SEPT. 25 – OCT. 18, 2026
Fridays & Saturdays — 7:30 PM
Sundays, October 4 and 18 — 2:00 PM
Note: No performances will be held the weekend of October 9th due to the Chagrin Documentary Film Festival
We suggest arriving as early as possible to all CVLT events. A map of parking options is available on our Contact page.
CVLT kicks off its 97th season with the winner of three Tony Awards and four Drama Desk Awards, Ken Ludwig’s Lend Me a Tenor. Set in September 1934, the story centers on Saunders, the general manager of the Cleveland Grand Opera Company, who is prepared to welcome world-famous tenor Tito Merelli, known as “Il Stupendo”.
When Tito arrives late and accidentally passes out from a double dose of tranquilizers, Saunders and his assistant, Max, believe he is dead. In a frantic attempt to save the evening, Saunders persuades Max to don Merelli’s costume and fool the audience. The chaos escalates when Merelli regains consciousness and puts on an identical costume, resulting in two opera singers running around and various mistaken identities in a screwball comedy guaranteed to leave audiences in tears of laughter.
Directed by Neil Thackaberry
Originally Produced by the American Stage Festival. Ken Ludwig’s Lend Me a Tenor is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc..
DANIEL HUNSICKER (Max) has been involved with several area theaters over the past 20 years, both onstage and off. He has been seen most recently in Same Time Next Year (George, WRP), Clue (Mr. Green, CVLT), and Bus Stop (Carl, Broadview Heights Spotlights). Other notable roles include Assassins (Lee Harvey Oswald, WRP), Tartuffe (Damis, WRP), and Dancing at Lughnasa (Michael, Broadview Heights Spotlights). He has also directed several shows, including Puffs (Broadview Heights Spotlights & CVLT), The Miser (WRP), Spitfire Grill (WRP), She Loves Me (Broadview Heights Spotlights), and John and Jen (WRP). He has done technical designs for dozens of other productions. He currently serves on the Board of Trustees at Broadview Heights Spotlights.
VICTORIA KIRGESNER (Maggie) is excited to return to CVLT, having previously appeared in Puffs ('Narrator'), Clue (‘Mrs. White’), and Miracle on 34th Street (‘Doris’). Some of her favorite acting credits include: The Revolutionists (‘Olympe de Gouges,’ Twin Masks); August: Osage County (‘Ivy’), Working (‘Amanda/Roberta’) at Broadview Heights Spotlights; Same Time, Next Year ('Doris'), Baskerville (‘Actress 1’), and The Weir (‘Valerie’) at WRP.. She frequently can be found backstage, having served as costumer, stage manager, scenic artist, and director at various area theaters. Much love and thanks to her family and friends for their support over the years.
GEORGE ROTH (Saunders)
BILL D. KOSTEAS (Tito Merelli) is making his third appearance on the CVLT stage, having appeared as 'Samuel Ratchett' in Murder on the Orient Express and 'Rochefort' in The Three Musketeers. He is thrilled to reprise the role of Tito thirty-one years after playing in a college production of Lend Me a Tenor. When not on stage, he enjoys hiking, reading, and family game time with his wife Janet and their two children, Dimitri and Dean.
CATHI FRABOTTA (Maria) is delighted to make her CVLT debut in Lend Me a Tenor. She is grateful for the support and encouragement of her friends and family, especially her husband, Tony, who helped her bring Maria’s Italian accent to life. She extends her sincere thanks to Neil Thackaberry for this wonderful opportunity and hopes the audience enjoys the performance.
ALEXI HAMILTON (The Bellhop) started her musical career at the age of one babble-singing to her stuffed animals. She’s been on the stage ever since, and is excited to make her community theatre debut.
