Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris
Encyclopedia
Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris is an American
musical revue of the songs of Jacques Brel
.
on January 22, 1968 at The Village Gate
Theater in Greenwich Village
and ran for more than four years. Its original performers were Elly Stone
, Mort Shuman
, Shawn Elliott, and Alice Whitfield. The production was directed by Moni Yakim with Production Supervision by Eric Blau
. On January 25, 1972, a Fifth Year Gala, entitled "Hommage à Jacques," was celebrated at Carnegie Hall
with Brel in attendance. His songs were interpreted by twenty-two artists, including George Lee Andrews, Jack Blackton, Chevi Colton, Sally Cooke, Jack Eddleman, Elinor Ellsworth, Rita Gardner, Amelia Haas, Robert Jeffrey, Judy Lander, Ted Lawrie, Carolyn Leslie, Joe Masiell, Arlene Meadows, Stan Porter, Betty Rhodes, Howard Ross, Mort Shuman, Elly Stone
, Fran Uditsky, Henrietta Valor, and Alice Whifield. In 1974, it was revived at the Astor Place Theatre
for a limited run.
The revue, consisting of around 25 songs, is performed by four vocalists, two male and two female. Jacques Brel contributed most of the music and French
lyrics; English
translations were provided by Eric Blau, Stone's husband, and Mort Shuman
, a Brill Building
songwriter responsible for such hits as "This Magic Moment", "Viva Las Vegas", "Teenager In Love", and others.
The production enjoyed considerable international success. In 1968 Moni Yakim directed a Canadian production which opened in Toronto featuring Robert Jeffrey, Judy Lander, Arlene Meadows, and Stan Porter. In the 1970s, a production by Taubie Kushlick
in Johannesburg
, South Africa
became the longest-running musical production in that country's theatrical history. A cast recording was released and is regarded as containing the definitive English-language versions of some of the songs. In 1975, a film version of the original production was released as part of the American Film Theatre
series. During that decade the show also enjoyed successful runs in Sydney, Paris, Dublin, Amsterdam, and Copenhagen.
In 1973, "Jacques Brel" was produced by Ray Shepardson in the lobby of Cleveland, Ohio's State Theatre. It was intended to play for two weeks, but continued through 1975, with a 522-performance run that remained the longest theatrical run in the city's history for many years. The performance is credited as a major factor in the rescue and restoration of the theater and its adjacent venues, which are now Playhouse Square Center
, the largest theater complex in the USA outside of New York City.
A 1988 limited-run revival served as the 20th anniversary production of the show at Town Hall in Manhattan (and one night at The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
). It was produced by Eric Blau
and Dr. Reuben Hoppenstein and was directed by Elly Stone
and starred Karen Akers
, Shelley Ackerman
, Elmore James and Kenny Morris.
In 1995 the show was revived in London starring Michael Cahill
, Alison Egan, Liz Greenaway, and Stuart Pendred
. A cast recording of this production was released on August 12, 1997 with Jay Records.
at the Zipper Theater in New York City for an open-ended run. While this revival used the most of the same Blau-Shuman translations as the original production, there were also significant changes: the order of songs was rearranged, numbers were reorchestrated, and some songs were dropped or added. The revival also included expanded staging and choreography. The acclaimed reinvented production was the longest running and most successful revival of the show, running for more than a year. It was nominated for several awards including the Drama Desk, Drama League, and Outer Critics Circle. It was directed by Gordon Greenberg
with musical direction and new arrangements by Eric Svejcar and starred Robert Cuccioli
, Natascia Diaz, Rodney Hicks
, and Gay Marshall. The role played by Hicks was later done by Drew Sarich
(July-October 2006), Jim Stanek
(October 2006-January 2007), and former American Idol
finalist Constantine Maroulis
(January-February 2007). Diaz was replaced by Jayne Patterson (January-February 2007), who had been an understudy in the production. Other understudies included Kevin del Aguila, Tamra Hayden, and Ann Mandrella
, the wife of Sarich. The cast recording of the new production was recorded by Ghostlight Records for release on November 21, 2006.
In 2008, a new production starring Leigh McDonald, Tony McGill, Emma Yong and George Chan, ran at the DBS Theatre in Singapore for a limited run. It was directed by Nathalie Ribette and musically directed by Chris Nolan (musician)
.
In 2010, a new production ran in Stratford, Canada, at the Stratford Festival. It starred Jewelle Blackman, Brent Carver, Mike Nadajewski, and Nathalie Nadon.
