It says volumes about the legacy of Florence Foster Jenkins — reportedly the worst singer ever to perform in concert — that not one but two musicals about her lack of talent will play in Kansas City this season. Quality Hill Playhouse opens
Souvenir this summer, but the American Heartland Theatre's
Glorious! is already playing, featuring talented vocalist Debra Bluford as Jenkins, the rich doctor's daughter who ambitiously funded her own singing career. As critics of the time complained, she had no sense of pitch or tone and lacked the ability even to sustain a note. But she was a hit anyway: So fabulously awful were her concerts that they became cult events for their unintentional hilarity. Jenkins, who believed in her own greatness, dismissed audience laughter as professional jealousy. The comic musical plays at the American Heartland Theatre (2450 Grand, 816-842-9999) through February 21. Tonight's show starts at 7:30; see a full schedule at
ahtkc.com.
Fridays, Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 2 p.m.; Tuesdays-Thursdays, 7:30 p.m. Starts: Jan. 8. Continues through Feb. 18, 2010
