‘Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well’ at Skylight Opera Theatre

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.

This month, the Skylight Opera Theatre stages a production of Alive and Well in the Broadway Theatre Center’s Cabot Theatre. Keith Pitts’ set design and Jason Fassl’s lighting scheme should go a long way toward developing the right mood for a cast that includes Alison Mary Forbes, Liz Baltes, Steve Koehler and Skylight newcomer P.J. Baccari. The cast may not be performing in a smoky café in Paris, but with seasoned talent Ray Jivoff directing the production, the show should be rendered with a great deal of style. Jivoff has the kind of experience and infectious enthusiasm for a project that can’t help but bring a show like this into sharp focus.

Skylight Opera Theatre’s production of Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris runs Jan. 28-Feb. 20. To reserve tickets, call 414-291-7800.

Theater Happenings

• First Stage Children’s Theatre’s “First Steps” series for young children continues with a musical stage adaptation of The Little Engine That Could. The Watty Piper/Stuart Kenny musical, which runs Jan. 29-Feb. 13 at the Milwaukee Youth Arts Center (325 W. Walnut St.), is best appreciated by kids 3-6 years old. For tickets, call 414-273-7206.

• Next week Soulstice Theatre produces Irish playwright Conor McPherson’s 2004 ghost story, Shining City. The drama of a middle-aged man haunted by his dead wife runs Feb. 10-26 at the Marian Center for Nonprofits. For more information, call 414-431-3187.