"4 Stars! Souvenir is one of the most pleasant comedies I've witnessed in many years, and the American Stage production is first-rate. It's delightfully silly and affecting. Florence Foster Jenkins brought a lot of joy to a lot of people 70 years ago, and now she's doing it again."
- Mark Leib, Theatre Critic, Creative Loafing

"The opening night audience howled at Souvenir. Neva Rae Powers provides a pitch-imperfect portrait of obsessive musical fussbudget Florence Foster Jenkins. James Valcq dispatches the extensive piano playing with appealing glibness. His stunned double take on first hearing Jenkins is hilarious."
–John Fleming, Theatre Critic, St. Petersburg Times

See us on Studio 10!

American Stage Theatre Company finishes its 29th season with the Central Florida premiere of Stephen Temperley's hilarious musical comedy with heart, Souvenir: a Fantasia on the Life of Florence Foster Jenkins, running July 16 thru Aug. 17. Pay What You Can Nights are Tuesday, July 22 and 29 at 7:30 p.m.

For more than half a century before "American Idol," the name Florence Foster Jenkins was guaranteed to produce explosions of derisive laughter. Not unreasonably so, as this wealthy society eccentric suffered under the delusion that she was a great coloratura soprano when she was in fact incapable of producing two consecutive notes in tune. Nevertheless, her annual recitals in the ballroom of the Ritz Carlton hotel, where she resided, brought her extraordinary fame. As news of her terrible singing spread, so did her celebrity.

Souvenir, by turn hilarious and poignant, tells her story through the eyes of her accompanist, Cosme McMoon. A talented musician, he regards her at first as little more than an easy way to pay the rent, but, as he gets to know her, his initial contempt gives way to reluctant admiration, then friendship and affection. Faced with her boundless certainty, Cosme comes to revise his attitudes, not only towards her singing but to the very meaning of music itself. A true musical odd-couple for the ages.

"Souvenir is the perfect play to end this great season with," said Todd Olson, American Stage's producing artistic director. "This is the first time that this wonderful off-Broadway hit has been produced in Central Florida."

Please call the American Stage Box Office at (727) 823-PLAY (7529) or