The Sutton Place saga of 76 year old Florence Foster Jenkins, a dreamer of an opera singer as Meryl Streep, once of Yale’sDrama School,( 1960’s.Jon Jory, the “Shadow’s” son ditto)identifying with Florence’s dream, Hugh as her exasperated e reality off key discords, the audience sitting on their CarnegieHall hands as our Florence Foster Jenkins plays out surreal moneyed pretensions.
II
The spoofing a 180 degree from the cosmic consciousness of the Australia diva ex secretary Joan Sutherland….Casting for the divine, Spanish Victoria de Los Angeles into “Lulu”. “Wozzeck” “Carmen”… Roles for Maria Callas who may have sold out her soul for Aristotle Onassis, the Greek shipping magnate. Subsequently JFK’s widow’s ‘H’.
III
Or in our yesterdaY6S, growing up. Our mother Esther listening in the kitchen of our fifth floor elevator apartment in Flatbush, amist the Murder Incorporated mayhem ad angst of Meyer Lansky, Bugsy Segal, Golden Gloves “I wuz always a contender”, Al “Bummy” Davis.
The Metropolitan Opera and Lily Pons, listening to Andre Kostalonitz. Beethoven’s only opera “Fidelio”.
IV
Ah the Joan Sutherland divine!. The cosmic consciousness indeed. Little did we adolescents know what the score was inour yesterdays of Murder Incorporated in Brownsville. Not ainstinct or a hunch that there was a divine providence, a cosmic consciousness beyond Golden Gloves fist a cuffs. Boys and girsto find yourself like Joan Sutherland high C’s cracking the sound barrier. IV
Could the Yale Drama School’s Meryl Streep live up to thosedreams and expectations, identifying with 76 year old vocalize of Sutton Place socialite Florence Foster Jenkins. off key rhythmic sounds.
These larger than life Goddesses will be all ears.
August 11, 2016. Big Apple theaters, a mist a noisy sound and fury planet
