'Lend Me a Tenor' July 29-Aug. 7 benefits local church

Peter Verdico stars as Tito Merelli in the comedy "Lend Me A Tenor" at 8 p.m. Fridays and 2 p.m. Sundays, starting July 29 to Aug. 7, at the Center for the Performing Arts at Wood Dale Junior High School, 655 N. Wood Dale Road in Wood Dale.

The play has a setting in a hotel suite in Cleveland, Ohio in 1934 for this madcap comedy.

The story is about the renowned tenor Tito Merelli, known to his fans as “II Stupendo” who is scheduled to perform Otello at the gala season-opener fundraiser for the Cleveland Opera Company. Unfortunately, even before the star leaves his hotel room, everything begins to unravel. Chaos ensues when Merelli's wife, who has mistaken an autograph-seeker hidden in his closet for a secret lover, leaves him a “Dear John” letter. The distraught Merelli accidentally is given a double dose of tranquilizers to calm him down and passes out. His pulse is so low that Saunders and his assistant Max believe he is dead. What to do? Saunders persuades Max to get into Merelli's Otello costume and fool the audience into thinking he's II Stupendo. Max succeeds admirably, but Merelli recovers and gets into his other costume and heads for the stage. What follows is a chain-reaction of mistaken identity, farcical plot twists, double entendres and innuendoes.

This is the eighth year Peter Verdico, a Holy Ghost parishioner and owner of Stage Right Productions has put on a play to raise money for the church.

Proceeds benefit church programs that help children, needy families and the homeless. Tickets are $20. For tickets and information, call (630) 860-2975.