Lend Me a Tenor

WASILLA — Anchorage stand-up comic, improv actor and all around funnyman Kelly Lee Williams had never heard of Valley Performing Arts when he got the call from the director of its upcoming production of Ken Ludwig’s comedy “Lend Me a Tenor”.

She told Williams she’d taken ill and, having seen his stand-up routine, wondered if he might direct and star in the three-week show. The closest Williams had come to directing anything was leading improv troupes, but said ‘yes’ anyway.

“I don’t do well with responsibility, but I took the challenge and I’m glad I did,” Williams said. “The sky’s the limit.”

Williams had another motive unbeknownst to his cast and crew until asked about it prior to Wednesday night’s final rehearsal before tonight’s debut at the VPA theater.

“When I got out of the Army in 1998, I went back to Chicago Heights and tried out (for ‘Lend Me a Tenor’) with the drama group there and I didn’t make it,” said Williams, who tried out for the role of Tito, the famous tenor who just arrived in 1934 Cleveland to perform for the local opera. “This was revenge, the vendetta is set, I have done it!”

As Tito, Williams affects an Italian accent and bravado that booms through the production until he overdoses on sleeping pills and is believed to be dead by the other characters who conspire to fool the crowd into believing theater assistant Max, played by Mathew Firman, is in fact, the virtuoso they’ve all heard about, but never seen.

The rapid fire hilarity of a comedy of errors and mistaken identity carries the day from there.

“I read the script and laughed at every page,” said Aubrey Byrne, who plays Diana, the opera’s in-house soprano, in addition to supporting Williams as assistant director. “It’s really funny with the comic timing and all the things that happen in this play.”

VPA board member and artistic director Dave Nufer said “Lend Me a Tenor” feeds just the sort of light, comedic and fast-paced tenor the theater’s audiences tend to enjoy best.

“The way this play bounces back and forth with twists and and the inside story, it’s a funny play,” Nufer said. “It’s about admiration people in the limelight get from others.”

Adding to Nufer’s take on the theme, Todd Broste, who plays the role of Saunders, the theater manager, said, “You find that admiration can be used to fool them as well. That’s one of the major plot points you have because this world-famous tenor shows up, he’s incapacitated, and they realize they can dress up an assistant to take on this role because the audience has never seen this person — they only care about the persona. We can fake them out and they’ll never know.”

Williams said the seasoned cast at VPA has made his first foray into directing a wildly successful one.

“The cast pretty much came out of a dream — they’re naturals, so the cast was easy to pick,” he said. “I had no idea what to expect going into production. I expected greatness, and so did they.”

Williams directorial debut isn’t the only first this show boasts. He’s fairly certain he’s the first African American to hold a starring role and direct at the same time, a distinction Christine Lloyd, a VPA veteran of 17 years, and plays the role of Julia, the chairman of the Cleveland opera, attests to.

“I’m making black history and it’s black history month,” Williams joked. “I’m the Jackie Robinson of Wasilla!”

Williams said he’d never found much success joining improv troupes in Anchorage, but spent last summer in Hollywood working with some of the best-known teams in the country. That experience has made him more fired up than ever about spreading the gospel of improv throughout Alaska, starting his own outfit, known as Chocolate Renaissance Theatre.

“I want to put improv in every elementary school and high school because there’s no real, strong elective for these kids to grab on to for a sense of self,” he said. “Improv teaches you that nothing’s out of reach. Right now, for them, everything is out of reach, but improv opens that door, unlocks that potential. When you get out there with other people, you have no choice but to open yourself up.”

Williams’ confidence in the VPA show, which runs the next three weekends would border on cockiness but for his faith in the cast and crew.

“This is the funniest thing that’s ever going to happen in Wasilla,” he said. “The comedy and timing this show, I don’t think it’s been done. I challenged and pushed this cast as far as I could and they responded.”

“Lend Me a Tenor” debuts tonight at the VPA Theater at 7 p.m. with shows to follow on Saturday at 7 and Sundays at 2. The schedule repeats the next two weekends until the curtain closes on March 5.

For tickets or more information, log on to valleyperformingarts.org, or call (907) 373-0195.