Hicks Joins Cuccioli, Marshall and Diaz in Jacques Brel Revival
By: BWW News Desk Jan. 24, 2006
The revue "transforms Brel's astonishing musical compositions into a theatrical experience that has delighted audiences for nearly four decades. Director Greenberg, a longtime Brel enthusiast, brings an edge to the show that pays homage to the original, while offering a fresh perspective. He says, ;We have reordered the songs and played with some of the arrangements to create what will hopefully be an emotionally satisfying through-line and a genuinely European aesthetic that matches the soulfulness of Brel's music.' With a cast of four actors and musicians, the show celebrates Brel's timeless relevance and enduring passions," according to press notes.
Translated from the French by American poet Eric Blau and lyricist Mort Shuman (Save The Last Dance For Me), the show "is a diverse blend of ballads, tangos, boleros, rock and classics. With raw human emotion, each piece tells a story, examining themes of love, war, adventure, broken dreams, people from all classes, being young, growing old and death...but never forgetting that life, with all its tragedies and complexities, shows us much humor."
The original show opened in 1968 at The Village Gate in Greenwich Village and ran for more than four years. Brel's songs have been recorded by artists as diverse as Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, David Bowie, Tom Jones, The Kingston Trio, Rod McKuen, Neil Diamond, Marlene Dietrich, Elly Stone, Micheline Van Houtem, Karen Akers and Ute Lemper.
Rodney Hicks made his Broadway debut in 1996 at the age of 21 as part of the original cast of Rent. He then went on to play the role of Peter in the short-lived Broadway revival of Jesus Christ Superstar. He most recently played the lead role of Roy in the workshop production of Janet Brenner's The Sixties Project at CAP 21. His Off-Broadway credits include Dorian Gray for the New York Music Theatre Festival; Beautiful for the New York Fringe Festival; Irrationals at The American Theater of Actors; From My Hometown at The Grammercy Theatre, for which he received a 2004 Audelco Award Nomination for Outstanding Leading Actor in a Musical; Rent at The New York Theatre Workshop for which he and the entire ensemble received the 1996 Obie Award for Outstanding Ensemble, among others. Regional credits include Valentine in Two Gentlemen of Verona and William in Lobby Hero. Television credits include guest roles on "Law and Order: Criminal Intent," "NYPD Blue," the television pilot "Student Affairs" for UPN and an upcoming lead role on the ABC-TV comedy "Hope and Faith." Films include lead roles in Django and Bad Decisions.
Brel will have the following performance schedule: Monday at 8PM, Tuesday @ 7PM, Thursday at 8PM, Friday at 8PM, Saturday at 3PM & 8PM, and Sunday at 3PM and 7PM. There will be no Wednesday performances. Tickets are $65 and may be purchased through Telecharge at www.telecharge.com or (212-239-6200). For more information, please visit the show's official web site - www.jacquesbrelreturns.com.
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