Utah State Theatre Presents Its Own Moulin Rouge with “Jacques Brel”

The musical is a compilation of 22 of the most profound and memorable songs of composer Jacques Brel, said Lynda Linford, director of Utah State Theatre’s (UST) production of Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris.

 

UST’s musical piece is slated for Feb. 24-26 and March 2-5, on the Morgan Theatre stage in the Chase Fine Arts Center on the Utah State University campus.

 

Jacques Brel takes a somewhat different approach than standard productions this year, including curtain times. For the production, two performances are planned each night of the musical’s run, except Saturday, March 5, which has one performance only. The first performance is 7 p.m., with performance number two at 9:30 p.m.

 

Two performances each evening evolved as the result of the newly developed setting for the piece.

 

“We have resurrected the play in a very ‘Moulin Rouge’ type of environment,” Linford said. “We are recreating a ‘cabaret’ experience and have, in essence, converted the Morgan stage space into a small intimate space. However, we have also boosted the ‘circus’ atmosphere of those environments, coupled with the addition of moving picture, vaudeville and musical hall revue, the entire production will be a bit of a panache, something for everyone. The seating is very limited to tables and couches, and general seating. Patrons definitely want to have tickets in hand early for the production.”

 

The director wants patrons to witness something special.

 

“I think that the most exciting thing patrons will see, hear and experience is the incredible passion artists have for Brel’s work,” Linford continued. “We hope they will go away, saying ‘wow, why haven’t I heard of this guy before? Where can I buy his CD!’ Musicians, singers and actors have a real knowledge and loyalty toward his mission, but this production gives us an opportunity to share him with the community at large. We hope our vision will inspire their emotional participation and help create real enthusiasm for the causes his themes embrace.”

 

The music of Brel may be one highlight of the evening, but Linford said the “new-age” production’s visuals are something unforgettable.

 

“The graphic artists, from the Utah State Department of Art, have been working on this piece for some six months,” she said. “Eight artists have been assigned approximately two songs, in which an MTV-like background will be seen behind singers and dancers. They have contributed endless hours of filming, computer work, research and archival investigation. Their contribution makes this a multi-media production of sophisticated proportions. We are ecstatic that this ‘Brel’ production showcases their valuable talents in a popular format where appreciative audiences can experience their creative genius in gigantic dimension.”

 

Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris is made up of songs composed by Belgian songwriter Jacques Brel and translated into the musical by Eric Blau and Mort Shuman. Conceived as a libretto-less musical, the production uses Brel’s songs as the text for the production, which asks the audience questions about love, death, loneliness, aging, despair and joy, while commenting on society, politics and human existence. The music supports many layers of interpretation, leaving the answers up to each member of the audience.

 

The musical originally opened at Village Gate in New York in 1966 and ran for nearly 2000 performances. A 1975 film, starring Brel himself, was followed by a revival of the production at The King’s Head Theatre in 1996. Brel’s songs have been performed by a number of artists, including Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles and David Bowie, among others.

 

Brel was born in Brussels in 1929. In 1952, at the age of 23, he moved to France where he wrote songs and made the rounds trying to sell them to publishers. After a short time of rejection, Brel realized the only way he could have his songs performed was to perform them himself. In 1967, Brel stopped performing and retired from the stage. Interest in Brel remained, though, and he continued to write songs and record them. Eric Blau and Mort Shuman staged Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris and filmed it. The play was a success in New York and enabled Brel to break into the American market. He acted in, and directed, films to mixed reviews.

 

Brel battled lung cancer while living full tilt, and died in 1978. He is buried on Hiva-Oa in French Polynesia in the same cemetery as Paul Gaugin.

 

Brel’s songs are about real people and real situations that range from love songs to condemnations of hypocrisy, injustice and insensitivity. All were developed with intense stage presence and passion of the performance. Brel has been compared to Bob Dylan, John Lennon and Leonard Cohen.

 

The cast for Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris is comprised of an ensemble of dancers, singers and performers. The cast includes Richie Call, Tyson Smith, Nick Hutchinson, Chris Hudson, Christian Shiverdecker, Kent Hadfield, Luke Bybee, Amanda Beatty, Lindsey Boucher, Libbi Heap, Julie Garcia, Lacey Jackson, Maribeth Evensen-Hengge and Emily Reid.

 

Tickets for Utah State Theatre’s production of Jacques Brel are available at the Utah State Smith Spectrum Ticket Office, by calling (435) 797-0305 or online at www.usu.edu/theatre. For general inquiries about the production, or other Utah State Theatre productions, call (435) 797-1500. Please note that no children under the age of 6 are admitted into the theatre. Curtain time for the first evening performance is 7 p.m., with the second performance beginning at 9:30 p.m.

 

The remainder of the Utah State Theatre 2005 season is An Evening of One-Acts and Comedy of Errors.