SALT LAKE CITY — Like many of you, I have my favorite holiday media traditions this time of year. The season starts with While You Were Sleeping while I decorate the house, includes a trip to Ballet West’s sublime Nutcracker, a mandatory viewing of A Muppet Christmas Carol on Christmas Eve before going to bed, and the requisite A Christmas Story marathon on Christmas Day. I love these traditions and look forward to them each year. Still, there’s a special kind of glee that comes from discovering something new to love. Amid the flurry of excellent Christmas Carols and Christmas Pageants and Nutcrackers available for enjoyment across the state throughout December, Pioneer Theatre has brought something entirely devoid of holiday themes but certainly full of cheer to the stage, and it is marvelous.
Written by Stephen Temperley in part while performing at Pioneer, Souvenir tells the story of the infamous and eccentric singer, Florence Foster Jenkins, and her pianist, Cosmé McMoon. Jenkins, though an accomplished pianist in her youth, proved to be less capable as a vocalist, and gained notoriety internationally for her enthusiastic, though terrible singing. Independently wealthy after the death of her parents, Jenkins regularly performed to controlled audiences of her friends and other invited guests, who would clap and cheer to drown out any associated laughter. (Cole Porter, a regular attendee, reportedly banged his cane against his foot to keep from laughing.) How aware Jenkins was of her own ability and reputation has been widely speculated on, with some insisting that she had to have known and just not cared and others claiming that illness may have impacted her ability to hear herself. Regardless, her deep love and passion for music and performance was such that she forged onward and spent the majority of her life performing.
Linda Mugleston and Bob Walton in “Souvenir” – Show closes December 21 (Credit: BW Productions)
As Jenkins, Linda Mugleston is impeccable. Her take on Florence is a sort of cross somewhere between Schitt’s Creek‘s Moira Rose, Lucy Ricardo, and Keeping Up Appearances‘ Hyacinth Bucket. Polished and exacting, Mugleston carefully balances the wild humor of Florence’s story with a grounded respect for her humanity. It takes a truly talented musician to sing as badly as she does, and the result is truly a wonder to behold. As Cosmé, Bob Walton is tasked with guiding the audience through several decades of partnership between the two musicians, often while playing the piano and singing (not badly) himself. Like Johnny Rose, Ricky Ricardo, and Richard Bucket, Cosmé is at times exacerbated, at times perplexed, often weary and ultimately admiring of the tour-de-force woman he has determined to protect. Walton is an immediately likable narrator of events, and his responses to Florence’s behavior give the audience permission to laugh and enjoy her while also challenging everyone to think more deeply on the meaning of her life’s work. It’s an incredible treat to witness the talents of both Walton and Mugleston at such close proximity.
While the performances are truly the star of this show, K.L. Alberts‘ costume design also stands out. Florence was known for her elaborate costuming in her concerts, often designing her own pieces. Her brightly patterned dresses and over-the-top concert wear contrasts well with Cosmé’s practical, neutral suit, which he wears for the majority of the show. A sequence toward the end of the production showcases Alberts’ talent particularly well, as Mugleston goes through a series of rapid costume changes, each more inventive than the last, for Florence’s concert at Carnegie Hall. Scenic design by Jo Winiarski is simple but effective. I was tickled by the inclusion of a few chandeliers placed upside-down in the middle of an otherwise refined and sparse setting—a small nod to the wonky world of the play.
Linda Mugleston in “Souvenir” (Photo: BW Productions)
Ultimately, Souvenir is a delightful time that left me thinking more deeply about how ability does (or, perhaps, should) coincide with the way we spend our time. Cosmé, a conventionally talented musician, struggles to find an audience while the rhythmically inept and perpetually out-of-tune Florence finds international recognition, regardless of her skill. Given the incredible skill displayed by all involved in Souvenir both on- and off-stage, the show still provides a celebration of not simply enjoying art but creating it—no matter your skill involved. This is one of the best shows I’ve seen this year, and one I’ll be thinking about for a long time. I highly recommend finding time to see it before it closes. You won’t regret it.