JESSICA LEAROYD (Diana)
SUSAN SPITZ HENNENBERG (Julia) has been acting for over 4 decades across Los Angeles, Phoenix and throughout the Cleveland area. She has been in films, TV and voice over commercials and has performed in dozens of roles in theaters. She last performed 20 years ago in Over the Tavern at CVLT, one of her favorite roles of all times. As an aside, Susan has also enjoyed portraying the character of Diana in Lend Me a Tenor twice before. Of course, she was much younger then. Thanks to Neil Thackaberry for allowing her to perform as Julia.
NEIL THACKABERRY (Director/Set Designer) co-founded Actors’ Summit, a professional theater that performed 130 productions over 17 years. His directing credits include work for Rockford University, Rock Valley College, Wayne State University, Weathervane Playhouse, and Cleveland Signstage. He has performed with the Cleveland Play House, Great Lakes Theater Festival, Ensemble Theater, Cleveland Public Theatre and Oberlin College. He has served as Chairman of the Theater Department at Rockford University, Executive Director of Weathervane Community Playhouse and General Manager of Cleveland Signstage Theatre. He has also written three produced plays including Churchill at War. In June he celebrated his 55th wedding anniversary with MaryJo Alexander, his partner in all things. He is the grandfather of three incredibly beautiful, highly intelligent, and exceptionally well-behaved grandchildren about whom he is completely objective. thackaberryn@gmail.com
CINDEE CATALANO (Producer) attended St. Mary's of the Woods college and Case Western Reserve Law School, after which she started at CVLT as Props Mistress and worked her way up to Stage Manager, Producer, Actor (‘Grandma Georgina’, Willy Wonka) and eventually Director. She has directed one-acts in The 10-10 Festival as well as The Last Romance and The Price at CVLT’s River Street Playhouse. Cindee has been involved with CVLT’s annual fundraiser, Murder by the Falls. She serves on the Board of Directors as Secretary, on the Production & Technical Board, and chair of the Play Study Committee.
JADE HENNING (Stage Manager)
DENIZE S. TOTONCHI (Assistant Director/Stage Manager/Costumer/Crew) is a recent graduate from The Ohio State University, where she studied theatre with a focus in costume design. Denize has been involved with theatre for the last ten years, throughout both college and high school. Previous work at CVLT includes Freaky Friday (Assistant Costumer/Run Crew). Outside work includes You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown (Assistant Costume Designer/Lead Wardrobe, The Ohio State University), and Orlando (Costume Crew/Lead Wardrobe, The Ohio State University). She lives in Solon with her parents, brother, and cat.
STEVE M. SAVANYU (Set Construction/Technical Coordinator) is CVLT’s Executive Board VP and Tech Coordinator. Steve has been involved with technical theater since the mid 1970s. Along with carpentry, he has extensive experience in sound design, stage lighting and projections. Always up for a construction challenge, he enjoys working with volunteers and getting them excited about technical theater. His set for CVLT’s Murder on the Orient Express won Merit at the 2025 Ohio Community Theatre Association awards. Along with realistic looking brick walls built for “Beautiful, The Carol King Musical” he designed and built a color changing lighted proscenium surround. When not building sets, he operates Buford T. Hedgehog Productions and can be seen at many events in Chagrin Falls.
MARCUS DANA (Light Designer)
TAMMY DAVIS (Costumer)
BRANDON LARSON (Sound Design) has provided technical design across northeastern Ohio, as well as making various appearances in pit bands and even on stage himself. Most recently, he designed the sound for CVLT’s Long After Crystal Night and the lighting for Independence Community Theater’s own production of Lend Me a Tenor. He would like to thank his wife for her consistent support, and for always writing his bios for him.
REGINA MARZULLO (Scenic Artist/Painter)
BOB WACHSBERGER (Light Operator) is happily working the lighting board again at CVLT. He has also been a stagehand, sound designer, and lighting operator at Dobama Theater and Beck Center, as well as stage manager for the improv group, Giant Portions. He has appeared in shows at CVLT, Gates Mills Players, South Euclid Community Theater, and Dobama. He lived in LA for 10 years where he worked in movies and television as a background actor, script analyst, photographer, editor, and director’s assistant.
