by Stephen Temperley
The Lyric Stage Company, Boston, MA
Seats: Row F Center, center section
I went in knowing very little of this new play, and even less about this production, the Boston premiere, put on by the Lyric Stage Company. I had one ticket remaining on my student subscription, and was in the city, so I figured I'd catch the show. Little did I know that I'd be in store for a funny, painful, touching and moving night at the theater.
The role of Florence Foster Jenkins is a difficult one. The actress must have the ability to sing various operatic pieces throughout the show, all the while singing incredibly bad. Jenkins saw herself has an operatic superstar, capable of anything vocally.... when, in fact, she couldn't carry a tune in a bucket. Here, Boston-area favorite Leigh Barrett is in fine form, playing the strong-willed heiress to a T, owning the stage in her own way. At the very end of the play, the audience finally gets a chance to hear just what Jenkins heard in her head, being treated to perhaps the most stunning version of "Ave Maria" I have ever heard. I was nearly in tears. A truly splendid performance by an actress I hope to see again real soon.
Rounding out the two-actor cast is Will McGarrahan, playing Jenkins' accompanist, Cosme McMoon. McGarrahan here pulls a John Doyle-esque double-duty: acting and playing an instrument, actually accompanying Barrett throughout the show. In all honesty, I don't know which aspect of McGarrahan's performance was better - his acting, his playing, or his singing. This was the second performance of this play, and it showed at times in McGarrahan's lines, as he stumbled a bit from time to time, but, had I not have been paying close attention, I probably wouldn't have noticed.
In all, a truly magic night of theater at the Lyric, following everything I've seen of the Lyric Stage company. As I write this in April, this production has since completed its run, so I cannot recommend you go see the show, but had I written this in time, I most certainly would have!
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