We Love Paris! PIAF-THE SHOW Starring Anne Carrere Lights Up The McCallum

The McCallum Theatre presents Piaf! - The Show on Tuesday, March 26, at 8:00pm. With a million tickets sold in more than 50 countries and acclaimed reviews worldwide,Piaf! - The Show is a musical celebration of the life and music of the legendary French chanteuse Edith Piaf.

Starring Anne Carrere, a young French performer hailed as "Edith Piaf's legitimate musical heiress," Piaf! - The Show narrates the rags-to-riches story of the Parisian singer's career through her unforgettable songs, complemented by a visual tapestry of previously unreleased photographs and images of famous locations of the Edith Piaf era. Conceived and directed by Nice-based theatrical maverick Gil Marsalla, Piaf! - Le Spectacle premiered in 2015 as a tribute to Edith Piaf on the centennial of her birthday and was inspired by the award-winning movie La Vie En Rose.

Edith Piaf, whose real name was Edith Giovanna Gassion, was born in Paris on December 19, 1915 and died in Grasse, France, on October 11, 1963, and was a French cabaret singer and songwriter. She is considered the archetype of French singers and a national treasure, and 50 years after her death, remains the most famous French performer both in France and throughout the world. She became known as "'la M'me Piaf" ("The Little Sparrow") from an early age, due to her extreme stage fright and her small stature (she was only 4'8" tall). She performed songs which became great classics, including "La Vie en Rose," "Non Je Ne Regrette Rien," "Hymne a L'amour," "Mon Legionnaire," "La Foule," "Milord," "Mon Dieu," and "L'Accordeioniste." She inspired songwriters and mentored many young artists. She received international success over her lifetime, despite a difficult and tragic end to her career due to serious health problems.

Anne Carrere (Edith Piaf) made her debut in a large-scale musical theatre as the star as Piaf - Le Spectacle. A native of Puget-Ville, a small town in the South of France, she began preparing for a stage career in her early teens, studying voice, acting, and a variety of vocal and dance styles at the renowned art school Salon-de-Provence. She later studied classical music, playing flute and piano before seriously pursuing her passion for the traditional French chanson.

Gil Marsalla (Producer and Director) has been studying music since the age of 14 and has had a rewarding career as a musician, music director, conductor and artistic director. He has been successfully producing musical and theatrical shows and large-scale events for the past 20 years, most recently with his own production company Directo Productions, which he founded in 2001 with the goal of supporting and presenting emerging French artists. Since 2007, he has been touring his productions worldwide and successfully presented his shows to sold-out houses in New York, Los Angeles, Washington, Tokyo, Moscow, and many other international locations on four continents.

Gil first met future star Anne Carrere in 2014 when she auditioned for another of his productions, Paris! Le Spectacle. Captivated by her skills and natural charisma, he offered her the role of Edith Piaf for Piaf - Le Spectacle. "I have worked in show business, on and off stage, for 25 years and mounted shows around the world. But to this day, Anne Carrere is my greatest artistic discovery yet. Don't you dare touch or polish her, she is a diamond that you want to keep raw, such is the nature of her pure and natural talent," says Marsalla of his leading lady. Equally impressed with Anne were Piaf's longtime collaborators Charles Aznavour, Charles Dumont, Ginou Richer, and singer Germaine Ricord, who described Anne's skills as "that of Edith Piaf at the top of her career."

There has been a distinctive French cabaret style since the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, exemplified by such famous places as the Moulin Rouge, the Lido, etc. It's an aspect of French culture which is world famous, but until recently, if you wanted to experience it fully, you had to go to Paris. In 2009, while traveling a lot, Gil sensed a real hunger from audiences all over the world to hear the classic French songs of the 20th Century, songs made famous by great artists like Edith Piaf, Charles Aznavour, Jacques Brel, and Yves Montand. So, he decided to produce French cabaret shows and tour them internationally.

After several years of touring and producing more than 700 concerts worldwide, Gil is considered the leading producer of this kind of work and he has opened up a huge market for this beloved material. It is an ever-expanding vogue, one which grew each year as he created first Paris! The Show (2014), Piaf - Le Spectacle (2015), Formidable Aznavour (2017), Piaf Symphonic (2018), Douce France (2019), all which will tour worldwide for the first time in 2019.

Gil Marsalla is very proud to continue to preserve his native country's musical heritage, and to have spearheaded the renewal of French cabaret by bringing it to audiences all over the globe.

"PIAF! - THE SHOW" IS PERFORMED ENTIRELY IN FRENCH

Tickets for this performance are priced at $75, $65, $45 and $25. Tickets are available at the Theatre's website at www.mccallumtheatre.com or by calling the McCallum Theatre Box Office at (760) 340-2787.

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