More Theater Monday - Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris

Me - We recently saw Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris at Kelsey Theatre. The show is all songs and no plot. Some of the songs I liked but others were just okay. Some of the songs I liked were called Madeline and Marathon. The singing was okay. They didn't have a lot of costumes or props. Before the show, they had it set up outside the auditorium like a Paris cafe with little tables. They served food and drinks. Normally, they only serve food after the first performance of a show. They even had little Eiffel Towers on the tables.  It was cool!  They didn't have chairs at the tables though. They normally, don't have tables or chairs when they have food. I liked that they had table this time though. I tried cherry pie for the first time. It was good except then I had a stomache for the rest of the day. They even served hot chocolate. Usually, they only serve this red drink that I don't even know what it is.  Overall, the show was okay, but I normally prefer shows with a plot. However, I had a good time at the show though except for my stomache.

Mom - Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris is a musical review of the songs of Jacques Brel. He was a singer, song-writer, actor and director who died in 1978 at the age of 49. His songs are particularly theatrical and every one seems to have a story to it. Many of them have been covered by a variety of famous singers. The Kelsey Theatre production of the show particularly shined in the group numbers. The cast members voices blended really well. Other than that, the standout performer was Haley Schmalbach who performed such numbers as Timid Frieda and Marieke.  She has a really pretty voice.  Over all, the upbeat songs including in particular  Marathon, Madeline, and Carousel were much more entertaining than the ballads. In fact, some of the slower songs seemed to drag a little and the show itself seemed to go on a little long for a show with just songs and no plot. The best ballad in the show was the closing number, If We Only Have Love, a song which understandably has been recorded by numerous artists which accounts for why the song seems so hauntingly familiar. Over all, the show makes it clear what a talent Jacques Brel was and what the world lost when he died so young.


And that's our view. Tune in tomorrow for Tips for Tuesday.