Songs added for the 1975 film version
Act Two
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
musical revue of the songs of Jacques Brel
Jacques Brel
Jacques Brel was a Belgian singer-songwriter who composed and performed literate, thoughtful, and theatrical songs that generated a large, devoted following in France initially, and later throughout the world. He was widely considered a master of the modern chanson...
.
Original Off-Broadway Production
The original show debuted Off-BroadwayOff-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
on January 22, 1968 at The Village Gate
The Village Gate
The Village Gate was a nightclub at the corner of Thompson and Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village, New York.Art D'Lugoff opened the club in 1958, on the ground floor and basement of 158 Bleecker Street. The large 1896 Chicago School structure by architect Ernest Flagg was known at the time as...
Theater in Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village, , , , .in New York often simply called "the Village", is a largely residential neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City. A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families...
and ran for more than four years. Its original performers were Elly Stone
Elly Stone
Elly Stone is an American singer and actress best known for her interpretations of the music of Jacques Brel.Stone began her career in the 1950s, singing in a variety of off-beat venues ranging from a carnival to a burlesque show. In 1962, she was Barbra Streisand’s understudy for the Broadway...
, Mort Shuman
Mort Shuman
Mort Shuman was an American singer, pianist and songwriter, best known as co-writer of many 1960s rock and roll hits, including "Viva Las Vegas"...
, Shawn Elliott, and Alice Whitfield. The production was directed by Moni Yakim with Production Supervision by Eric Blau
Eric Blau
Milton Eric Blau was the creator of the Off Broadway show Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris.-Biography:...
. On January 25, 1972, a Fifth Year Gala, entitled "Hommage à Jacques," was celebrated at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
with Brel in attendance. His songs were interpreted by twenty-two artists, including George Lee Andrews, Jack Blackton, Chevi Colton, Sally Cooke, Jack Eddleman, Elinor Ellsworth, Rita Gardner, Amelia Haas, Robert Jeffrey, Judy Lander, Ted Lawrie, Carolyn Leslie, Joe Masiell, Arlene Meadows, Stan Porter, Betty Rhodes, Howard Ross, Mort Shuman, Elly Stone
Elly Stone
Elly Stone is an American singer and actress best known for her interpretations of the music of Jacques Brel.Stone began her career in the 1950s, singing in a variety of off-beat venues ranging from a carnival to a burlesque show. In 1962, she was Barbra Streisand’s understudy for the Broadway...
, Fran Uditsky, Henrietta Valor, and Alice Whifield. In 1974, it was revived at the Astor Place Theatre
Astor Place Theatre
The Astor Place Theatre is an off-Broadway house located at 434 Lafayette Street in the NoHo section of Manhattan. The theater is located in the historic Colonnade Row, originally constructed in 1831 as a series of nine connected buildings, of which only four remain...
for a limited run.
The revue, consisting of around 25 songs, is performed by four vocalists, two male and two female. Jacques Brel contributed most of the music and French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
lyrics; English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
translations were provided by Eric Blau, Stone's husband, and Mort Shuman
Mort Shuman
Mort Shuman was an American singer, pianist and songwriter, best known as co-writer of many 1960s rock and roll hits, including "Viva Las Vegas"...
, a Brill Building
Brill Building
The Brill Building is an office building located at 1619 Broadway on 49th Street in the New York City borough of Manhattan, just north of Times Square and further uptown from the historic musical Tin Pan Alley neighborhood...
songwriter responsible for such hits as "This Magic Moment", "Viva Las Vegas", "Teenager In Love", and others.
The production enjoyed considerable international success. In 1968 Moni Yakim directed a Canadian production which opened in Toronto featuring Robert Jeffrey, Judy Lander, Arlene Meadows, and Stan Porter. In the 1970s, a production by Taubie Kushlick
Taubie Kushlick
Taubie Kushlick was a South African actress and producer. She became characterized as the self-styled "First Lady of Theatre".-Personal life and education:...
in Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
became the longest-running musical production in that country's theatrical history. A cast recording was released and is regarded as containing the definitive English-language versions of some of the songs. In 1975, a film version of the original production was released as part of the American Film Theatre
American Film Theatre
The American Film Theatre was a limited run series of film adaptations of stage plays, produced by Ely Landau. Two seasons were produced from 1973 to 1975...
series. During that decade the show also enjoyed successful runs in Sydney, Paris, Dublin, Amsterdam, and Copenhagen.
