LnRiLWZpZWxke21hcmdpbi1ib3R0b206MC43NmVtfS50Yi1maWVsZC0tbGVmdHt0ZXh0LWFsaWduOmxlZnR9LnRiLWZpZWxkLS1jZW50ZXJ7dGV4dC1hbGlnbjpjZW50ZXJ9LnRiLWZpZWxkLS1yaWdodHt0ZXh0LWFsaWduOnJpZ2h0fS50Yi1maWVsZF9fc2t5cGVfcHJldmlld3twYWRkaW5nOjEwcHggMjBweDtib3JkZXItcmFkaXVzOjNweDtjb2xvcjojZmZmO2JhY2tncm91bmQ6IzAwYWZlZTtkaXNwbGF5OmlubGluZS1ibG9ja311bC5nbGlkZV9fc2xpZGVze21hcmdpbjowfQ==
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
“The Kid From Paris – Jean Brassard Sings Yves Montand”
The Triad – November 9, 23, December 7
Tributes can be a risky business. Of course, we’ve seen tribute shows that were carelessly sloughed off with a song list and dates. Serious artists, however, should delve through books, recordings, memoirs, available interviews to develop a personal empathy for the subject, appreciate the unique qualities, and prove why the subject is worth this respect, time and effort. Hopefully, the audience will feel and share the performer’s passion. Paying tribute to Yves Montand, Jean Brassard took the risk in his joyful show”The Kid from Paris,” and he pulled it off with charm and his own artistry.
Montand was a complex person with multilayered interests and talents. He was a tall, graceful song-and- dance man with a distinguishable voice and irresistible charisma, a fierce lifelong political activist, a vibrant actor (“The Wages of Fear,” “Z,” “Jean de Florette”) that earned him international recognition as well as acclamation by the Film Society of Lincoln Center at Avery Fisher Hall. He was also an incurable romantic.
In this small theater piece, Brassard, a talented singer, graceful dancer and mime, conveyed all these sides of Montand, who was known as the working man’s entertainer. Wearing a white shirt, suspenders, black vest, pants, and various caps, Brassard showed off his confident baritone vocal tone, similar to Montand, whose songs about Paris, like “Sous le Ciel de Paris” (“Under Paris Skies”) by Jean Dréjac and Hubert Giraud, became classics. In “Grands Boulevards” by Jacques Plante and Norbert Glanzberg, Brassard evoked Parisian street sights and people, and the spirit of the French music halls and theatres where Montand performed, with humor and smooth, teasing sex appeal. Brassard’s facile physical expressiveness ignited the lush sensuality of “Sanguine” (“Blood Orange”), and no literal translation was needed for “Les Cireures de Souliers de Broadway” (“The Shoeshine Boys of Broadway”), both songs written by Jacques Prévert and Henri Crolla.
A natural raconteur, Brassard remembered his family home in Québec, where his father would pick up the accordion and play favorites like the nostalgic World War I song, “Dansons La Rose” (“Roses of Picardy”) by Frederic Weatherly, Haydn Wood, Eddy Marnay. Brassard mimed his father asking his mother to dance, leading her around the room to the waltz melody, a bit slowly, a little bent, as an older gentleman would. It was a sweet moment.
With his co-writer and director, David Krueger, Brassard chose songs and anecdotes to illuminate the half-century of Montand’s career. Before World War II, Montand’s family had fled Italy for Marseille. In his early career, Montand went to Paris where he met Édith Piaf, his mentor and lover, the woman who helped form his captivating stage presence. Brassard saluted the unpredictable Piaf with Jean Constantin and Norbert Glanzberg’s jaunty “Mon Manège à Moi,” (“You Make My Head Spin”).
Brassard and Krueger translated “La Bicyclette” (Pierre Barouh, Francis Lai) and other French songs into English. Unlike many translations, they deliberately keep the intent of the songwriter. A good example, this translation by Krueger alone, was “Les Feuilles Mortes” by Joseph Kosma, with French lyrics by Jacques Prévert. Johnny Mercer had written a popular English translation, “Autumn Leaves,” that does not communicate the poignancy of Prévert’s original lyrics. Krueger’s version was stronger in bringing out the inevitable passages of life.
Brassard included Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen’s “Incurably Romantic” from the film starring Montand and Marilyn Monroe, “Let’s Make Love.” Recalling the co-stars’ duet, Brassard delivered both parts. Fortunately, he edged away from delivering a farcical stereotype of Monroe, displaying only a hint of her breathy sensuality. What he did make apparent was the evident chemistry between the two magnetic performers.
While there is still a coterie of fans who remember him, Yves Montand did not leave behind the gigantic adoring legacy of Édith Piaf. He was, however, a memorable and skilled performer with singular charisma. “The Kid From Paris” recaptures the romance and milieu of Montand’s Paris years. Adding to the ambiance were musical director Richard Maheux on keyboards, Scott Richie on bass, and Ben Cliness on percussion.
