Carey Show. Film appearances include All I Want For Christmas, Some Folks Call It a Slingblade, and The Dancing Cow. He has retired from professional acting and now teaches English and Drama at Foothill High School in Sacramento. Otto owes special thanks to his lovely Christy, who showed him the audition notice and said, “You need to do something for you.”    

Tickets for this lighthearted romp can be purchased online here. 

Lend Me a Tenor Runs February 12 through March 6

"An accelerating snowball of laughter, Lend Me A Tenor has the class and charm of a Kaufman and Hart comedy plus all the door-slamming hilarity of a Marx Brothers' classic like Room Service." - Jim Helsinger, PA 

Saunders, the general manager of the Cleveland Grand Opera Company, is primed to welcome world famous, Tito Merelli, Il Stupendo, the greatest tenor of his generation, to appear for one night only as Otello. The star arrives late and, through a hilarious series of mishaps, is given a double dose of tranquilizers and passes out. His pulse is so low that Saunders and his assistant Max believe he’s dead. 

In a frantic attempt to salvage the evening, Saunders persuades Max to get into Merelli's Otello costume and fool the audience into thinking he's Il Stupendo. Max succeeds admirably, but Morelli comes to and gets into his other costume ready to perform. Now two Otellos are running around in costume and two women are running around in lingerie, each thinking she is with Il Stupendo. A sensation on Broadway and in London's West End, this madcap, screwball comedy is guaranteed to leave audiences teary-eyed with laughter.  This lighthearted farce is rated PG 13.

Shows are Thursdays - Saturdays at 7:00 p.m. and Sundays at 2:00 p.m.  Tickets ($13-17) are available online or by calling 1-800-838-3006.  

Meet Lori of Lend Me a Tenor (Maria)

Lori lives and teaches in Placerville. Some of her other experiences with Imagination Theater include stage managing Beauty and the Beast, acting in Deathtrap and The Diary of Anne Frank, script supervising for Dracula, directing Goldilocks and the Three Bears and Little Red Riding Hood, and lighting for The Secret Garden.  Lori would like to thank Lanny Langston and Peter Wolfe for keeping Imagination Theater a community theater that gives idle hands something creative to do.  She also sends out a big “Thank you!” to Mike, Aaron, and Ashleigh for supporting her desire to play.  Tickets can be purchased online here.

Imagination Theater presents Lend Me a Tenor opening February 12

You will be LOLing with the crazy, fun-loving cast of Lend Me a Tenor. 

This comedy, directed by Jody Klemens, is coming to Placerville. February 12 - March 6, 2016. 

Saunders, the general manager of the Cleveland Grand Opera Company, is primed to welcome world famous, Tito Morelli, Il Stupendo, the greatest tenor of his generation, to appear for one night only as Otello. The star arrives late and, through a hilarious series of mishaps, is given a double dose of tranquilizers and passes out. His pulse is so low that Saunders and his assistant Max believe he’s dead. 

In a frantic attempt to salvage the evening, Saunders persuades Max to get into Morelli's Otello costume and fool the audience into thinking he's Il Stupendo. Max succeeds admirably, but Morelli comes to and gets into his other costume ready to perform. Now two Otellos are running around in costume and two women are running around in lingerie, each thinking she is with Il Stupendo. A sensation on Broadway and in London's West End, this madcap, screwball comedy is guaranteed to leave audiences teary-eyed with laughter. Rated PG 13.

"An accelerating snowball of laughter, Lend Me A Tenor has the class and charm of a Kaufman and Hart comedy plus all the door-slamming hilarity of a Marx Brothers' classic like Room Service." - Jim Helsinger, PA Shakespeare Festival

Get your tickets tickets here:  http://lendme.bpt.me/ 

Sewing and Costume Help Needed

Costuming demands of the next two plays are keeping our current wardrobe folks extremely busy.  We could use someone (or two!) with sewing experience that can get measurements, alter some existing pieces, and sew a few pieces for Lend Me a Tenor that opens in February 2016.  Please contact Becky at beckyjoadams@gmail.com if you can help.  Thank you!

Imagination Theater Announces Cast for Lend Me a Tenor

Imagination Theater is pleased to announce the cast for its first production of 2016, Ken Ludwig’s Lend Me a Tenor. The cast of this hysterically funny, door-slamming comedy will feature a talented newcomer to IT! along with a lineup of local favorites including: Otto Coelho (Tito), Lori Whittle (Maria), Darcy Hall (Maggie), Wayne Campbell (Max), Jeff Lathrop (Saunders), Marc Bonham (Bellhop), Michelle Harwell (Diana) and Connie Voelker (Julia). Lend Me a Tenor is directed by Jody Klemens and will run at the award-winning theater, inside the El Dorado County Fairgrounds in Placerville, from February 12 through March 6, 2016.

