Florence Foster Jenkins

[LONDONER]

A name probably unknown to the majority of GS contributors but a new film about her starring Meryl Streep is being premiered tonight. She was a talented pianist but in her later life insisted that she was a singer. Much more information can be found here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_Foster_Jenkins

She was an heiress and funded her own concerts. It's all too easy to make her a figure of fun (as the film will probably do - )
but there was tragedy in her life and a possibly reason for her self dilusion: syphillis.

A sample of her "singing" can be heard here:

[LJay]

A distinctive talent with an incredible gift for tonal innovation!

[LONDONER]

I am undecided whether I want to see this film or not. As I said, it would be too easy to mock her and I think the film might be rather unsubtley cruel. It will be interesting to see what the critics say.

[LJay]

Who knows, it might be worth it. Meryl Streep could make the phone book into an epic.