JCTC Presents 'Giselle's Florence Foster Jenkins Schubertiade Review'

Jersey City Theater Center will present Giselle's Florence Foster Jenkins Schubertiade Review, a celebration of music & the arts while parodying the barriers and business that surround them. The show is an operatic cabaret featuring a variety of artistic disciplines driven by Giselle Bellas' somewhat unusual history with music. Audiences will experience a multi-media performance piece featuring classical & contemporary music, dance, and visual arts. Giselle, a long-time Jersey City resident, has written, directed, and produced music, music videos, and short films in Jersey City. Her music has been featured on shows on FX Networks, Netflix, HBO, & PBS. Join Giselle and her eccentric crew for a musical journey unlike any other!.

Giselle's Florence Foster Jenkins Schubertiade Review will premiere at Jersey City Theater Center (165 Newark Ave, Jersey City, NJ 07302 / Entrance from Barrow St., Jersey City, NJ, 07302) on Saturday, May 13, 2023 at 8:00PM. Tickets start at just $15 and are available at www.JCTCenter.org.

"Giselle's artistry reflects the vibrancy and diversity of Jersey City, a testament to her roots as a child of Cuban immigrants," commented Olga Levina, JCTC Executive Director. "Her collaboration with fellow local artists embodies the power of unity and the beauty that emerges when different voices come together. We are thrilled to showcase her latest project and celebrate the unique contributions of Jersey City's artistic community."

Giselle Bellas (often referred to mononymously by her stage name Giselle), is a Cuban-American singer-songwriter. Born in Miami, Florida, and based out of New York City, she is most known for her work on season 5 of Louis C.K.'s FX series Louie.

Originally from Miami, Florida, Giselle moved to New York City to pursue a singing career. Though classically trained in opera, Giselle's vocal style evolved as she began charting new territories as a songwriter. Inspired by her family's taste in predominantly Latin music, jazz, and oldies, in addition to her own love of classical music and pop culture, Giselle began to build a successful music career of her own. Her sound has been called a combination of the "dark ethereal nature of Fiona Apple and the vibrant passion of Florence & The Machine set in a smoky jazz club."

Giselle's classical training in opera was a path that led her to meet her now producer and guitarist, Adam Tilzer, and record songs for Emmy Award winning FX comedy series Louie in 2015. Among these songs was the "Diarrhea Song" which would quickly become a viral hit, garnering nearly half a million YouTube views and receiving national praise. Following the song's success, Giselle continued working with Tilzer, and in 2016, released her debut EP, Change Me.

In 2017, Giselle collaborated with Kenyan rapper Xtatic in covering late R&B artist Aaliyah's "Are You That Somebody?" to commemorate the singer's birthday. Later that year, Giselle released her first full-length album, titled Not Ready To Grow Up (stylized as not ready to grow up), marking Giselle's artistic evolution and featuring her most honest, vulnerable music to date. Shortly before the album's release, Giselle launched a women directors campaign, aiming to consecutively release a video for every song on the album, each directed by a different female director. "Not ready to grow up" was voted winner of Sinister Girlz' 2017 Fan Favorite Contest.

In January 2018, Giselle placed second in social live streaming platform Live.Me's NYC Street Beats Contest, giving her the opportunity to perform at a pre-Grammy pop-up concert at Grand Central Terminal among four other contestants and special guest, Wyclef Jean. Giselle continues to stream regularly on the app, through which she has gained a significant social media following.

On February 17, 2020, Giselle released an cappella cover of "Unchained Melody", in preparation for her new cover EP "Bring the Curtain Down". On April 2, 2020 Giselle released an official promotional 1950's inspired trailer for the EP, before releasing it on April 14, 2020. The EP features six covers of famous oldies songs, with a lilting spin on each.

On June 24th, 2020, Giselle released a cover of "La Vida Es Un Carnaval" by Celia Cruz, in quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Giselle Bellas often posts covers that she's coined "Guerilla Covers"; covers released on YouTube 24 - 48 hours after the original artist's release. Bellas has covered artists such as Alicia Keys, Lady Gaga, Ed SHeeran, and The Weeknd.

As a tribute to her grandmother who died from Alzheimer's disease in 2016, Giselle wrote the track, "Hazy Eyes" and has since become an advocate, working closely with Alzheimer's organizations such as Alzheimer's New Jersey and Act Now.

To post a comment, you must register and login.