The men of LEFOLG in Lend Me a Tenor

Nov 6th, 2023 - Lynn Lylan & David Taylor

Recently David and I got the opportunity to see the opening night of Sierra College’s rendition of Lend Me a Tenor, starring LEFOLG’s very own Matthew and directed by Scott Adams.

The theater was absolutely packed with people coming to see a man of LEFOLG perform on stage in this clever farce. The entire crowd was cackling at Matthew’s whimsical humor and they were demanding an encore by the end of the show. I found myself crying with laughter throughout the show and then sobbing that it had to end so soon. The comedic timing in the show was perfect and you could tell the acting and directing was extremely professional. At one point Matthew fell and crashed into the wall as he was scrambling to exit. When we interviewed him afterwards he informed us that it was actually not a real fall, what amazing acting!

Matthew was not the only member of LEFOLG in the show, Eric and Evan took roles behind the scenes to mold the show into the masterpiece it is. Eric found his place in the theater’s tech booth where he masterfully timed sound cues and transformed the atmosphere on stage. Evan along with the rest of his wardrobe department put his blood, sweat and tears into making beautiful costumes for Matthew and the rest of the cast.

“This was the most difficult few months of my life” says Evan. “But it was all worth to see the laughter from the audience.”

“Putting on mics was my favorite part of working on this show” Eric told us. “I really made me feel closer to the rest of the cast.”

“Lend Me A Tenor has become one of my favorite shows. I really feel like I’ve gotten close with the rest of the cast, it’s so fun to perform” said Matthew.

“Me and Benny spent weeks on building the set with head carpenter Patrick and the other student employees.” said Logan, a Sierra College student, “I tried really hard to not have the plot spoiled for me and I’m glad I got to see it when the show was complete. It was worth it to experience the play for the first time with such a great group!”

We were pleasantly surprised to see the fourth member of LEFOLG, Ben, in the audience. When asked for his opinion on the show he told us, “I thought it was really great. I was happy to see Matthew doing such a great job, and the rest of the actors were amazing too. I was laughing the whole time. I’m hoping to be able to join the program next semester to star in Guys and Dolls!”

While we do not know the rest of the cast and crew as well as we know about the men of LEFOLG, they did phenomenal jobs as well. Paul Fearn returned to play Mr. Saunders, once again performing alongside Matthew. Him and Matthew were a dynamic duo as the judges in The Crucible, and Paul did an equally outstanding performance in this show! In an insider interview we were informed that when Matthew and Arie sang a duet, it was actually Paul and Scotts voices. It was a touching throwback to when Paul and Scott acted in this very same show together previously, and their voices were great!

Overall the show was fantastic. You can tell the actors and crew put an incredible amount of effort and love into making this show. The costumes and set were beautiful and well built, and the performance was hilarious. Another great LEFOLG show for the books! Tune in next time for more news about LEFOLG!

Bonus Interview: Jennifer recognized us in the audience and wanted to share her thoughts. “I’m so proud of Matthew, the whole family went to see opening night and it was so much fun. He did a really good job and I’m glad Evans back in town. It’s great to see them working together again.”