'Glorious!' Opens Friday in Malibu

Beverly Craveiro plays Cosme McMoon and Nathalie Blossom stars as Florence Foster Jenkins in "Glorious!"

The Zuma Repertory Company will present the Los Angeles Premiere of “Glorious!”, Peter Quilter’s hit comedy at the Malibu Stage Company. “Glorious!” premiered at England’s Birmingham Repertory Theatre in September 2005, then transferred to the West End in November 2005 and ran for more than 200 performances. Nominated for the prestigious Laurence Olivier Award and the Theatregoers’ Choice Award as Best New Comedy in 2006, the play has been performed in 23 countries and been translated into 13 languages.

The comedy is based on the true story of Florence Foster Jenkins, a wealthy socialite who lived in New York in the 1940s. Jenkins was known as the “worst singer in the world” and labeled “the first lady of the sliding scale” as she couldn’t hold a note. Despite her lack of talent, Jenkins doggedly pursued her dreams and made a career of her singing, selling out New York City’s famed Carnegie Hall on her final performance in 1944, with more than 2000 would-be patrons turned away at the door.