In 1973, "Jacques Brel" was produced by Ray Shepardson in the lobby of Cleveland, Ohio's State Theatre. It was intended to play for two weeks, but continued through 1975, with a 522-performance run that remained the longest theatrical run in the city's history for many years. The performance is credited as a major factor in the rescue and restoration of the theater and its adjacent venues, which are now Playhouse Square Center
Playhouse Square Center
The Playhouse Square Center, in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, is the second-largest theater complex in the United States . Constructed in a span of nineteen months in the early 1920s, the theaters were subsequently closed down, but were revived through a grass-roots effort...
, the largest theater complex in the USA outside of New York City.
A 1988 limited-run revival served as the 20th anniversary production of the show at Town Hall in Manhattan (and one night at The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
). It was produced by Eric Blau
Eric Blau
Milton Eric Blau was the creator of the Off Broadway show Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris.-Biography:...
and Dr. Reuben Hoppenstein and was directed by Elly Stone
Elly Stone
Elly Stone is an American singer and actress best known for her interpretations of the music of Jacques Brel.Stone began her career in the 1950s, singing in a variety of off-beat venues ranging from a carnival to a burlesque show. In 1962, she was Barbra Streisand’s understudy for the Broadway...
and starred Karen Akers
Karen Akers
Karen Akers is an American actress and singer, who has appeared on Broadway, cabaret and film.-Background:She was born Karen Orth-Pallavicini in New York City on October 13, 1945. Her ancestry was a mixture of European stock: her immigrant father, Heinrick C...
, Shelley Ackerman
Shelley Ackerman
Shelley Ackerman , is an American astrologer, writer, actress and singer. An avid and accomplished researcher, she specializes in creative, cultural, humanistic, and political astrology and is a frequent guest and commentator on radio and television news and entertainment shows.-Early life:The...
, Elmore James and Kenny Morris.
In 1995 the show was revived in London starring Michael Cahill
Michael Cahill
Michael Cahill is an Irish sportsperson. He plays hurling with his local club Thurles Sarsfields and has been a member of the Tipperary senior inter-county hurling team since 2010.-Career:...
, Alison Egan, Liz Greenaway, and Stuart Pendred
Stuart Pendred
Stuart Pendred is a classical baritone singer. He released his first album "Benedizione" in June 2008. This was the culmination of years' worth of work and a milestone in his professional career.Stuart is not a stranger to being in the public eye however...
. A cast recording of this production was released on August 12, 1997 with Jay Records.
Revival Shows
In 2006, a new production opened Off-BroadwayOff-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
at the Zipper Theater in New York City for an open-ended run. While this revival used the most of the same Blau-Shuman translations as the original production, there were also significant changes: the order of songs was rearranged, numbers were reorchestrated, and some songs were dropped or added. The revival also included expanded staging and choreography. The acclaimed reinvented production was the longest running and most successful revival of the show, running for more than a year. It was nominated for several awards including the Drama Desk, Drama League, and Outer Critics Circle. It was directed by Gordon Greenberg
Gordon Greenberg
-Education:Greenberg attended Stanford University and NYU Film School Tisch School of the Arts, as well as The Lincoln Center Directors Lab, The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and Stagedoor Manor.-Career:...
with musical direction and new arrangements by Eric Svejcar and starred Robert Cuccioli
Robert Cuccioli
Robert Cuccioli is an American actor and singer born in Hempstead, New York. He is best known for originating the lead dual title roles in the musical Jekyll and Hyde, for which he received a Tony Award nomination and won the Joseph Jefferson Award, the Outer Critics Circle Award, the Drama Desk...
, Natascia Diaz, Rodney Hicks
Rodney Hicks (actor)
Rodney Hicks is an American stage and television actor.Raised in Philadelphia, he graduated from Roxborough High School in 1992 and left college in 1994 to pursue acting as a full time career. Shortly, he made his Broadway debut as part of the original cast of the hit landmark musical Rent...
, and Gay Marshall. The role played by Hicks was later done by Drew Sarich
Drew Sarich
-Biography:Sarich received a BFA in Musical Theatre with a concentration in Directing from Boston Conservatory in 1997. Sarich made his Off-Broadway debut in Tony n' Tina's Wedding, followed by a tour as a backup singer for Liza Minnelli with the Cortes Alexander Trio...
