Review: Kanata Theatre's GLORIOUS!: THE TRUE STORY OF FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS, THE WORST SINGER IN THE WORLD

Kanata Theatre opened its 55th season with Glorious!: The True Story of Florence Foster Jenkins, the Worst Singer in the World. The extraordinarily long title is a sly nod to the flamboyant nature of its subject, whose incredible true story forms the basis of the show. Jenkins was a New York socialite who gave a multitude of recitals benefitting the many charities and clubs she spearheaded. These concerts were presented to a carefully curated audience. The reason: Madame, as she was fondly known, could not actually sing, despite her best intentions - not a single note. When she is presented with an unexpected invitation to perform at Carnegie Hall, Jenkins' biggest extravaganza may prove to be either the culmination of her self-made career or her personal and financial ruin.

Glorious!, directed by Ilona Henkelman, boasts a superb cast, led by Sarah Edwards as Florence Foster Jenkins. Edwards has the dubious honour of singing entire songs as Madame Jenkins to an alternately cringing and giggling crowd, which made the experience feel authentic, putting the audience in the shoes of both Madame and her patrons of the day. Ironically, Edwards can sing and had to learn how to sing badly for the role. Kudos to Edwards, for performing this challenging role with both sincerity and enthusiasm.

Jesse Lalonde and Rob Johnstone as Cosme McMoon and St. Clair Bayfield, respectively, were outstanding as Jenkins's allies, collaborators, and fierce protectors. Barbara Kobolak as Jenkins' best friend, Dorothy, and Lavinia Salinas as Maria, Jenkins' surly maid, were mostly used as comic relief. Although their antics elicited laughter from the audience, these scenes sometimes felt slightly long, which led to a couple of awkward pauses as the cast transitioned back to the main storyline. Kathleen Walsh was fun to watch as Mrs. Verrinder-Gedge; she made the most of her small part as Jenkins’ indignant "enemy".

Walsh’s costume was simply stunning, a glittering black and white confection, emphasizing the power and wealth of the society members, and contrasting with the caricature of a gaudily costumed Jenkins (costume designs by Maxine Ball).

My only complaint with this production was the way the set changes were completed. Rather than draw the stage curtain, stagehands were forced to adjust the set in plain view and, since there were many small props, this took a considerable amount of time to do and involved a lot of wandering back and forth across the stage, detracting from the audience’s immersion in the story.

Overall, this is a wonderful production with a talented cast, and I encourage anyone who has ever wished they could do X, Y, or Z – but didn't, out of fear or embarrassment – to see this show. In an age where social media influencers and keyboard warriors are prevalent, the play’s message of following impossible dreams and living your life entirely on your own terms is one that we should all be reminded of from time to time.

Kanata Theatre’s presentation of Glorious!: The True Story of Florence Foster Jenkins, the Worst Singer in the World is in performances at the Ron Maslin Playhouse through September 30th. Click here for more information or to get tickets. Click here for more information about Kanata Theatre’s upcoming shows for its 2023-2024 Season.

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