Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris

When listening to the dreamy, visceral work of Jacques Brel, one instantly pictures a man singing by a piano in a smoky bar in Europe. The Belgian singer-songwriter didn’t own a remarkable voice, but his best work perfectly captured specific, relatable moodsvery wistful stuff. The singer’s name and work were immortalized in the off-Broadway show Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris. The musical revue carries remarkably hip cachet, having debuted in Greenwich Village in 1968, roughly 10 years before Brel died of lung cancer at age 49. The show, which saw a revival in 2006, features four vocalists performing Brel’s songs. The Skylight Opera Theatre stages this production of Alive and Well in the Broadway Theatre Center’s Cabot Theatre.