Winner of three Tony Awards, four Drama Desk Awards, and the Olivier Award for Best Comedy of the Year, Lend Me a Tenor is a wildly entertaining farce. Set in 1934, Saunders, general manager of the Cleveland Grand Opera Company, is ready to welcome renowned tenor Tito Merelli, who is scheduled to sing the lead in the opera ‘Otello,’ for one night only. The star arrives late, he’s not feeling well, and through a set of crazy circumstances, passes out after mixing wine with a huge dose of tranquilizers. Believing that ‘Il Stupendo’ is dead, the excitable opera manager convinces his hapless assistant, an aspiring singer named Max, to suit up as the Moor and replace Merelli. What follows is a laugh-out-loud chain reaction of mistaken identity, farcical plot twists, double entendres, and musical mayhem. The New York Times calls Ken Ludwig’s Lend Me a Tenor “one of the two great farces by a living writer.”

Lend Me a Tenor will be performed February 12 through March 6, 2016, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:00pm, and Sundays at 2:00pm. Tickets are now available at $17, and $13 for groups of 10+ and Thursday performances. Admission price on Valentine’s Day is 2 for 1. Tickets may be purchased at www.imaginationtheater.net or by calling 1-800-838-3006 or 530-642-0404.

Congrats to the Cast of Lend Me a Tenor

Okay.... Here's what you've been waiting for!
Drum roll, please!!

We are pleased and honored to announce the following company members who will be lending their talent for "Lend Me a Tenor," running Feb 12 through Mar 6, 2016:

In order of appearance…

Darcy Hall as Maggie
Wayne Campbell as Max
Jeff Lathrop as Saunders
Otto Coelho as Tito Merelli
Lori Whittle as Maria Merelli
Marc Bonham as the Bellhop
Michelle Harwell as Diana
Julia – to be announced

We want to thank each and every auditioner for coming out and sharing their time and talent with us. We hope you had as much fun auditioning with us as we had with you! 

Congratulations all!

The show runs from February 12 - March 6.   

Want to Know More About Lend Me a Tenor?

STORY

What Is the Story of Lend Me a Tenor?
World-renowned tenor Tito Merelli has signed on to play Otello at a Cleveland opera company in the fall of 1934. He arrives late and, through a set of crazy circumstances, passes out after mixing wine with a huge dose of tranquilizers. Believing that the divo is dead, the excitable opera manager taps his hapless assistant, an aspiring singer named Max, to suit up as the Moor and replace Merelli. Meanwhile, the tenor’s jealous wife, his ambitious female co-star, Max’s young girlfriend and the flirtatious head of the opera guild are on the scene fighting—sometimes literally—for the star’s attention.

SHOULD I SEE IT?

What Is Lend Me a Tenor Like?
The play is a classic farce that wins big laughs from mistaken identity, mixed signals and misunderstandings. Set in a hotel suite with six doors that get slammed frequently as the play’s eight characters rush to chase or hide from one another, the action builds to a frenzy once Max decides to pretend to be Merelli. Act Two is filled with comedic surprises, especially after the real Tito resurfaces.

Is Lend Me a Tenor Good for Kids?
The play has some suggestive elements (two female characters end up in undergarments during a comic seduction scene), but overall, the play is harmless fun. If your teen has a taste for slapstick comedy, Lend Me a Tenor may be just the ticket for a multi-generational family outing.

From Broadway.com

Audition Notice: Lend Me A Tenor, September 12 at 9:30 a.m.

Mark your calendar. Audition Details TBA at at later date.
Call Backs: September 13, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Show Dates:  February 12-March 6, 2016.
Saunders, the general manager of the Cleveland Grand Opera Company, is primed to welcome world famous, Tito Morelli, Il Stupendo, the greatest tenor of his generation, to appear for one night only as Otello. The star arrives late and, through a hilarious series of mishaps, is given a double dose of tranquilizers and passes out. His pulse is so low that Saunders and his assistant Max believe he’s dead. In a frantic attempt to salvage the evening, Saunders persuades Max to get into Morelli's Otello costume and fool the audience into thinking he's Il Stupendo. Max succeeds admirably, but Morelli comes to and gets into his other costume ready to perform. Now two Otellos are running around in costume and two women are running around in lingerie, each thinking she is with Il Stupendo. A sensation on Broadway and in London's West End, this madcap, screwball comedy is guaranteed to leave audiences teary-eyed with laughter. 

"An accelerating snowball of laughter, Lend Me A Tenor has the class and charm of a Kaufman and Hart comedy plus all the door-slamming hilarity of a Marx Brothers' classic like Room Service." - Jim Helsinger, PA Shakespeare Festival