Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, an off-Broadway revue of Brel’s songs, opened at the Village Gate in Greenwich Village on January 22, 1968. Most songs were translated from the French by American poet Eric Blau and lyricist Mort Schuman with the help of Brel himself, conveying in English the pathos and wit of his story-songs, and the effect was overwhelming.

The revue played for four years and nearly 2 000 performances. It was revived on Broadway, in 1972 and 1981 and turned into a film in 1975, with Brel himself making an appearance. The latest off-Broadway revival in 2006 has received rare reviews and award nominations. Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris was also a worldwide hit: it is still today the longest running show ever played in Johannesburg for instance.

… For the first time in Singapore!

Nathalie Ribette, founder of Sing’theatre, is producer and artistic director of Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris. She invites Singaporeans to discover one of the most talented and recognized European music genius of the 60’s and 70’s through the singing and acting talent of local artists within the framework of an off-Broadway show.

This libretto-less musical revue, or juke-box musical, “is both fun and heartfelt: one minute in the making you ruminate on life, the next tapping your toe to the bouncing beat”, says reviewer Rich See. Each of the 27 songs is designed as a mini-play and presents vivid individual characters: living, breathing entities with existence of their own. The show, set in the simple, sober, black and white ambiance of a Parisian cabaret, is a blend of ballads, tangos, boleros, rock and classics.

The mood changes during the show, an emotional ride through the up and downs of human existence. Songs alternates between the tender and the jovial, revealing all the talents of the performers.

Singaporeans will indeed experience the passion, the excitement and the joie de vivre of Paris thanks to the

crème-de-la-crème of local artists : George Chan, Emma Yong, Tony Mc Gill and Leigh Mc Donald will join a five pieces band, including a French accordionist, famous pianist Chris Nolan, a double bass, a drum and a guitar.

Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris will mark the Singapore debut of multi-talented Australian artist Tony Mc Gill, Programme Leader of Musical Theatre at LaSalle-College of Arts. George Chan will choreograph the show and have an opportunity to demonstrate in an unusual way both his singing and dancing talents, even interpreting a song in Flamish. Although almost all songs will be sung in English, Emma Yong will also take advantage of her language talents. Leigh Mc Donald and Chris Nolan will return from London especially for Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris. The later, who has electrified the Singapore audience in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in 2007, is part of a huge “Chicago” revival in London this year.

Jacques Brel was the leading “chansonnier” - singer and songwriter – of the 1960’s and 1970’s European scene. This great modern troubadour in the French language was able to share extraordinary passion thanks to his powerful songs and charismatic presence.

The anti-war poet
The socially conscious son of a cardboard factory co-owner in Brussels, Belgium, Brel failed at school and at factory work while composing intense songs of raw language and feeling. After an embittering military service, he moved to Paris where he met a series of professional mentors and collaborators. In 1957, his first hit « Quand on n’a que l’amour » (« If We Only Have Love ») started a life-long triumph.
Despite using only a microphone, a pursuit light and a plain suit on stage, Brel was probably the best live performer of all times, electrifying audiences with his consummate interpretation and hypnotic melodies. He had great charisma, as well as a Voice that carried the lower-key resonance of Edith Piaf. His obsession with the stage made him tour relentlessly across France, Belgium and the world. To catch some of Brel’s unforgettable live performances, see www.youtube.com.
His uncompromising anti-war, and especially anti-Vietnam, stance made him controversial enough in the US to inhibit his career there, although he performed at Carnegie Hall in New-York in 1963. At the time, American critics dubbed him “the magnetic hurricane”. He was also often called “the French Bob Dylan”, or even “a James Dean singing French”.

A versatile artist who lived life like there was no tomorrow

This itinerant life prevented Brel from residing with his wife Miche and their three daughters. He had many brief amours and some lasting mistresses, but Miche always remained a precious friend and a helpful supporter of his career. He wrote to her incessantly and some letters are full of beautiful poetry.In 1966, eager to explore other performing arts, Brel announced his retirement from concert work, giving a final sold-out series of Shows in Paris at the Olympia and around the world. In 1968, he very successfully took the leading role in the American musical Man of la Mancha, which he had translated in French. He starred in several feature films, including the black comedy L'Emmerdeur (released in the U.S. with the title A Pain in the A) with legendary actor Lino Ventura.

In 1974, the accomplished pilot and sailor, addicted to travel, set off on what was intended to be a sailing circumnavigation of the globe. But, after a few months, he was diagnosed with a lung cancer, consecutive to his incessant smoking. He went back to Brussels for an operation and then continued on his journey. In 1975, he reached the Marquesas Islands, where he decided to stay.

Brel returned to France in 1977 to record a new album. It sold 650 000 copies on its first day of release and eventually toped two million copies. A few months later, in 1978, Brel died at the age of 49 from a recurrence of cancer. He was buried in the Marquesas Islands, next to the painter Paul Gauguin.

In 2005, he was elected The Greatest Belgian of all times by the audience of the national Belgian Television. 2008 will mark the 30th anniversary of his death.

He would have been 79 this year.

A timeless and powerful repertoire celebrating the ultimate triumph of the Human Spirit:

- If we only have love
- Then we’ll only be men
- And we’ll drink from the Grail
- To be born once again
- Then with nothing at all
- But the little we are
- We’ll have conquered all time
- All space, the sun and the stars

Brel’s French and sometimes Flamish language songs of pathos, raw energy talk with staggering honesty about the human heart and the ways tragedy and comedy curiously mix within our everyday lives. Brel draws upon our greatest hopes and fears in constructing his sometimes funny, sometimes tragic, but always haunting songs of love and loss.

