Just about anyone who is seriously involved in the arts - whether a professional or a dedicated amateur, whether engaging in the most prestigious of high culture or in the lowest-brow segment of popular culture - will take some pride in the professionalism and technical quality of their work. What ends up on the stage, on screen or on record is almost invariably the result of a fortunate blend of talent, vision and years of dedicated practice.
And yet, that which is technically hopeless often has its own strange kind of allure. For instance, film-maker Ed Wood has legions of devoted fans, and was the subject of Tim Burton's excellent and affectionate 1994 biopic - all for being very possibly the worst director whose work ever graced a cinema screen. Plan 9 From Outer Space - his 1959 "masterpiece", to stretch that word to its absolute breaking point - is beloved by many for its complete ineptitude on just about every level, from its corny dialogue, to its ridiculous plotting, to its shabby cardboard sets. Mr Wood - unlike the countless parodies and imitations of his unique B-movie style - remained happily convinced of his films' greatness, which only serves to reinforce their almost irresistible "so bad it's good" factor.
Conversely, there are artistes who consciously move away from technical perfection: witness the considerable number of indie bands that eschew the polished production and note-perfect delivery favoured by commercial artistes and big-name bands. The Moldy Peaches or Times New Viking, to name only two recent examples, react against the clean, shiny, over-manufactured sound that dominates the airwaves - these bands are fully aware of their limitations, and are not afraid to miss notes, sing out of tune or release albums that sound like they were recorded in a garage with particularly bad acoustics. The aim behind this philosophy is to make music that is raw, spontaneous, heartfelt, joyous and genuine. This isn't bad music in the same way an Ed Wood film is clearly bad cinema, it's a manifesto stating that musical quality bears no relation to technical proficiency.
Perhaps the ultimate poster child for this idea is Florence Foster Jenkins, the early 20th century soprano who is the subject of Glorious!, the Peter Quilter-scripted comedy being performed by the MADC over the coming weeks. Ms Jenkins, whose musical career spanned four decades and concluded only with her death in 1944, was a remarkable character. In much the same way as Ed Wood, she grew popular due to her total lack of anything resembling singing ability, and became famous, both during her lifetime and posthumously, as the worst singer in the world. So popular was she that her final performance - on October 25, 1944 - was at New York's Carnegie Hall, traditionally the ultimate sign that a performer has made it at the highest level.
Coryse Borg, the production's director, admits to having been intrigued with Ms Jenkins after reading Mr Quilter's script. "Here was a real-life character who was convinced that she was the greatest soprano of her day, while at the same time not being able to sing," she says. "That same day, I googled her name and found some of her original recordings on YouTube. That's when I reached for the ear-plugs. They were truly awful; her rendition of Queen of the Night has to be heard to be believed! But the enthusiasm and pure love with which she sings the songs comes through in her 'interpretation', if you can call it that."
No one who has experienced Ms Jenkins' unique brand of singing can be under any illusions about her talents (or lack thereof). Nonetheless, it's difficult not to feel a certain kind of affection for someone so oblivious to their own limitations and so determined to be the singer she dreamed of being.
Ms Borg clearly agrees, and is eager to speak about the endearing, even admirable quality she finds in Ms Jenkins. "The character of Florence is a very likeable one. You end up rooting for her to realise her dream, even though your ears are telling you that no, she couldn't sing a note! She is a bit like that eccentric, old aunt who always manages to say the wrong thing... but you love her to bits anyway," she says. "The great thing about Florence is that she did not let her total lack of singing ability hinder her dream of performing in front of as many people as possible. She started off with small recitals and eventually garnered such a following that she even got to sing at Carnegie Hall. You cannot but admire someone like that, and I do."
This brings us back to the point at which we started - can heart and sheer love for one's work make up for raw technical ability? I put the question to Ms Borg. "I think that in acting and singing, you either have a talent for them or you don't. Having said that, enthusiasm, dedication and heart are a big part of what makes a performer tick. Training is essential and also, to a certain degree, experience. As a performer, I think that with the right balance of talent and heart, one can work wonders. In Florence's case, had I been around in New York in the 1940s, I would have definitely gone to hear her sing! I would have probably been aghast at the bad level of singing - I usually cannot bear to be around someone who is singing off-key - but I think I would have been impressed at the verve and joy with which she sang her songs."
Playing such an idiosyncratic character must come with its own set of perks and pitfalls. "Florence is such a wonderful, eccentric, glorious character to play," Ms Borg says. "And Marylu Coppini was the obvious choice to play her. She is doing such a good job of bringing Florence's spirit to life again - rehearsals are a hoot. Marylu actually has a very difficult task in this production. Apart from all the hundreds of lines she has to learn, she will also be singing live on stage. And she has to sing 'badly', like Florence, which is not easy at all. She has had a lot of help here from our musical director Alexander Vella Gregory. She also gets to dance (rather badly again!), on her own and together with Colin Willis who plays her boyfriend St Clair. Choreographer Emma Loftus has done a great job here."
Mikhail Basmadjan plays Cosmoe McMoon, Ms Jenkins's pianist. "He will also be playing the piano live on stage - and he plays like an angel," Ms Borg says. "In fact, the contrast between the playing and the singing is rather vast!" Filling out the cast are Nanette Brimmer as Ms Jenkins's best friend Dorothy, Paula Fleri Soler as her Spanish-speaking Mexican maid, and Simone Pavlides as her arch-nemesis, Mrs Johnson.
In the end, though, the play is all about Ms Jenkins. "Glorious! is a wonderfully uplifting play," says Ms Borg. "I expect the audience to go home feeling as if they have met a truly amazing character who will remain in their hearts for a long time to come."