(July-October 2006), Jim Stanek
Jim Stanek
Jim Stanek is an American musical theatre, film and television actor.-Early life:Stanek was born in Havre de Grace, Maryland and raised in Cranberry Township, Butler County, a suburb of Pittsburgh. He attended the Seneca Valley School District where he performed in such musicals as Grease and...
(October 2006-January 2007), and former American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
finalist Constantine Maroulis
Constantine Maroulis
Constantine James Maroulis is an American rock singer, actor, and writer from Wyckoff, New Jersey. He was the sixth-place finalist on the fourth season of the reality television series American Idol, and lead vocalist of the hard rock band Pray for the Soul of Betty...
(January-February 2007). Diaz was replaced by Jayne Patterson (January-February 2007), who had been an understudy in the production. Other understudies included Kevin del Aguila, Tamra Hayden, and Ann Mandrella
Ann Mandrella
Ann Mandrella is a French actress, born in Besançon, France on the 3rd of August. She has performed in theatre productions throughout Europe and in New York City.-Biography:...
, the wife of Sarich. The cast recording of the new production was recorded by Ghostlight Records for release on November 21, 2006.
In 2008, a new production starring Leigh McDonald, Tony McGill, Emma Yong and George Chan, ran at the DBS Theatre in Singapore for a limited run. It was directed by Nathalie Ribette and musically directed by Chris Nolan (musician)
Chris Nolan (musician)
Chris Nolan is an Australian pianist, singer, and musical director.Nolan gained his associate of music in pianoforte performance from the Australian Music Examinations Board and further trained in musical theatre at LASALLE College of the Arts, Singapore...
.
In 2010, a new production ran in Stratford, Canada, at the Stratford Festival. It starred Jewelle Blackman, Brent Carver, Mike Nadajewski, and Nathalie Nadon.
Original Off-Broadway Production
- Overture
- Marathon (Les flamandes)
- Alone (Seul)
- Madeleine
- I Loved (J'aimais)
- Mathilde
- Bachelor's Dance (La bourrée du célibataire)
- Timid Frieda (Les timides) Tune also used in an Ovaltine television advert GB
- My Death (La mort)
- The Girls And The Dogs (Les filles et les chiens)
- JackieJacky (Jacques Brel song)"Jacky" is a song written by Jacques Brel. He recorded the song on 2 November 1965, and it was released on his 1966 album Ces Gens-Là. The song was translated from French into English and retitled as "Jackie"....
(La chanson de Jacky) - The Statue
- Desperate Ones (Les désespérés)
- Sons of... (Fils de...)
- Amsterdam
- The Bulls (Les taureaux)
- Old Folks (Les vieux)
- MariekeMarieke (song)Marieke is a 1962 song by the Belgian singer Jacques Brel.-The song:In Marieke, Brel sings about a Flemish girl, Marieke, whom he once loved and lived "between the towers of Bruges and Gent"...
- Brussels (Bruxelles)
- Fanette (La fanette)
- Funeral Tango (Le tango funèbre)
- The Middle Class (Les bourgeois)
- You're Not Alone (Jef)
- Next (Au suivant)
- Carousel (La valse à mille temps)
- If We Only Have Love (Quand on n'a que l'amour)
Songs added for the 1975 film version
- The Taxi Cab (Le Gaz)
- My Childhood (Mon Enfance)
- The Last Supper (Le Dernier Repas)
- Song For Old Lovers (La Chanson Des Vieux Amants)
- Ne Me Quitte Pas, sung by Jacques Brel
2006 Off-Broadway Revival
Act One- Le Diable (Ça Va)
- If We Only Have Love
- Alone
- I Loved
- JackieJacky (Jacques Brel song)"Jacky" is a song written by Jacques Brel. He recorded the song on 2 November 1965, and it was released on his 1966 album Ces Gens-Là. The song was translated from French into English and retitled as "Jackie"....
- My Childhood
- Madeleine
- Bachelor’s Dance
- Fanette
- Le Moribond
- The Desperate Ones
- Timid Frieda
- The Girls And The Dogs
- Statue
- Sons Of
- Amsterdam
Act Two
- The Bulls
- Brussels
- Ne Me Quitte Pas
- Middle Class
- Old Folks
- Funeral Tango
- My Death
- Marieke
- Song For Old Lovers
- Next
- No Love You’re Not Alone
- Carousel
- If We Only Have Love