It’s the first show of their 55th season, and Kanata Theatre is excited to announce its production of Peter Quilter’s GLORIOUS! The True Story of Florence Foster Jenkins, The Worst Singer in the World.
Lavinia Salinas as Maria and Sarah Edwards as Florence. Photo: Alex Henkelman.
Running from Sept. 20-30 at the Ron Maslin Playhouse, this hilarious and heart-warming comedy about the worst singer in the world is based on a true story.
Meet Florence Foster Jenkins, the singer everyone wanted to see live in 1940s New York. The issue? This soprano’s pitch makes nails on a chalkboard sound like a melody. Did she listen to her critics? No. Should she have? Most definitely. Instead, our (delusional) protagonist surrounds herself with devoted and like-minded friends. What comes out of her choices is up to you to find out once you see this performance.
Barbara Kobolak. Photo: Alex Henkelman.
Based upon a true story, the play spins from Florence’s charity recitals and extravagant balls through to her bizarre recording sessions and an ultimate triumph at Carnegie Hall in this hilarious and touching comedy.
Here’s who you can expect in the cast:
- Sarah Edwards playing the protagonist, Florence Foster Jenkins
- Robert Johnstone as her handsome English boyfriend, St. Clair
- Jesse Lalonde as Cosme, her long-suffering pianist
- Barbara Kobolak as her friend, Dorothy
- Lavinia Salinas as Maria, Jenkins’ maid
- Kathleen Walsh as the American, Mrs. Verrinder Gedge
“The process for the actors was a lot of character work, and also they had to spend a lot of time working on developing 1940s posture, physicality and vocal traits,” explains Ilona Henkelman, director of the play. “[Sarah Edwards], who is a very good singer, had to learn to sing, badly, in the style of Florence, three operatic arias. She trained with an operatic vocal coach. The actor playing Cosme had to learn to fake playing the piano to look convincing on stage. They became a close ensemble and worked extremely well together.”
At every turn, Florence’s wacky entourage spices up the proceedings at Melatone Studios, the Ritz-Carlton and finally, at historic Carnegie Hall.
Robert Johnstone as St. Clair and Lavinia Salinas as Maria. Photo: Alex Henkelman.
“You can expect an extremely funny, fast-paced comedy with a lot of music and singing thrown in,” says Henkelman. “It’s a play about living your life to the fullest, making each day count, and never giving up on your dreams. With an excellent cast, a fabulous script and non-stop laughs, there’s something for everyone in Glorious.”
Tickets are available here, starting at $26 ($19 when you get the subscription to all five main stage plays). All shows begin at 7:30pm, except the matinee on Sept. 24, which starts at 2:30pm.
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