Stage Write

  Slamming doors and mistaken identities, it must be time for Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre’s season opening show! For the past few years Beef & Boards has opened every season with a slapstick farce. This year’s selection is Lend Me A Tenor, a Ken Ludwig comedy. A famous tenor, Tito Merelli, is scheduled to sing in Cleveland when unexpected obstacles complicate things. His highly-anticipated performance puts pressure on everyone involved, including a young man named Max and his boss Saunders.   The set is a simple hotel suite with clean lines and countless doors. It works wonderfully for the whirlwind production, which has actors coming and going at break neck speeds. The costumes are also particularly fun. The characters are decked out in evening gowns and tuxes for the big night and the performers don purple tights.      Max, played by David Schmittou, is a bumbling good guy with Bryan Cranston’s looks and Clark Kent’s sweet charm. He fin...

Father of the Bride won audiences’ hearts as a 1991 film remake starring Steve Martin. Now that same story is on stage at Beef and Boards Dinner Theatre. The simplified version play takes place entirely in the family’s living room, reminding us once again that a wedding really is a family affair. A father’s life is thrown into chaos when his daughter decides to have a “small” wedding. Jeff Stockberger stars as the title character. He plays grumpy, but is ultimately wrapped around his daughter’s finger. As the bills come in and the guest list grows he becomes more flustered. Fathers everywhere can relate to the strain he’s under. Lisa Ermel returns to B&B as the sweet bride. She’s naïve about the simplicity of planning a wedding, but sincere in her feelings for her fiancé. Those who frequent other Indianapolis theatres will be excited to see a familiar face. Ben Tebbe, a regular at the Phoenix Theatre, HART and the Indianapolis Repertory Theatre, makes his Beef & Boa...