By Kathy Feist
A photo posted of only five audience members at the opening night of Ruskin High School’s production of “Lend Me A Soprano” went viral on March 12. “This one hurts,” posted director Payton Dishman. “This is opening night of our Spring Play… my kids have worked so hard and for them to come out to this… it hurts me.”
He invited the public to attend.
And they did.
After coverage from TV and radio stations, around 200 people showed up from around the Kansas City metro on Friday night, and nearly 300 attended Saturday night’s production.
“The way the community has shown up is wild,” Michael said to the Telegraph on closing night.
“Lend Me A Soprano” is a little known theater production that made its debut in 2022. The comedic farce tells of an Italian soprano booked to sing in Cleveland, Ohio. But after her “death” a local singer must take her place on stage–and in life–for at least a night. From here comes side-splitting hilarity, excellently acted by Desmond Walker III who plays the Italian diva and Lexi Urias who must step into her role. Other actors also shone in the spotlight as they played love interests or worried opera underwriters.
In a follow-up post by Dishman, he gushes, “Kansas City, you showed up for our kids in the most beautiful way. You inspired them. You lifted them up. And you reminded all of us why the arts matter,” he wrote. “From the bottom of my heart and Ruskin High School Theatre—thank you.”
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