Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris

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Directed by Gordon Greenberg, with music direction by Eric Svejcar and choreography by Mark Dendy, the show transforms Brel's astonishing musical compositions into a theatrical experience that has enthralled audiences for nearly four decades. The original show opened in 1968 at The Village Gate in Greenwich Village and ran for more than four years.
With a cast of four actors and three musicians, the show celebrates Brel's timeless relevance and enduring passions. Translated from the French by American poet Eric Blau and lyricist Mort Shuman ("Save The Last Dance For Me"), the show is a diverse blend of ballads, tangos, boleros, rock and classics. With raw human emotion, each piece tells a story, examining themes of love, war, adventure, broken dreams, people from all classes, being young, growing old and death...but never forgetting that life, with all its tragedies and complexities, shows us much humor.

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Member Since: 13/07/2006
Band Website: www.JacquesBrelReturns.com
Influences: Jacques Brel achieved fame through his performances in France, but he was born in Belgium and identified himself strongly with his linguistically divided native land. His acidly humorous lyrics target the hypocrisies of groups as well as individuals, with special attention to Belgium's Flemish population, the military, and the bourgeoisie in general. At the same time, some of Brel's most affecting songs contain passages in Flemish, and many of his lyrics show a pronounced fondness for his "flat country." Brel's irreverent approach to life was sharply reflected in his music and films and can be compared to that of Bob Dylan in the U.S. and Vladimir Vysotsky in Russia, with whom he also shared a capacity for tongue-twisting patter not heard since the early days of Danny Kaye. On this CD, "Le Plat Pays," "Au Suivant," and "Les Bourgeois" illustrate both the somber and raucous aspects of his extensive repertoire.
Brel's acute perception made him an innovative and creative painter of daily life with rare poetic ease. He was a master poet. His intelligent use of words was striking and simple, exhibiting a very visual and meaningful vocabulary. Few of his peers are considered to match his skill in fitting as much novelty and meaning in a sentence from a few words of common use.
Type of Label: Major

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Posted by on Tue, 01 Aug 2006 09:31:00 GMT