Judy Kaye Returns To The Stage At A.C.T. 2/13- 3/15

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) salutes the secret diva in all of us with Stephen Temperley's play with music, Souvenir: A Fantasia on The Life of Florence Foster Jenkins directed by Vivian Matalon. This production marks the return of the remarkable Judy Kaye to A.C.T. in the daring role that earned her a 2006 Tony Award nomination. Kaye last appeared on the A.C.T. stage as Mrs. Lovett in last season's critically-acclaimed production of Sweeney Todd. A heartfelt, wickedly funny look at the limits of self-perception and the unpredictable nature of friendship, Souvenir imagines the story of real-life Florence Foster Jenkins, a New York socialite and tone-deaf diva who thought she was a great soprano.

Broadway's brilliant Donald Corren (Torch Song Trilogy) plays her wry accompanist, who chronicles Florence's unlikely rise to cult status, culminating in her infamous 1944 Carnegie Hall performance. Souvenir plays at A.C.T. February 13 through March 15, 2009. Opening night is Wednesday, February 18, 2009, at 8 p.m. Tickets-starting at $14-are available by calling A.C.T. Ticket Services at 415.749.2228, or at www.act-sf.org.

The real-life Florence Foster Jenkins was a wealthy society eccentric, who suffered from the illusion that she was an exceptional soprano, although she couldn't carry a tune. Nevertheless, her musical career took off when her private charity galas at the Ritz Carlton ballroom started drawing large crowds, turning her into a cult sensation. Stephen Temperley began working on the play over 25 years ago, when director and long-time partner Matalon suggested that he write a play about the deluded socialite. After three versions of the text, it was Jenkins' relationship with her accompanist Cosme McMoon that finally cracked the story open for the playwright. "The play is about the difference between the way we see ourselves and the way the rest of the world sees us," says Temperley. "It's a story about a man who is nothing except self-doubting who meets a person with absolutely no self-doubts whatsoever." Temperley's play is a heart-warming tribute to Ms. Jenkins' sincerity, ambition, and love of music and her unexpected friendship with the talented musician who learned to love and admire this unique woman despite her delusions.

It takes one of Broadway's most celebrated singers to play the famously tone-deaf soprano. "It's hard work to sing so badly," says Kaye, whose Broadway triumphs include Phantom of the Opera (Tony Award), Mamma Mia! (Tony Award nomination), and On the Twentieth Century (which catapulted her to overnight stardom). "What's the dramatic license to play Florence Foster Jenkins? Be passionate. Get loud or soft suddenly. Don't be afraid to hoot and holler, especially in delicate arias like Verdi's ‘Caro Nome.' And don't ever laugh, however hard the audience does." No matter how deluded Jenkins might have been, Kaye makes you believe that the singer's earsplitting sounds are, to her ears at least, beautiful music.

"Long before Judy Kaye came to A.C.T. to star in Sweeney Todd, I had been hearing rave reviews of her astonishing performance in this show," says Artistic Director Carey Perloff. "So naturally I was thrilled when she walked into my office one day and said that nothing would make her happier than to perform Souvenir at A.C.T. Because San Francisco is an opera town, this piece will have special immediacy, but beyond that, it will resonate for everyone out there who has dreamed of doing something that they weren't quite good enough to pull off, but fell in love with anyway."

Souvenir welcomes the full design team from the original Broadway production to A.C.T.: scenic designer R. Michael Miller (Eminent Domain and The Boys in Autumn on Broadway), lighting designer Ann G. Wrightson (August: Osage County on Broadway), sound designer David Budries (Ah, Wilderness! on Broadway), and costume designer Tracy Christensen, who created the elaborate opera outfits worn by Kaye for the many costumes changes in Florence's Carnegie Hall performance.

A.C.T.'s production of Souvenir is made possible by BNY Mellon Wealth Management, as well as executive producers Barbara and Gerson Bakar; producers Jack and Susan Cortis, Marcia and Geoffrey Green, Richard E. Hall and Jack R. Steinmetz, Dianne and Ron Hoge, Byron R. Meyer; and associate producers Mr. and Mrs. Steven B. Chase, Carlotta and Robert Dathe, Betty Hoener, Mark and Mauree Jane Perry. A.C.T.'s company sponsors include Roberta B. Bialek, Rena Bransten, Priscilla and Keith Geeslin, Burt and Deedee McMurtry, Kathleen Scutchfield, Jeff and Laurie Ubben, and Ms. Susan Van Wagner.

Tickets for Souvenir can be purchased by visiting A.C.T. Ticket Services, located at 405 Geary Street, by calling 415.749.2228, or via the A.C.T. website at www.act-sf.org. Groups of 15 or more people are eligible for discounts; please call Edward Budworth at 415.439.2473.

Sponsored by Bank of the West, a Bring What You Can/Pay What You Wish performance will be held on Thursday, February 19, 2009, at 8 p.m. Patrons will be allowed to pay any amount for tickets when they bring a donation of children's books, diapers, or coffee beans to benefit Raphael House, a shelter and support program for homeless families in San Francisco's Tenderloin District. Patrons are limited to one ticket per donated item, one ticket per person. Tickets go on sale at 6 p.m. the day of the performance.

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