Souvenir
by Stephen Temperley
Directed by Peter J Adams
Starring Helen Noonan
Australian Premiere
In the world of vocal music, there are strange and beautiful things
A fantasia of Florence Foster Jenkins
Starring Helen Noonan
In 1944 Florence Foster Jenkins stepped onto the world's leading concert platform, Carnegie Hall. The world has not stopped talking, indeed laughing, about that night. It matters not that she couldn’t sing – what matters is that she dared to dream.
In Souvenir, playwright Stephen Temperley imagines events surrounding the poignant and funny story of the musical career of Florence Foster Jenkins , a wealthy New York society eccentric of the 30 & 40’s who suffered under the illusion that she was a great coloratura soprano – when in fact the opposite was true. Nevertheless her annual charity recitals at the Ritz-Carlton and performances at other venues brought her cult status, especially as news of her unfortunate singing spread, culminating in her legendary sold out concert at Carnegie Hall.
“Hilarious and deeply touching…a loony triumph” NY Daily News
“Wildly funny! Completely charming! ” Star-Ledger (USA)
“The funniest show on Broadway since The Producers” WNBC TV
