Want to be entertained? Check out what’s happening in Anna Jacyszyn’s column
When it comes to music and one’s passion for it, there are some who have the gift of creating and performing it, but to me, as an artist myself, the most important are the ones who simply enjoy listening to it and support it as a patron in one way or another.
One such patron, Florence Foster Jenkins, loved the music she heard in her head so passionately, it took over her spirit of mind, body and soul and this is the story told at the Kelowna Actors Studio through their mainstage play, Souvenir.
It is the real-life tale of an eccentric Manhattan socialite who enjoyed an unlikely and remarkably successful concert career, made records and famously sold out Carnegie Hall, despite the fact her singing was simply awful.
Critics dubbed her the “dire diva of din” and between 1930 and 1940, Foster Jenkins attracted a devoted group of the New York City social elite to her rare concerts and fundraisers, including such opera luminaries as Enrico Caruso, who said he loved her.
Eva Cortens plays the delusional singer in a way that seems familiar and honest. The comic glee comes from the fact she does not ham up the performances for comedy sake. The comedy is right there in the facts of the well-written script, along with Cortens vocal technique of staying off pitch beautifully.
Foster Jenkins was a self-proclaimed coloratura with a bracing humanity and spirit, but hilariously and unintentionally murdered the music of Mozart, Verdi, Gounod and Brahms. Audiences lapped it up and all Jenkins saw was the joy and applause.
The co-star is new to the KAS stage and has already proven to be a triple threat. Nick Preston, actor, singer and musician, gallantly plays Cosme McMoon, the young man hired to accompany the diva on piano, while biting his lip as his favourite arias were butchered. Why would a young man of talent stay employed for the best part of 12 years with a woman who he clearly undervalued as a vocalist?
Yes, the money was great for a young songwriter, but most of all, they began an almost-platonic marriage of love and need for each other. Instead of resenting her success, Cosme valiantly tried to protect her from discovering that her concert audiences were laughing.
When he tries to stop her from recording Mozart’s Queen of the Night, she calmly insists that it’s a perfect choice. “Think! In days to come when my voice is not perhaps as strong as it is now, to be able to hear it as it once was! In all its glory! A lovely souvenir.”
I laughed out loud, not only at that statement, but his facial expression as he bit down and said nothing. I loved this show. Souvenir — A Fantasia on the Life of Florence Foster Jenkins, written by Stephen Temperley, directed by Randy Leslie, with musical directorship of Roslyn Frantz, runs Wednesday-Sunday with Saturday matinees until June 16. Tickets are available through Kelowna Tickets or the box office at 250-862-2867. Dinner starts at 6 p.m., with the evening show at 7:30 p.m. Matinees at 1 p.m. Kelowna Actors Studio is at 1379 Ellis St,
Friday night, the Lantern Folk Roots are hosting another house concert featuring Dave Gunning. This Canadian artist has a warmth about him that invites audiences in. There are no airs and pretenses in his demeanour, but a confidence in his vocal tone and his technique on the guitar strings makes this singer-songwriter a delight to see.
Tickets are $20 and can be purchased through lanternfolk.ca. The concert will be held at 2279 Selkirk Dr., Friday at 7:30 p.m.
On Saturday, something special is happening in Summerland. It’s the Bottleneck Drive’s The Grand Sommelier Express.
I touched upon this a few weeks ago. Held at the Kettle Valley Railway Station, this wine-and-food tasting event features stand-up grazing stations of locally sourced ingredients from Penticton’s Brodo Kitchen and their on-site chefs. Also included are wines, ciders and beers from Bottleneck Drive’s diverse collective of members as they share their passion for their craft.
Live music will by the Anna Jacyszyn Trio. The piece de resistance is a breathtaking 75-minute Heritage Steam Train ride on the Kettle Valley Railway.
Choose from two event times, 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.
Tickets are $150 and can be purchased through grandsommexpress.eventbrite.ca. For more information, email info@bottleneckdrive.com. Bryan Adams graces the stage of Prospera Place on Sunday. The tour comes in support of his latest album, Ultimate, which is out now and features two new tracks plus all the hits that made him a household name. This is the first concert for his tour and I bet it will be the best because opening nights are always full of an expectant kind of energy that no other night has.
Tickets are available through Select Your Tickets.
Muninn’s Post at 575 Bernard Ave. is getting a good reputation for live music events thanks to Trevor Salloum and his jazz nights, so the venue has expanded their genre repertoire by hosting a comedy night each Tuesday. Comedy Valhalla is a free event featuring a variety of new stand-up comics each week, and hosted by Andrew Verge. The laughs begin at 9 p.m. I have started my rehearsals for Mamma Mia. The songs are so good, I look forward to telling you some backstage secrets as the days get closer to our opening night.