Jacques Brel's music, songs alive and wonderful

George Pinney's cabaret-style production of "Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris" opened Friday night to a standing ovation and lots of applause. This simple production began in an ambient nightclub and moved skillfully between light entertainment to serenading the audience to heavy emotional cries, all the while subconsciously injecting questions and observations on life's little quirks.\nThe presence of Brel shone through the production as the ensemble cast performed on a recreation of a cabaret theatre, where many of Brel's songs were originally sung. \nThe set was designed by MFA student Gordon Strain, complete with 'candle-lit' tables and a jazz band dressed in black and an appropriate beret. The intimate thrust stage served as a wonderful platform for the flexible dancing and careful choreography of the six cast members presenting Brel's songs and different aspects of his personality.\nThe expressive and evocative lighting design by MFA student Laura Dowling enhanced the simple and sincere direction of the production. The lighting shifted effortlessly from the minimal to the striking, depending on mood and subject of the song, and added the only necessary spectacle to such a clean production.\nThe performers, clad in the warm earth tones of MFA student Yuri Cataldo's costumes, appeared much like a '70s band of gypsy/hippie performers. They glided over the stage in a straightforward manner when necessary, but often correctly chose stillness for the heavier songs. The stillness in the air during many of the songs was nearly tangible. Not to say that the entire night was heavily dramatic or anything; humor danced among the peaceful and uncomplicated performance with a grin and a twinkle and even serenaded the audience at times.\nThe members of the ensemble cast, composed of Sachin Bhatt, Vanessa Brenchley, Zachary Frank, Tom Hershner, Belinda Quimby and Hannah Willman, each took on different aspects of Brel's character and covered the range of the material well, from entertaining to antagonizing to flirting all the while remaining open and sympathetic to the audience. They were so youthful and full of energy that I was a bit surprised that I was straining to hear the lyrics during the large numbers. Perhaps the sound levels on their microphones were not balanced just right, but I felt a bit robbed of hearing their sweet voices along with the staccato and rhythm of the infectious music.\nPinney's directing carefully balanced entertainment and truthfulness. The added dancers helped to make some of the songs much more visually connective while not obstructing the evolution of the original image. Especially interesting was the choreographed pantomime during the opening number, which evolved at certain points during the production. Pinney carefully used stillness to allow the audience to imaginatively participate in such heavy matters while adding some comic relief before the dramatics got too heavy-handed. While the production certainly was "cute in a stupid-ass way" in some instances, it still managed to sneak in some very effective and poignant thoughts on love, life, war and aging.\nThe production plays nightly at 8 p.m. through Nov. 1 in the Wells-Metz Theatre with a matinee at 2 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $17 for adults and $14 for students and seniors (Mon through Thu). Student rush tickets are also available for $10 cash and a student ID. For ticket information call 855-1103 or purchase tickets through Ticketmaster at 333-9955 or www.ticketmaster.com.