Souvenir at PTC

My final theatre production of 2024 was Souvenir at PTC last night and I certainly picked a good one to end with because it is absolutely charming! In 1964, pianist Cosme McMoon (Bob Walton) reminisces about his twelve-year musical partnership with Florence Foster Jenkins (Linda Mugleston), a wealthy socialite with a hilariously poor singing voice, on the anniversary of her death. Cosme narrates the show beginning with his first meeting with Foster Jenkins in 1932 when she hires him to accompany her for a recital that she is giving to benefit her favorite charities. He is horrified when he hears her sing for the first time but he takes the job because he desperately needs the money. When her recital becomes the talk of New York City, it becomes an annual event and, even though Cosme faces derision from his colleagues, he remains with her. They come to blows when she makes a recording of the "Queen of the Night" aria from Mozart's The Magic Flute and Cosme finally tells her the truth about her singing but he eventually comes to respect her unapologetic commitment to her art. Their collaboration culminates in a performance at Carnegie Hall in which they share a poignant moment after Foster Jenkins doubts her talent for the first time and Cosme reassures her because the music she hears in her head is beautiful. This show is so funny because the singing by Foster Jenkins is so incredibly bad (the recorded applause used in the Carnegie Hall performance was not necessary because the applause in the Meldrum Theatre was definitely loud enough) and Cosme's reaction to it is also highly amusing. As funny as it is, I also really enjoyed the touching portrait of a friendship and I found the ending to be incredibly moving. Mugleston is brilliant in the role because I would imagine that it takes a really good singer to sound so bad and Walton is perfect as the straight man to all of her antics (he has great comedic timing). The Meldrum Theatre (a venue I really like) is perfect for this play because it is so intimate and the simple set allows the audience to feel like they are observing the rehearsals conducted in the music room of the Ritz-Carlton. The period costumes are lovely and they became more outlandish with each aria during the Carnegie Hall performance. This hilarious and heartwarming production was a welcome relief from all of the Christmas shows I've been seeing lately and I highly recommend it (go here for tickets) but act quickly because there are only a few performances left.