Lend Me A Tenor (Metro Theater, Vancouver)

I went to the play that my wife is working on at Metro Theatre last Saturday. The Play was called Lend me a Tenor and there was a Gala before the play. Here are my thoughts and some history of the theatre.

This little Theatre which sits at the foot of Granville Street, has outlasted  the venerable Playhouse, is older than the Arts Club and without any form of Government support, is celebrating their 50th  consecutive year of providing first class entertainment.

After the 50th Gala Saturday was the opening of Lend Me A Tenor. Fond memories were rekindled as faces from Metro's past mixed with the present and all enjoyed a wonderful comedy directed by long time Metro Director, Catherine Morrison.

Metropolitan Co-Operative Theatre Society was spawned by the need a number of small non-professional organizations had to pool resources. Finding performance space, costumes, lighting equipment, attracting box office and back stage volunteers and then addressing publicity and promotion was a daunting task for small theatrical groups.

The Metro was, was, formed by eleven struggling Companies and began life in the Kitsilano Community Hall on West 4th Avenue and Arbutus in 1963 with a production of The Hollow. The following year, the group raised sufficient cash to purchase the present Theatre on South West Marine Drive.

Metro Theatre does the most annual productions of all non-professional Companies in North America and probably most of the professional ones as well. The income of the theatre is derived from the box office, which means that they have to stay closely attuned to what the public actually wants to see for them to survive.

Over the years the Metro has provided an amazing training facility for young actors, stage managers, carpenters, electricians and set decorators. Many have gone on to successful careers in the performing arts. The practical, hands-on and urgent experience gained at the Metro smoothed their entrance to professional work. Ultimately, then, Metro has carved a special place within the City's fabric and, whether or not its role can ever be defined, that place exists in the hearts and minds of the people who frequent our theatre, the workers and the players.

I highly recommend Lend Me a Tenor; from the opening the laughs are continuous. The timing of the actors is perfect. At intermission make sure you stay and watch the 8 minute pantomime by the stage crew. 

All in all you will enjoy the evening. Metro Theatre is a humble theatre that after 50 years still delivers good value.