Vermont Stage Company Returns to Town Hall Theater with SOUVENIR, 2/11

Souvenir, presented by Vermont Stage Company at Town Hall Theater February 11-13, tells the story of one such artist: Florence Foster Jenkins, a singer of such overwhelming confidence and yet so utterly lacking in musical ability that she became an absolute sensation in New York City in the 1930s - for all the wrong reasons.

Souvenir, A Fantasia on the Life of Florence Foster Jenkins is Stephen Temperley's fanciful portrait of a real-life society matron who made headlines and won a devoted following for her heartfelt but astonishingly off-key performances of popular opera arias. An intimate, warm-hearted comedy told through the eyes of her loyal accompanist, Cosme McMoon (yes, his real name), Souvenir is a joyous celebration of the passion and transcendence that inspire the life of an artist - actual talent notwithstanding.

Souvenir traces Jenkins' unlikely rise to fame, from her wildly popular charity concerts in the 1930s and '40s to her sold-out recital at Carnegie Hall. The catch? She couldn't sing a note. Utterly, unbelievably tone-deaf, Jenkins was blissfully unaware that her devoted fans were stifling laughs, not cheers. McMoon, an aspiring musician himself, describes their journey with wit and tenderness, illuminating the deep passion that inspired Jenkins's unusual career.

Souvenir stars Carl Danielsen as McMoon, and Broadway veteran Nancy Johnston (The Secret Garden, The Music Man) as Florence Foster Jenkins. Sara Lampert Hoover, whose VSC credits include Three Days of Rain, I Am My Own Wife and The Syringa Tree, directs. Scenic design is by Jeff Modereger, costume design is by Rachel Kurland, and lighting design is by Jeffrey E. Salzberg.

Chittenden Bank sponsors Vermont Stage Company's performances of Souvenir at Town Hall Theater, as well as their May visit to THT with Dana Yeaton's play MyOhio.

Souvenir runs Thursday - Saturday, February 11 - 13, at 8:00 pm. Tickets, $25, are available by calling 802-382-9222, online at www.townhalltheater.org, at the THT Box Office (Monday - Saturday, noon-5 pm), or at the door.