Most of all, people find themselves through Brel’s songs : “They tap in such a depth of life experience that people can find facets of their own personality and history in an image or a turn of phrase. Only a few songwriters, no matter how catchy their hooks, can speak so directly to their listeners. Collectively, the songs of Jacques Brel make a ringing call to live life to the fullest.” says reviewer Curt Holman.

“Brel’s songs speak of both his rebellious, drifter spirit, buffeted by intense sensations in the stinking shadows of the cities, and the broader, reflective wisdom of the mature artist who could get some distance – witty, self-mocking or melancholy – on the rage and hurt of disappointed love and politics.
In the clash of this reflective quality – the infusion of irony or an odd, tolerant patience with life – with the raw intensity of his often bitter, wounded observations that gives Brel his particular tone, his cynical pose with a catch in the throat, his tenderness that cannot look hope full in the eyes.”
Micheal Evenden

The list of performers who have recorded Brel's songs is amazingly broad, with rock, pop, jazz, and country artists, including David Bowie (“Amsterdam” and “My Death”), The Sensational Alex Harvey Band (“Next”), Judy Collins (“Marieke”), Frank Sinatra (“I'm Not Afraid”), Dionne Warwick (“If We Only Have Love”), Terry Jacks (“Seasons in the Sun” - 1973 n°1 in U.S. and U.K. - and “If You Go Away”), Karen Akers, Shirley Bassey, Boccelli, Acker Bilk, Ray Bryant, Glen Campbell, Ray Charles, Ray Conniff, John Denver, Marlene Dietrich (“Bitte Geh Nicht Fort”), The Divine Comedy, Celine Dion, the Fortunes, Robyn Hitchcock, Shirley Horn, Julio Iglesias, Tom Jones, Cyndi Lauper, Brenda Lee, Ute Lemper, Vera Lynn, Al Martino, Paul Mauriat, Helen Merrill, Ronnie Milsap, Nirvana, Nana Mouskouri, Olivia Newton-John, Freda Payne, Pearls Before Swine, Mitch Ryder, the Seekers, Nina Simone (“Ne Me Quitte pas”), Dusty Springfield, Bobby Vinton, Scott Walker, Andy Williams, Nancy Wilson, West Life…

"The audience warmed to the raw honesty of the lyrics matched by the strength of the well-chosen cast and the insightful direction".

Stephanie Burridge - Reviewer – The Flying Inkpot Review– 7 May 2008

"A classy, highly polished production that proved how appealing a relatively small-scale musical can be–this Brel was rather brilliant, a tidy cache of well-tended gems."
Richard Lord – The Substation Magazine - May 2008

"Brel-liant show to remember a genius".
Christopher Lim – Business Times – 16 may 2008

Everyone should watch this show!.
Gaurav Kripalani –Artistic Director - The Singapore Repertory Theatre – May 2008

High Standard..we need more show like this!....
Michael Corbridge – Best Actor' nominee - Life! Theatre Awards 2007 – 17 May 2008

"It was a most enjoyable musical. Despite running Sing'theatre with minimal resources, Nathalie Ribette is able to put up such a wonderful production"
Dr. Tan Chin Nam – Chairman Media Development Authority Singapore – 16 May 2008.

"... the best show we've seen in 7 years in Singapore...."
Dr. Dale Smith - HS Teacher, Singapore American School – 17 May 2007

" It was stunningly acted and beautifully directed".
Anna Vardy – British actress/director – 18 May 2008.

"I enjoyed the performance very much!"

Dean Lundquist – Associate Festival Director Short+Sweet Singapore – 11 May 2008.

George Chan has developed his career in both the Singapore and European Arts scene. His talents extend beyond vocals and acting to dance and choreography.

His musical theatre highlights in Europe include the Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg production of Miss Saigon, the original cast of Bob Fosse’s Chicago, Robert Stigwood’s production of Bee Gee’s hit musical Saturday Night Fever, There’s No Business Like Show Business (touring as a vocal soloist) and the award winning European premiere of Tim Rice and Elton John’s Aïda. George also recorded the cast album for the above Shows and has had the honor of working with great talents such as Cameron Mackintosh, Tim Rice, Bob Avian, Ann Reinking, Donald Johnston, Wayne Cilento and Sir Elton John.

His musical theatre credits in Singapore include: Bugis Street The Musical as Siong Wei, Land Of A Thousand Dreams as Hock Seng, Little Shop Of Horrors as Orin the dentist, Admiral’s Odyssey as Colin, Man Of Letters as Gan Seng, Magic Of Love as Charlie, Sing Me A Story and Ladies Or Gentlemen (both a two man show held in Esplanade), Forbidden City – Portrait Of An Empress as Prince Tun and Godspell as Judas. George recently received outstanding reviews acting, singing and dancing as the principle role Kerabat in Malaysia’s first opera M!Opera.

As a singer, George also held his own solo concerts in Concert In The Park organized by the National Parks Board, Esplanade outdoor theatre’s Sing A Different Tune and Happy’s weekly piano night. He has sang and hosted on many occasions including corporate events, product launches and high profile affairs before the president and government officials.