Jamie Farr and company sizzle in Lend Me A Tenor at New Theatre Restaurant

On the long-running TV show, MASH, Jamie Farr played an American soldier during the Korean War who was constantly bucking for a discharge by cross-dressing. His getups included the costumes of Scarlett O’ Hara from Gone with the Wind and Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz. In one episode, he tries to prove he’s insane by attempting to eat an Army Jeep.

So playing Henry Saunders, manager of the Cleveland Grand Opera, in New Theatre Restaurant’s current production of Lend Me A Tenor is not a stretch for his comedic talents. And, believe me, the goings-on in this show rival any of the plots of MASH for hilarity, creativity, and just plain zaniness.

And Mary Traylor’s costumes rival any of the wardrobe of dresses thought up by Maxwell Q. Klinger.

But, before the show begins, you’re treated to a gourmet buffet expertly created by award-winning Executive Chef Mark Webster. Starting with the mixed green salad with choice of creamy buttermilk dressing or poppyseed vinaigrette (both bursting with flavor) and continuing with sides of a vegetable medley, fresh green beans (very lightly seasoned, to let the simple goodness shine through), spinach au gratin, pasta vino del riso, roasted garlic mashers, and polenta—every dish is a foodie’s dream. But then you encounter the entrees of slow-smoked pit ham, white roughy, grilled chicken tenderloins, roasted beef shoulder tenderloins (which practically melt in your mouth), and boneless chicken thighs tossed in “buffalo” hot sauce, and your taste buds have never been so happy. Each entrée is also accompanied by a perfectly complementary sauce—peach-walnut conserve; fresh yogurt tatziki sauce; tomato, garlic, olive, and red wine sauce; and an ancho chili demi glace. No wonder the food served at New Theatre Restaurant takes top billing, right alongside the star-studded cast.

Director Joe R. Fox III directed last summer’s smash hit musical Buddy—The Buddy Holly Story at the New Theatre Restaurant, and his expertise at selecting a strong cast is just as evident in this production. The three male leads—Farr, veteran Broadway actor Ken Krugman (as Tito Merelli, a temperamental and neurotic opera star known as “Il Stupendo” to his adoring fans), and Todd Carlton Lanker (as Max, Henry’s “eager beaver” assistant) are superb in their roles. Even though the silly shenanigans in this play border on broad slapstick, each of these actors makes his character believable to the audience. Despite all the crazy plot twists, door slammings, and cases of mistaken identity, we are rooting for nerdy Max to save the day and get the girl.

Diana, the opera company’s female lead (played with great enthusiasm by Jan Chapman) has designs on Tito, when he comes to Cleveland to star in the opera Otello. A bubble machine just beyond the audience’s view complements her bubbly nature when she tries to entice him into a bubble bath, wearing only a towel. Henry’s daughter Maggie (played with earnest sweetness and unexpected passion by Ashlee LaPine) is being pursued by the hapless Max, but is infatuated with Tito, and would do just about anything—yes, anything!—to get his autograph—and maybe more. Julia, chairman of the Opera Board (played by Marilyn Lynch) is a bit of a shameless hussy when it comes to throwing herself at Tito’s feet. Tito’s wife, Maria (played by Jill Szoo) is jealous of her husband’s attention to women—“He loves the bosoms!” And a starstruck bellhop (played by Phillip Russell Newman) keeps popping in and out of Tito’s hotel suite (a terrific set designed by Paul Joseph Barnett) with the flimsiest of excuses.

Oh, and I haven’t even mentioned how Maggie hides in Tito’s closet and Maria finds her there or how Max dresses as Otello to take the place of Tito, who has mistakenly taken too many sleeping pills and is sleeping them off, although both Max and Henry believe that Tito’s dead— Feeling lost yet?

Never mind. Suffice it to say that this will probably be the most fast-paced, uproarious performance that you’ll attend all year.

And, just when you think your sides are going to split from laughing so hard, the cast does an 85-second total recall of the play at the end of the show to the tempo of very fast music. The repeat of all the ludicrous situations (in a Keystone-Cops-like format) will put you in danger of cracking a rib.

Farces just don’t get much funnier than this.

Lend Me A Tenor runs through April 3, 2011 at the New Theatre Restaurant. Call 913-649-7469 or go to www.newtheatre.com.