A Comedy by Ken Ludwig

 Directed by
Nick Sweet

Performances November 17-20, 2006 at the Goddard Center

  

This night in September of 1934 is the biggest in the history of the Cleveland Grand Opera Company world famous tenor Tito Morelli is to perform Otello, his greatest role, at the gala season opener.

 

Saunders, the General Manager, hopes this will put Cleveland on the operatic map. Morelli is late; when he finally sweeps in it is too late to rehearse with the company. Through a hilarious series of mishaps, Il Stupendo is given a double dose of tranquilizers which mix with the booze he has consumed and he passes out.

 
 
His pulse is so low that Saunders and his assistant Max believe he is dead. What to do? Max is an aspiring singer and Saunders persuades him to get into Morelli's Otello costume and try to fool the audience into thinking he's Il Stupendo.

 

Max succeeds admirably, but Morelli comes to and gets into his other costume. Now two Otellos are running around in costume and two women are running around in lingerie, each thinking she is with Il Stupendo!

Courtesy of Samuel French

 

Special Thanks:
First National Bank, The Daily Ardmoreite, Brenda's Flowers, Goddard Center, Kim Davis, Darlene Kennedy, Ann Kerr, Charlotte Hudgins, Evylene Davenport, Gina Quary, Charolett Moore, Nancy Vernon, Barbara Thompon, Antiques Etc., Southeastern Oklahoma State University & Barbara Alcofer Michelin of North America for underwriting program cost 

 

Presented with assistance from Oklahoma Arts Council & National Endowment for the Arts