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Written by Harry Cherkinian
Feb 10, 2011
Steve Koehler, Liz Baltes, PJ Baccari and Alison Mary Forbes. – Photo: Courtesy
Thanks to the Skylight Opera Theatre, the songs of Jacques Brel are alive and well performed once again, giving audiences the chance to see and hear this rarely done revue by the Belgian singer/songwriter.
While a hit in international circles as a performer, Brel is better known to present day audiences via the performers who’ve covered his music – ranging from crooners Dusty Springfield and Frank Sinatra to glam rocker David Bowie and indie rock band Beirut.
The cast of four – two men, two women – convey the arc of relationships throughout the 27-song cycle, using only music and movement to tell the story within the song. Brel, who wrote in French, transcended language with his lyrical expressions of romanticism counterbalanced with realism – the joy of coupling juxtaposed with the sorrow of uncoupling.
It’s a tricky business doing a revue today, when audiences expect dialogue and interaction. But director Ray Jivoff and the talented foursome of Liz Baltes, Alison Mary Forbes, Steve Koehler and PJ Baccari pull it off splendidly, adding a few contemporary twists of their own.
Each actor has moments to shine in the spotlight, both comic and tragic. Liz Baltes offers a stirring version of the oft-sung “Ne Me Quitte Pas” (Don’t Leave Me). With just a spotlight and little movement, her clipped yet vulnerable vocals and her pleading stare bare it all. Alison Mary Forbes, leading the rest of the company, is just as moving in the tale of “Old Folks,” and she raises the proverbial roof with a whirling dervish rendition of “Carousel,” her vocals accelerating wildly as the merry-go-round of life and love goes awry.
Steven Koehler entertains throughout, providing a wonderful balance of acting and singing. He presents the story of the Red Light District in “Amsterdam” as well as the poignant bookended “If We Only Have Love,” which opens and closes the show.
PJ Baccari rounds out the production with “Fanette” and a duet with Forbes on “No Love You’re Not Alone,” a redemptive look at love lost and hopefully, rediscovered.
Jivoff keeps the pace lively and engaging amid set designer Keith Pitt’s giant-sized “box” of items. Nooks and crannies of shelves are filled with old clocks, toys and collectibles (recalling artist Joseph Cornell’s assemblage boxes). The set mirrors the way memories get shelved away and pulled out when we happen to recall them, much like the songs in “Jacques Brel.”
“Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris” runs through Feb. 20 in the Cabot Theatre at the Broadway Theatre Center, 158 N. Broadway. Call 414-291-7800 or go to www.skylightopera.com.