• Glorious! will be performed at the Manoel Theatre on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and on February 15,16 and 17. Tickets may be obtained from the booking office by phone on 2124 6389 or by e-mail: bookings@teatrumanoel.com.mt. More information may be obtained online at www.madc.biz.
And yet, that which is technically hopeless often has its own strange kind of allure. For instance, film-maker Ed Wood has legions of devoted fans, and was the subject of Tim Burton's excellent and affectionate 1994 biopic - all for being very possibly the worst director whose work ever graced a cinema screen. Plan 9 From Outer Space - his 1959 "masterpiece", to stretch that word to its absolute breaking point - is beloved by many for its complete ineptitude on just about every level, from its corny dialogue, to its ridiculous plotting, to its shabby cardboard sets. Mr Wood - unlike the countless parodies and imitations of his unique B-movie style - remained happily convinced of his films' greatness, which only serves to reinforce their almost irresistible "so bad it's good" factor.
Conversely, there are artistes who consciously move away from technical perfection: witness the considerable number of indie bands that eschew the polished production and note-perfect delivery favoured by commercial artistes and big-name bands. The Moldy Peaches or Times New Viking, to name only two recent examples, react against the clean, shiny, over-manufactured sound that dominates the airwaves - these bands are fully aware of their limitations, and are not afraid to miss notes, sing out of tune or release albums that sound like they were recorded in a garage with particularly bad acoustics. The aim behind this philosophy is to make music that is raw, spontaneous, heartfelt, joyous and genuine. This isn't bad music in the same way an Ed Wood film is clearly bad cinema, it's a manifesto stating that musical quality bears no relation to technical proficiency.
Perhaps the ultimate poster child for this idea is Florence Foster Jenkins, the early 20th century soprano who is the subject of Glorious!, the Peter Quilter-scripted comedy being performed by the MADC over the coming weeks. Ms Jenkins, whose musical career spanned four decades and concluded only with her death in 1944, was a remarkable character. In much the same way as Ed Wood, she grew popular due to her total lack of anything resembling singing ability, and became famous, both during her lifetime and posthumously, as the worst singer in the world. So popular was she that her final performance - on October 25, 1944 - was at New York's Carnegie Hall, traditionally the ultimate sign that a performer has made it at the highest level.
Coryse Borg, the production's director, admits to having been intrigued with Ms Jenkins after reading Mr Quilter's script. "Here was a real-life character who was convinced that she was the greatest soprano of her day, while at the same time not being able to sing," she says. "That same day, I googled her name and found some of her original recordings on YouTube. That's when I reached for the ear-plugs. They were truly awful; her rendition of Queen of the Night has to be heard to be believed! But the enthusiasm and pure love with which she sings the songs comes through in her 'interpretation', if you can call it that."
No one who has experienced Ms Jenkins' unique brand of singing can be under any illusions about her talents (or lack thereof). Nonetheless, it's difficult not to feel a certain kind of affection for someone so oblivious to their own limitations and so determined to be the singer she dreamed of being.
Ms Borg clearly agrees, and is eager to speak about the endearing, even admirable quality she finds in Ms Jenkins. "The character of Florence is a very likeable one. You end up rooting for her to realise her dream, even though your ears are telling you that no, she couldn't sing a note! She is a bit like that eccentric, old aunt who always manages to say the wrong thing... but you love her to bits anyway," she says. "The great thing about Florence is that she did not let her total lack of singing ability hinder her dream of performing in front of as many people as possible. She started off with small recitals and eventually garnered such a following that she even got to sing at Carnegie Hall. You cannot but admire someone like that, and I do."
This brings us back to the point at which we started - can heart and sheer love for one's work make up for raw technical ability? I put the question to Ms Borg. "I think that in acting and singing, you either have a talent for them or you don't. Having said that, enthusiasm, dedication and heart are a big part of what makes a performer tick. Training is essential and also, to a certain degree, experience. As a performer, I think that with the right balance of talent and heart, one can work wonders. In Florence's case, had I been around in New York in the 1940s, I would have definitely gone to hear her sing! I would have probably been aghast at the bad level of singing - I usually cannot bear to be around someone who is singing off-key - but I think I would have been impressed at the verve and joy with which she sang her songs."
Playing such an idiosyncratic character must come with its own set of perks and pitfalls. "Florence is such a wonderful, eccentric, glorious character to play," Ms Borg says. "And Marylu Coppini was the obvious choice to play her. She is doing such a good job of bringing Florence's spirit to life again - rehearsals are a hoot. Marylu actually has a very difficult task in this production. Apart from all the hundreds of lines she has to learn, she will also be singing live on stage. And she has to sing 'badly', like Florence, which is not easy at all. She has had a lot of help here from our musical director Alexander Vella Gregory. She also gets to dance (rather badly again!), on her own and together with Colin Willis who plays her boyfriend St Clair. Choreographer Emma Loftus has done a great job here."
Mikhail Basmadjan plays Cosmoe McMoon, Ms Jenkins's pianist. "He will also be playing the piano live on stage - and he plays like an angel," Ms Borg says. "In fact, the contrast between the playing and the singing is rather vast!" Filling out the cast are Nanette Brimmer as Ms Jenkins's best friend Dorothy, Paula Fleri Soler as her Spanish-speaking Mexican maid, and Simone Pavlides as her arch-nemesis, Mrs Johnson.
In the end, though, the play is all about Ms Jenkins. "Glorious! is a wonderfully uplifting play," says Ms Borg. "I expect the audience to go home feeling as if they have met a truly amazing character who will remain in their hearts for a long time to come."
• Glorious! will be performed at the Manoel Theatre on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and on February 15,16 and 17. Tickets may be obtained from the booking office by phone on 2124 6389 or by e-mail: bookings@teatrumanoel.com.mt. More information may be obtained online at www.madc.biz.