FSCJ’s DramaWorks Presents “Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris”

About the play and production:
The poignant, passionate and romantic songs of Belgian songwriter, Jacques Brel, are brought to theatrical life in this musical revue of his most powerful songs. The result is an intimate, bold and emotional evening of theatre. Brel’s flair and European sophistication bring to mind the groundbreaking work of Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht, and he has also been referred to as the Belgian “Bob Dylan.” The musical poetry found in each song supports many layers of interpretation, and in FSCJ’s production, the songs will be performed by an ensemble of eight actor/singers within a multimedia environment.

“Jacques Brel is Alive and Well in Paris” opened Off-Broadway in 1968 and ran for over 1,800 performances in 5 years, making it one of the longest-running shows in the history of Off-Broadway theatre. An unlikely hit, Eric Blau and Mort Shuman translated and adapted Brel’s lyrics, and without narration or dialogue, brought Brel’s musical world to life with just four performers. Because Brel’s songs are character-driven, the collection of songs coalesced into a theatrical whole. Since the original 1968 production, there have been several revivals Off-Broadway, an obscure film was released in 1975, and there have been hundreds of productions in regional and academic theatres around the United States and the world.

Jacques Brel (1929 – 1978) was a Belgian songwriter, singer and film actor who spent most of his creative life in the city of Paris, performing in coffee houses and clubs throughout the city.  Brel’s early life in Belgium was significantly shaped by both World Wars, and many of his songs deal with loss and the violence of war. 
In the 1960s and 70s, Brel’s reputation and influence went beyond French-speaking countries to the United Kingdom and the United States, with many prominent artists covering his songs such as David Bowie and Barbara Streisand. Brel performed at New York’s Carnegie Hall in 1965 and 1967 to great critical and popular acclaim. Brel shocked the world when he retired early from the music world, and spent most of the rest of his life in the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia before dying of lung cancer in 1978.

The Florida State College at Jacksonville’s DramaWorks production of “Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris” features eight student singer-actors and 12 crew members from all areas of the First Coast, with set, lighting and projection designs by Johnny Pettegrew and directed by Professor of Theatre, Ken McCulough.

*Recommended for mature audiences 17 and up. Contains language and content some may find offensive.