Review: ”Suurenmoista!”

JUST OUT OF TUNE

Florence Foster Jenkins was not from this planet. At the age of 76, the “Leading Lady of Gliding Tunes” performed for New York’s sold-out Carnegie Hall in the year of the war in 1944, with the Queen of the Night’s aria from Mozart’s The Magic Flute in their repertoire.
One factor distinguished Jenkins from all other coloratura sopranos: she couldn’t sing. According to critics, Jenkins had no ear for tone or a sense of rhythm, and he sang exclusively in high or low tones. Still, a devoted group of admirers worshipped Madame, who stubbornly believed in her own talents, and who always took negative feedback constructively, either as slander of envious competitors or as sheer censorship.

Peter Quilter’s “Magnificent!”, which premiered in the West End last year, tells the story of Florence Foster Jenkins’ incredible career as told by her accompanist, pianist Cosme McMoon. The play had its Nordic premiere at the Helsinki City Theatre on Thursday, and the rejoicing of the performance left no doubt as to why the audience loved their theatrical madame.
He had the ability to pull people out of everyday life above the earth. Not a single superlative did him justice.

“Magnificent!” everything is spectacular, as the name suggests: Huge sets depicting the era, from the Ritz-Carlton ballroom to the Carnegie Hall flower forest, the lighting dripping with tones and the wilder costumes all go hand in hand in terms of glamour. The sweaty work of the background team is not overlooked.
On the expressive side, director Neil Hardwick is used to holding the strings – the comedy moves on its own, perhaps a little slowly, allowing both the fun and the sensitivity of Quilter’s text to come out. The cast is excellent, especially Pertti Koivula’s jovial boyfriend St. Clare and Jouko Klemettilä’s discreet piano boy Cosme were memorable.

What about the much-talked-about voice? Like a fire siren, in high and low tone at the same time. Riitta Havukainen sings herself, through Strauss, Bizet and Porter. Great.