JULY  16 - 25, 2010

LEND ME A TENOR
Director, Joe Messina

 If you need a break from reality, what better place to go than Cleveland, Ohio!  Especially the Cleveland Opera Company’s 1934 production of Otello, where the lead is to be played by the renowned “Il Stupendo”, or was, until things started to go dreadfully wrong.  What follows is a zany chain-reaction of mistaken identity, double entendres and innuendoes which took Broadway by storm and piled up Tony and Drama Desk awards. You like sophisticated comedy? Lend Me a Tenor isn’t it – but it is a night of hilarity and fun!

July 16-25
Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m.
Sundays at 3:00 p.m.

Meiley Swallow Hall
31 S. Ellsworth Street
Naperville, IL

cast: 
 Max.................................Tyler Sonkin
Maggie................Jennifer McCarthy
Saunders.....................Jim Heatherly
Tito...............................Jonathan Witt
Maria.......................Marcela O'Brien
Bellhop.....................Philip J. Roth IV
Diana...............................Julie Kornak
Julia................................Cynthia Katz

Click here for show poster 

Who's who in the cast: 

Tyler Sonkin (Max) - I am thrilled to be making my Summer Place Theatre debut with Lend Me a Tenor.  I am B.A. in Theatre candidate, 2011,  at Millikin University.  Past productions include Kiss Me, Kate (Pops) at Millikin University, Babes in Arms (Steve Edwards) at Illinois Theatre Center, Urinetown (Tiny Tom) at ITC, Much Ado About Nothing (Don Pedro) ITC, and Grease (Ensemble/ Specialty Soloist).  Dance credits include The Nutcracker (The Nutcracker / Prince) at Dance Encounter Dance Studio and The Nutcracker (Ensemble) at Toledo Ballet.  I want to thank my family and friends for all of their help and support over the years.  

Philip J Roth IV (Bellhop) - Philip is a recent graduate of Carthage College. He finished with a major in Theatre and a minor in English. He recently directed The Food Chain, and has appeared in Arms and the Man, The Shape of Things and Picasso at the Lapin Agile. He hopes one day to become a high school teacher. In the mean time, he continues to fence and bartend. He would like to thank all his friends and family for their continued support. 

Julie Ann Kornak (Diana) - Julie is pleased to return to Summer Place in another farce.  Last summer she appeared as Jacqueline in Don’t Dress for Dinner.  Other favorite roles include: Elvira in Blithe Spirit and both Marlo & Patsy in the original interactive comedy Patsy’s Bridal Shower with Theatre Eclectic, Christine in Phantom (Kopit & Yeston), playing both Penny & Judy in the original musical farce Danger Will Robinson based on the TV show “Lost in Space”, and Jean Perkins in Funny Money all at the Jedlicka Performing Arts Center.  Julie would like to thank her husband, Adam, and her children, Ryan, Aidan & Amanda for their love and support.

Jenni McCarthy (Maggie Saunders) - Jenni is a Musical Theatre major approaching her sophomore year at Elmhurst College. Previous credits include Anything Goes (Reno Sweeney), Eurydice (Loud Stone), and Picasso at the Lapin Agile (The Countess). Technical theatre credits include Moon Over the Brewery (Set Design) and Carousel (House Manager). This is her first production with Summer Place Theatre and she could not be more thrilled to work with such a talented cast and crew. She would like to give a sincere thank you to all her friends and family who have supported her throughout this process.

Jim Heatherly (Henry Saunders) - Jim is happy to be working with so many lun-a-tics in this very silly farce, Lend Me A Tenor. Jim has spent a good deal of time in front of and behind the footlights in the past ten years, working in more than forty-five productions around the Chicagoland area. He was most recently seen as Herr Schultz in the Hypocrites production of Cabaret at the DCA Theater in the Loop. A special thank you to Joe and the rest of the LMAT team for letting me play on their playground.  Annamae, I found the muse!  

Cynthia Katz (Julia) - Cynthia has joyfully participated in many aspects of community theatre for 20 years.   She appeared in The Summer Place productions of I Hate Hamlet, Moon Over Buffalo, Jekyll & Hyde, Mame, Annie Get Your Gun, Fiddler on the Roof, and Annie.  Other favorite roles were in Over the Tavern, Come Blow Your Horn, Chicago, Oliver!, The Killing of Sister George, Wizard of Oz, Peter Pan and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Cynthia is about to embark upon her fourth Directing venture.  She is a Board Member of Magical Starlight Theatre.  She offers immense gratitude to Joe, Becky and Kate; her AMAZING fellow cast members; the Summer Place production staff; and DJG.  Apparently!

Marcela O'Brien (Maria) - This is Marcela's first attempt at theatre.  She was inspired by her daughter to start acting.   As a native of Bolivia, she competed in several beauty pageants in South America and won the Ms. Pasarela Bolivia (model) contest in 1997. She moved to the USA in 2000 in search of a better life. Now a full time Naperville mother of two children, Fernanda (11) and Chase (5), she spends the majority of her time involved in her kid's activities and running the family household. She wants to thank her whole family, especially her husband, for supporting her in this new endeavor. 

Jonathan Witt (Tito Morelli) - Jonathan is extremely excited to be working with Summer Place again. He was last seen with SP as George in Don’t Dress for Dinner and most recently as John Curtis in Dearly Beloved. Jonathan is currently on the Board of Directors at the Albright Theatre in Batavia. Tito is one of the most fun characters he’s ever played. He’s loved every minute working with this talented cast and crew and wishes everyone a great show!