Giselle Bellas has somewhat of an different history with music. She’ll keep that history on full display Saturday, May thirteen, with her operatic cabaret featuring a variety of artistic disciplines in Giselle’s “Florence Foster Jenkins Schubertiade Review”. The indicate is at eighth p.m. at Jersey City Theater Center. Giselle, which she's frequently referred to as her stage name, is a Cuban-American singer-songwriter. A Jersey City resident, she's written, directed, and produced music, music videos, and brief films in Jersey City, which have been featured on shows on FX Networks, Netflix, HBO, and PBS. Giselle’s “Florence Foster Jenkins Schubertiade Review” is meant to be a celebration of music and the arts while parodying the barriers and business that encircle them.

“I never thought I could incorporate so many art forms into one performance,” says Giselle. “I wish the audience to experience what’s in my head and why I can’t just focus on one thing. I wish to showcase the talent I’m so lucky to be surrounded by. Then I wish to do this again and again.” While classically trained in opera, Giselle began charting a new course for herself with her family’s taste in Latin music, jazz, oldies, classical music, and population culture. Through all of these different tastes, she's developed her own sound that's been called the “dark ethereal nature of Fiona Apple and the vibrant passion of Florence & The Machine set in a smoky jazz club.”

“This indicate is unlike anything I’ve ever done before,” she says. “When I set limitations on myself, I don’t perceive inspired, but now, I obtain out of bed with the excitement of doing something new–something that makes me a tiny nervous. I d a excellent chunk of this indicate one night sitting at a bar and, even as I work on this project, I bounce around writing, to editing videos, to picking out costumes, to practicing music, all of which challenge me. I guess it suits my ADD.” The title of the indicate may toss some people for a loop, as Florence Foster Jenkins was remembered as one of the worst singers in history. But the show’s title comes Giselle’s fascination with the legend of the notorious singer. While working in the gift shop for the Metropolitan Opera Company, she noticed how CDs for Florence Foster Jenkins would always sell out.

“I had never heard her perform, and a companion of mine said it was something I needed to check out,” she said. “When I keep it on, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. As terrible as it was, I was fascinated by her legend and found it kind of tragic that she wasn’t in on the joke with the audience. When it became clear to her, she remained unapologetic for who she was, and I thought that was amazing. There was a specific quote her that stuck with me: ‘People may declare I can’t sing, but number one can ever declare I didn’t sing.’ That made me think, ‘you know what? ... I’m doing my own thing.’” While getting her start in opera, Giselle found it to be very demanding. It eventually led her to writing population music as well as music for television.

“Opera always made me insecure and felt like I'd too many hangups,” she says. “It was a lot to get in. Every time you thought you'd something figured out, there was always something else that'd arrive below fire. You think you've the singing figured out and then some comments on one of the notes. You obtain your wardrobe figured out and someone has something else to declare about it. You can’t please everyone, and I was trying so tough to please a specific grouping of people and after a while, it just became too much.” Giselle is maybe best known for her work on season five of Louis C.K.’s FX series “Louie” in two thousand-fifteenth, which led her to meet and work with guitarist Adam Tilzer, who's presently also her producer. Among the songs made for “Louie” was the “Diarrhea Song,” which would quickly become a viral hit when it garnered nearly half a million views on YouTube and received national praise. The song’s success would lead Giselle and Tilzer to release her debut EP, “Change Me,” in two thousand-sixteenth. During this time, she wrote the track, “Hazy Eyes” as a tribute to her mother who died Alzheimer’s sickness in two thousand-sixteenth. She's since become an advocate, working closely with Alzheimer’s organizations such as Alzheimer’s NJ and Act Now. “Giselle’s artistry reflects the vibrancy and variety of Jersey City, a testament to her roots as a baby of Cuban immigrants,” commented Olga Levina, JCTC executive director.

“Her collaboration with fellow local artists embodies the power of unity and the beauty that emerges when different voices arrive together. We're thrilled to showcase her latest project and celebrate the unique contributions of Jersey City’s artistic community.” In two thousand twenty, she released acapella cover of “Unchained Melody”, in preparation for her new cover EP “Bring the Curtain Down”. The 1950′s inspired EP features six covers of well-known oldies. She also released a cover of “La Vida Es Un Carnaval” by Celia Cruz while in quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic.