Piaf and Brel: The Impossible Concert NYC Reviews and Tickets

84%

(18 Reviews)

Positive

100%

Mixed

Negative

Members say

Great singing, Entertaining, Delightful, Enchanting, Refreshing

About the Show

A Fringe Encore: Internationally acclaimed vocalist Melanie Gall croons the iconic hits of Edith Piaf and Jacques Brel, two of France's most legendary singers. A hit at the 2016 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Two French musical icons. They performed songs of romance, heartbreak, hope, and love. They enjoyed lives of drama and passion. Gall's concert captures the adventure and inspiration of their lives and music, including hits such as "Amsterdam," "Milord," "La Vie en Rose," and other classics. Sung almost entirely in French.

Member Reviews (18)

Great singing, Entertaining, Intelligent, Ambitious

See it if you love French cabaret music. The singing is marvelous. And there are some charming stories about Piaf, Brel and the performer.

Don't see it if you expect to see a play. This is a recital with commentary. There is no attempt to inhabit either of the titular characters.

Clever, Entertaining, Great singing, Romantic, Delightful

See it if you enjoy the music of Piaf and Brel, and don't mind that it's all in French.; you like a bit of history of the performers thrown in.

Don't see it if you dislike French chanteuse.

Funny, Resonant, Refreshing, Ambitious, Clever

See it if You love Brel & Piaf & can appreciate a fun, entertaining & well-delivered performance of their music & great stories in an intimate setting

Don't see it if You're French; or Belgian: in spite of best intentions, the idea of an American singing in French may not be compelling. Read more

Delightful, Entertaining, Refreshing

See it if you would enjoy listening to a solo performer sing the songs of Piaf and Brel for an hour and tell you a bit about their lives.

Don't see it if you're expecting a Piaf impersonation. You'll be annoyed that most songs are sung in French without English translation.

Entertaining, Great singing, Delightful, Unique, Refreshing

See it if you enjoy classic music from Piaf and Brel, like a bit of musical history and hear great classic songs

Don't see it if you don't care for French music, don't like one-person shows

Unique, Great singing, Intelligent, Romantic

See it if You love French and Belgian music by Brel and Piaf - interred well and laced with background on both artists.

Don't see it if If you don't like songs in French- are uninterested in the artists or are expecting imitations of the artists either physically or vocally

Delightful, Entertaining, Great singing

See it if you love the music of Edith and Jacques. It is done very well!

Don't see it if you don't know their music and don't know French. It's still great to listen to even if you don't understand it, though. :D

Great singing, Ambitious, Delightful, Funny

See it if you like-chanson/French music-cabaret style concerts

Don't see it if you want a conventional musical. don't like music in other languages-minimal staging

Critic Reviews (5)

"Despite the bittersweet quality of most of the songs, Gall employs a Panglossian perspective and persists with bright and cheerful enthusiasm. Her vocal tone matches her mood with bright colors and a broad range...It would be even more compelling, then, if the show also included live accompaniment...All told, Gall performs this beautiful songbook with a bel canto vocal style and lovely tone."
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"Gall’s enthusiasm for 'keeping the old music alive' is infectious as she contextualizes each number with relevant background information. Her descriptions are exceedingly visual, evoking the historic situations in our mind’s eye...Trained in opera, Gall’s vocal range, power, and control are astonishing, and her emotional expressiveness is affecting...'Piaf and Brel' is a beautiful tribute to its namesake musical icons, presented with mastery and feeling."
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For a previous production

"In 'Piaf and Brel: The Impossible Concert,' Gall does a fantastic job of capturing the live raw passion of these two legendary singers, showing her own huge personality and flair in the process. She engages her audience well, getting them to sing along to 'Je Ne Regrette Rien' at the end, and creates a wonderful atmosphere throughout. This was a very lively performance from a woman with flair and character. Gall is a born performer, a real star in the making."
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For a previous production

"Gall does a great job in giving us a very abbreviated history of their lives and of course singing in style some of their classic songs…Melanie Gall in the short time available to her has a great show…Both Piaf and Brel are singers whom many people may think they know only a few songs from (if any), but once you hear them, you realise that you know so many more than you think…A perfect show for an afternoon away from it all."
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For a previous production

"Gall intersperses the songs with engaging anecdotes about her subject’s careers and her own personal experiences…Not surprisingly, Gall generally does better in her treatment of Piaf’s songs than with Brel’s. The exception is with Brel’s ‘Amsterdam’ which she delivered in both English and French. Piaf herself recorded the song; its compelling melancholic tone may have been better suited to her voice."
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