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Lonesome Losers of the Night Music & Lyrics by Jacques Brel
Translated by Arnold Johnston Conceived by Frd Anzevino & Arnold Johnston Musical Arrangements by Joshua Stephen Karte Directed by Fred Anzevino Produced by Theo Ubique in association with Michael James At No Exit Café 6970 N. Glenwood Ave. Chicago, IL Call 773-370-0235, tickets $20 – Dinner packages at $40 one hour before performance Fridays & Saturdays at 8pm Sundays at 7pm Running time is 90 minutes without intermission Through October 26, 2008 “...in a man's life, there are two important dates : his birth and his death. Everything we do in between is not very important.” -Jacques Brel Fascinating evening of heart-wrenching Jacques Brel tunes expertly sung now featured at No Exit Café Belgian singer/songwriter Jacques Brel’s (1929-1978) exquisitely lyrical and musically interesting songs have suffered from poor translations into English (Brel wrote lyrics in French mostly—some in Dutch). Arnold Johnston, fluent in French, studied Brel’s songs intensely to find the right idiomatic expressions among a range of choices with the proper emotional nuance and wit. Johnston was more interested in translating Brel’s with the proper form, particularly their meter and rhyme. He went for Brel’s spirit rather than a translation that was ‘singable’ in English.
Brel’ poetic lyrics featuring simple words and fine metaphors often covered the daily life of the dregs of society: alcoholics, drifters, drug addicts, and prostitutes. His romantic lyrics were filled with darkness, sadness and melancholic bitter irony. Brel’s genius has produced a loyal following. Kudos to Fred Anzevino and Arnold Johnston for mounting “Lonesome Losers of the Night,” Brel’s ode to the dregs of society. This is a hauntingly beautiful revue that captures the atmosphere of a low-life wharf bar in Amsterdam in 1959. Musical director and pianist, Joshua Stephen Kartes, provides Brel’s varied musical styles aptly utilizing Brel’s marvelous cabaret, music-hall style. Brel’s music contains lilting love ballads, operatic minuets, rousing drinking songs and anthems, bluesy ballads, hymnals and folksy tunes together with up tempo, catchy rhythmic story songs. In the hands of four talented actor/singers, we are drawn into the seedy bar in Amsterdam, circa 1959. Jeremy Trager is the Bartender and leader of the group of lonesome losers who inhabit his establishment. Jenny Lamb is the resident whore and Eric Martin and Chris Damiano are two lonely soldiers bent on drinking away their sorrows. Brel’s 21 songs are in excellent hands with this crew. From “Amsterdam,” we feel the nostalgia of the city. Jeremy Trager leads the crew in the joyful drinking song “Beer.” Jenny Lamb nicely lands her clever wordplay song, “Rosa,” a rhythmic operetta minuet tune. The sexy “The Lonesome Losers” is a bluesy and sexy grabber. In “The Drunk,” Brel laments getting drunk to forget a lost love. “The Gas’ is an anthem to the gasman who seduces his female customers. The brilliant song, “You/I Love You’ is a multipart tune featuring Jenny Lamb, Eric Martin and Chris Damiano in a powerful lament to love and the sadness of lost love. Jeremy Trager’s cute, up tempo “The Song of Jacky” tells the bartender’s story. My favorite song from this revue is the serious and haunting memory number, “My Childhood,” sung with emotional sincerity by Eric Martin with excellent guitar work from Chris Damiano to accompany Joshua Stephen Kartes’ fine piano work. The comic soldier song “Who’s Next” satirizes the soldier’s perpetual waiting in line for everything—even for sex with a whore. Brel has a 40’s bee-bop jazz rhythm in “What Have We Made, My Friends?” The ensemble laments their homeland in the stirring folk hymn “The Flatland.” The sad life of the soldier going off to war is sung in “Don’t Leave Me.” The whore also relates to that tune.
Brel’s “Lonesome Losers of the Night” is an emotionally wrenching and marvelously sung revue of seriously sad songs that reflect the feeling of the dregs of society and war-weary soldiers. There are truthful songs that capture the tone and sentiment of lost souls everywhere. The outstanding voices of this fabulous cast propel the emotions deftly. Not only can these performers sing, but they capture the spirit and meaning of the lyrics nicely. You’d be hard pressed to find a finer sung show that this one. And for only $20 per ticket, you will not find a finer evening of entertainment. This 90 minute one act is an amazing achievement. If you’ve never heard Jacques Brel’s music, you’re in for a special treat. This is an enjoyable work of art. Trager, Lamb, Martin, Damiano and Kartes deliver a gem of a show. Once again, storefront theatre delivers. Theo Ubique should be proud. Highly Recommended Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast Date Reviewed: June 6, 2008 |
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Site owned by Tom Williams 1-773-549-0227, tom99@chicagocritic.com Copyright, Chicago, IL 2008 |
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