Souvenir
June 17-29, $40-$52, Wilma Theater, 265 S. Broad St., 215-546-7824, wilmatheater.org.
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Wikipedia takes a harsh stance on Florence Foster Jenkins, describing her as "famous for her complete lack of rhythm, pitch, tone and overall singing ability." That's not quite a fair picture — she was also funny-looking, in a Helen Hokinson, society-matron-as-dilettante-soprano kind of way. Indeed, the concert hall, rather than the opera house, was Jenkins' preferred habitat, though she included opera arias in her repertoire, notably Mozart's fiendishly difficult showpiece Queen of the Night aria. Anyway, her New York appearances were legendary events, culminating in a sold-out Carnegie concert in 1944, when the prima donna was 76.
Jenkins died shortly after, apparently with a smile on her face. Some thought she was entirely self-deluded, while others maintain that she was always in on the joke. Either way, the question is the same — what could she have been thinking?
Stephen Temperley's two-character Souvenir, a touchingly sweet ode to Jenkins, doesn't quite give an answer, instead remaining charmingly ambiguous. But it gives the actress-singer who plays Jenkins a great star turn, and here it's in the authoritative hands of Ann Crumb, a marvelous Broadway performer who deserves to be better-known.
Don't miss the chance to see the Media Theatre's excellent production, ensconced comfortably in the wonderful Wilma Theater space.
June 17-29, $40-$52, Wilma Theater, 265 S. Broad St., 215-546-7824, wilmatheater.org.
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