Jacques Brel is alive and well and living in Paris
Reviewed by David Kashimba
Photo by Ed Smith

 A year after I returned home from the Vietnam War, I got out of the Army and moved from Pennsylvania to San Francisco, California. Being from a small town, I was intrigued by all the theatre shows in San Francisco. One of the first musicals I went to see was Jacque Brel is alive and well and living in Paris. I was so impressed by the depth and passion of the songs that I went to Tower Records and bought the album (a very large CD popular in the 1970s).

Jacques Brel wrote the music and lyrics. Eric Blau collaborated with songwriter Mort Shuman to create a musical interpretation of Brel’s work translated in English. The show opened January 1968 and played Off Broadway in New York for over four years. Brel had served in the military and many of his songs reflect the passionate emotions of people caught up in the chaos of war. Even though he was writing about older wars, his lyrics and music are timeless and touched many people who had either served in Vietnam or protested against that war.

Marin Theatre’s current production of Jacque Brel is alive and well and living in Paris is a beautiful tribute to Brel’s work and is touching another generation of people caught up in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. When we hear the words of one of Brel’s songs: “If we only have love we can melt all the guns and then give the new world to our daughters and sons,” our hearts go out to all the brave men and women serving in today’s military.

But Brel’s songs touch on all facets of life. In No Love You’re Not Alone, a man and woman sing: “We got each other now, and if that is not enough, remember being young.” And in Carousel the entire cast sings about the whole world madly turning and with stunning visual affects we feel like we’re on this “wheel within a wheel.”

There is no story line in this musical. The performers don’t talk between songs. It’s one song after another yet each song is like a miniature novel, its depth of emotions carrying you off to other worlds and yet we realize that all these worlds are also inside each one of us. Or in the words of director Kent Nicholson: “This is what makes Jacques Brel an enduring figure: His ability to compel us towards aspects of our humanity which terrify us; his ability to make us laugh at ourselves. He is among the best musical storytellers of any age or generation…”

Don’t miss this great show starring Noel Anthony, Robert Brewer, Alison Ewing and Kristin Stokes. For more information call (415) 388-5208 or visit www.marintheatre.org.

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