[rating=5]Ooh la la! Exemplaire! Extraordinaire! Performed entirely in French, “Paris! The Show” (a/k/a “Le Spectacle Paris”) lives up to its name: a spectacle that shouldn’t be missed. But no, no, no! You’ve missed it already! This gem, featuring the songs of Edith Piaf, Charles Aznavour, Jacque Brel, Josephine Baker, Maurice Chevalier, Lucienne Boyer, and Charles Trenet, among others, was a one-night only performance on Thursday, October 24th, at the Main Stage of the Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. Southport Avenue, in Chicago.
In this brand new production, Producer/Director Gil Marsalla brings to light his vision of “the best repertoire of French music in the world”; namely, the greatest love songs during the post-war era. For what is Paris without romance? And what is romance without song?
The internationally acclaimed singer Anne Carrere stars as Edith Piaf. Carrere is a legend in her own right. Her beautiful voice stirs us all to the nth degree! What a supreme talent! Other marvelous singers include the impressive Jules Grison (who plays Charles Aznavour) and the resplendent Stéphanie Impoco (who plays Franꞔoise); each are joined by dancers Karine Soucheire and Jeff Dubourg. Sexy and alluring, the performers conjure up the essence of Parisian risqué with singing and dancing beyond compare!
The five cast members take their turns acting in various scenes that comprise the minimalist storyline, as described in the libretto: “Franꞔoise, a young girl who dreams of becoming a famous artist, arrives in Paris’s Montmartre. On her journey, she crosses paths with the legendary Edith Piaf, becoming her friend, confidante, and soulmate. Franꞔoise finds love in the person of Charles Aznavour, a young singer living in Pigalle. A romance blossoms between them in a city where love conquers all!”
The four musicians—Philippe Villa (piano), Guy Giuliano (accordion), Laurent Sarrien (percussion/xylophone), and Daniel Fabriquant (double bass)—do a superb job accompanying the performers and creating an evocative mood and a thoroughly French ambiance. Villa is also the production’s musical director.
There are many familiar songs and musical numbers in the repertoire; I could not believe how many I knew! From the Cancan to J’ai deux amours to La foule to La Parisienne, etc., there is such a wide variety! Amassing all these into a unified whole is a credit to producer/director Marsalla’s devotion to preserving his native country’s musical heritage, especially that of French cabaret.
Slides and videos of France are projected behind the performers to evoke strong feelings of being at authentic locales. Costumes throughout add a realistic sense of time and place.
You needn’t know French to enjoy “Paris! The Show”, though an Anglophone like me would have been happier had I known the language. I could have enjoyed the jokes and plays on words, especially when the lyrics of some familiar songs had intentionally been changed in translation. Of course, some acts do transcend language barriers, such as when each of the singers come down from the stage, choose the same gentleman in the first row, and insist on dancing with him.
That said, to help me out with understanding the presentation, I was very privileged to have as my guest the brilliant cabaret singer and musical artist Claudia Hommel, whom I met that evening via a mutual acquaintance. She served as my informal interpreter and, by fortunate coincidence, was friends with the show’s producer. Consequently, I was treated like royalty. (Does that ever happen?) But none of this had any bearing on my review.
I’m sure that native speakers will give this sassy production an A+, for I noticed several people humming catchy tunes as the audience was leaving at the very end. As for myself, “Paris! The Show” deserves my very highest endorsement. It is wildly enjoyable, beautiful, and extremely entertaining. I could sit back, relax, and take it all in!
Sponsored by Directo Productions (France) in partnership with Alliance Franꞔaise North America, “Paris! The Show” resumes its U.S. tour in San Francisco, with a one-night performance on March 19, 2020. But first, it’s on to Poland! The company’s touring schedule may be found at: http://www.directoproductions.com/spectacles/paris-the-show/
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