Helen Noonan: On a Lighter Note

Noted operatic soprano Helen Noonan, about to play notorious Soprano Florence Foster Jenkins in Souvenir at Melbourne’s Chapel off Chapel, speaks to Coral Drouyn.

The delightful Helen Noonan is one of our better known actors/ opera singers, a woman who has delighted audiences in her own one woman show, Gilbert and Sullivan and Grand Opera. You’ve probably seen her as Carlotta, the Diva, in Phantom of The Opera, a role she played some 1400 times - but her career almost didn’t happen. If Helen’s parents had prevailed, Helen may well be filling out your prescription at your local chemist’s, and indeed she did qualify as a pharmacist so that she would have, as her opera singing mother proclaimed “something to fall back on”. Instead she is preparing for the opening on Feb 20^th of Souvenir, the amazing story of Florence Foster Jenkins.

Florence who? You may well ask!

Jenkins was a New York socialite in the 1930s and 40s who believed she was a fine soprano, despite being tone deaf and having no sense of rhythm. Eighty years ago the world was a kinder place and her friends never told her the truth. She wouldn’t have believed them anyway, so certain was she that her voice was a gift. Besides, Florence’s recitals at the Ritz-Carlton raised enormous amounts of money for charity and her heart was clearly in the right place, even if her voice wasn’t. Her career culminated in her infamous Carnegie Hall concert in 1944, where friends apparently had to stuff hankies in their mouths to stop from laughing out loud. It was Florence’s greatest triumph at the age of 76. Sadly she died just a few months later, which was perhaps her greatest service to music.

So what does she have in common with the nightingale trills of Ms Noonan? “She had a dream,” Helen says with great fondness in her voice, “and the more I learn about her, the more I realise she truly was an inspiration to those around her. I had the same dream, and I hope I’ve been an inspiration to some at least….perhaps not to the extent Florence was, which is ironic really since I studied voice so diligently and took it very seriously. The point is, ANYONE can sing – and no-one should let another person stop them from doing so. It doesn’t matter if it’s only in the shower, in private. Singing is cathartic, and healing, and sometimes just pure joy. Never mind the quality – Florence didn’t. Just sing.”

For a trained opera singer, used to bringing technique to breathing, having perfect pitch, understanding timing, Florence would seem like a nightmare role, surely?

“It’s certainly not as easy as it might appear,” Helen tells me. “We’re in rehearsals now and Director Peter J Adams is “gentling” me through the process. The truth is it’s second nature for me to hit the note clean and in tune. That’s what I’m trained to do. Florence was sometimes flat (under the note), sometimes sharp (over the note) and sometimes what she sang bore no resemblance to the music as written at all! So, in some cases, I am having to re-learn the arias with the WRONG notes in place as though they were right. Fortunately I’m working with Stephen, and that helps a lot because we work so well together.” The “Stephen” she means is Stephen McIntyre, the consummate accompanist with whom Helen worked in her astonishing production Recital. He plays Florence’s accompanist and friend Cosme McMoon….yes, that is his real name.

It’s not surprising that Helen is excited about this new venture, which is an Australian premiere. She’s working with friend Stephen in a play (written by another Stephen – Stephen Temperley) which is both funny and poignant and was a surprise, and much lauded, Broadway hit. “There are lots of laughs….many of them with Florence rather than at her, but ultimately you can’t help but care about her and Cosme and their friendship. And, another idiosyncratic trait of hers, she changed costume between each song. So I get to do thirteen costume changes and that will be great fun. Besides, the world doesn’t have enough true eccentrics. Everyone should have a Florence in their lives, even if it’s only in a play.”

Souvenir – A Fantasia of Florence Foster Jenkins opens at Chapel off Chapel for a limited season (20^th Feb – 10^th March) before moving to Sydney. It promises to be a delight.