NEW MILFORD — Playwright Ken Ludwig is considered the master of the comedic farce. His 1986 Lend Me a Tenor has become the gold standard of the genre.

Nearly 30 years later he wrote a sequel of sorts, called A Comedy of Tenors. A hilarious new production is now appearing on the TheatreWorks New Milford stage under the direction of Diana Canova. No stranger to Ludwig, Canova recently directed two area productions of Ludwig’s other backstage farce, Moon Over Buffalo.

A Comedy of Tenors features many of the original characters from the first play. It also introduces others for a madcap Parisian romp.

It is the eve of a star-studded opera concert at a famed soccer stadium. As in any farce, everything that can go wrong does. Mistaken identity leads to star of the show Tito Morelli (played here by Joe Harding) quitting, and chaos ensuing.

The production in New Milford offers a non-stop bullet train of laughs. From the minute the curtain opens the audience can feel the frantic energy.

As the over the top opera singer, Harding gives a tour de force performance. He squeezes every single laugh out of the material and does not let an opportunity for comedy go by. He is given the exhausting task, in Act Two, of also playing his doppelganger, Beppo, the bellhop. Watching him bounce back and forth between the two characters is a delight.

Matching this over the top energy is Gillian Holt as Tito’s wife, Maria. The pair are comic perfection as they scream and bicker at each other throughout the play. Holt commands the stage with her riotous take on the overbearing wife and mother. What could turn into just a stereotype is nicely balanced by Holt.

The two lion tamers of this circus are Adam Battelstein as Tito’s producer Saunders and Sam Everett as Max. They are not only tasked with finding the calm among the chaos, but are also the driving force behind much of the plot. It is wonderful to see them together. They are shining examples of physical comedy excellence.

As Tito’s rival and, unbeknownst to him, soon to be son-in-law is Shawn Wodraska as Carlo Nucic. He is a delightful grounding presence in all of this. His chemistry with Sydney Mann (who plays Tito’s daughter Mimi) is palpable.

Mann holds her own amid the mayhem and delivers a very funny performance as well. She gets the gag that appears in most Ludwig plays — ending up in an absurd costume for no real reason other than the visual gag.

Barbara Disraeli joins the madness in Act Two as Russian opera star and Tito’s mistress Tatiana Racon. A lovely addition to the madness, Disraeli has a particularly entertaining comedy bit involving the couch which was both impressive and garnered many laughs from the audience.

It is nice to turn off your brain once and a while and just enjoy yourself. This production of A Comedy of Tenors is the perfect way to do so.

Performances continue through October 18. Tickets and more info can be found at theatreworks.us.