Stage West Calgary

“Glorious” review

(NOTE: Due to circumstances within our control, weekend guest blogger Charlie Chicken is unavailable this morning…)

Saturday Morning Theatre Review: “Glorious”, at Stage West Calgary.

From a general observational standpoint, the average human tends to relish watching train wrecks. Or should I say “debacles”, especially with respect to “reality” TV talent competitions. The interest in watching a talentless wretch earnestly launch into a display of horrific proportions allows us, from the comfort of our sofas, to snicker at such a delusional, talentless individual. The ultimate winner…the one with real “talent”, often falls off of the face of the earth as fast as the rest of the contestants, even if they do taste brief success after the competition.

Over half a century BEFORE the Idol franchises, a woman in New York City had her own real-life experience with that sort of derisive admiration, yet won fans beyond anyone's wildest imagination, even among some of the brightest luminaries of the era – including the legendary Cole Porter.

“Glorious”, just opened at Stage West Calgary, tells the true story of Florence Foster Jenkins, the “worst singer in the world”, whose zeal for operatic singing was unmatched by gifts of pitch and tune, is a terrific glance into how someone better compared with William Hung than Renee Fleming eventually rose through the NYC music scene, straight to a sold-out concert at Carnegie Hall – with the scalpers of the era charging ten times the ticket price to hopeful attendees.

Played with great relish (and several dollops of mustard) by Elizabeth Stepkowski Tarhan, Jenkins stalks the stage, eager to mangle any note that drifts along the breeze. There are just too many highlights to single out, but at one point there is a brilliant switcheroo regarding a death in the cast – you sure didn’t see THAT coming.

With a lengthy background in musical theatre, it had to be liberating for Stepkowski Tarhan to sing so horribly – entirely over the top. But she was also effective in conveying the humanity of the character – even her horrified musical director/pianist is won over by play’s end.

As is the audience…

Check it out, if you’re in the Calgary area!

Official Calgary Herald review link to follow, later next week.

Chow for now!!