Bringing home the ... Brel. After France, Greenwich, Norwich and Chelmsford, "Jacques Brel - The Rage to Live" will have two performances in Cologne, Germany. It's a small, cosy theatre in the very centre of the city, just steps away from the main station and the cathedral.

Friday, March 6th and Saturday, March 7th, 8pm.

Horizont-Theater, Thuermchenswall 25, 50668 Koeln/Cologne

Tickets: € 16/€ 10 concessions (unreserved seating).

Call +49 (0)221 - 13 16 04, Fax: +49 (0)221 - 13 89 21, mail@horizont-theater.de

http://horizont-theater.de/Brel.html

There is also a webpage with reviews, a synopsis in German and a few photos.

This time it'll be just singer/actor (Anthony Cable, comme toujours) and piano (a doubtlessly very dapper Michael Roulston). Can't wait to hear what this is like. The spoken text is in English.

It seems to only work in part, but I am so awfully proud that I just have to post 'n' boast.
As an explanation for those who can't open the link, I managed to run 5K at once in just under 40 minutes.

I'm running now. Well, not really running, more a combination of jogging and walking, commonly referred to as the "couch to 5K plan". There is a very good book by Samantha Murphy in which she outlines a possible training plan; even in actually training for an upcoming race, she suggests three days of running, two days of strength, one day of yoga and one day of no increased physical activity at all. My partner refers to those as "Churchill days". I had one today. It doesn't really feel too good. I'm paying a flat fee for use of the power plate at a gym, and only using it twice a week would be too expensive. So I'm doing something every day, not only because of monetary considerations. Tuesday is pilates day. Fair enough.
I can now run four minutes at once. Getting to 5K very slowly, but consistently.

One of the great things about the London theatre scene is that you often get a second chance. Cases in point: "Equus", or more recently "Frozen" at the Greenwich Theatre, although the casts are different, naturally. But also revivals of musicals such as "The Sound of Music" or "Joseph" (please don't get me started on the "art" of casting West End shows on TV, thus giving the singers the questionable "As seen on TV" label before even the first rise of the curtain). And to top it off, the bona fide screen and TV stars might even return. A while ago, Juliette Binoche was seen in a Pirandello play at the Almeida, in the course of which she broke a foot and could not present the Oscar to the next Supporting Actor at the 1997 ceremony. Frankly, I hadn't heard all too many raves about the play.

This month, she returns to London's Lyttleton Theatre at the National to co-direct and star in a dance performance called in-i, with acclaimed dancer and choreographer Akram Khan. I'm not particularly crazy about dance theatre, but my curiosity was sparked. I must admit that the experience won't send me crawling to Wuppertal to watch the best in German dance. It wasn't bad, but maybe I just don't get it. However, I do admire her skills. (There'll be an update of this post soon, as I feel this topic requires some further research. Just wanted to brag right away : )) I did manage to "smuggle" in some - excellent - latte from the National Theatre Espresso Bar, which is hereby highly recommended. It was in a paper cup, so it might have not been smuggling after all. I do think that coffee'n'theatre should be enjoyed together at times, and no, I was not on the brink of falling asleep. And even if, blame it on the 7am flight.

What, in contrast, I do get every time is - you guessed it - "Jacques Brel - The Rage to Live", which was on this time at the Greenwich Theatre. Of the recent performances of the "new format", I liked it the best so far, although there were some minor, not entirely intended, idiosyncrasies. However, this is just normal when every show is a one-off. But then, I've never seen a show as many times as a paying audience member (runner up: Skylight). And no, I am not done yet.

Maybe I was just intrigued by the spic-and-span venue. There might be a certain charm to the unintentional shabby-chique-ness of unrefurbished theatres, but there can be something comforting to clean walls, carpets - and toilets. I also liked Peter Davies' new photos, which were displayed lobby-card style. I know that it seems to be a lot about the trappings rather than the performance, but they can be oh-so important, too. And yes, the performance was great, and so was the audience response.
Just as a note: do check in advance whether the DLR is running properly or you'll end up like me, toting a 20-pound duffle bag under the Thames river. At least take a trolley bag.
And thanks for the twentieth time to Anthony and Danièle for giving me a lift to Euston station. It did save me a lot of trouble.

It's over. Well, officially not until October 1st, but I have left university. It just did not get me anywhere. It is somehow scary, as for the first time - ever - I don't have anything to fall back on. Maybe it's a good thing. But then, not all universities will close their doors on me forever. I have no real plans yet. I'll get some form of consultation soon. There is a lot to sort out. In the meantime, I should do some reading, without the lists or the pressure.
I'd love to go see the film "Elegy", which is based on Philip Roth's "The Dying Animal". I have to re-read the book again first. Just remembered that I really liked it, but I don't exactly know why. The last film I saw was "Hanami - Cherry Blossoms" (Doris Doerrie, 2008). It was beautiful, if a bit sad. Hannelore Elsner is a bona fide German Fanny Ardant.
I'm currently reading Haruki Murakami's "What I Talk About When I Talk About Running". It is fascinating even for non-runners or treadmill-walkers like me, as it is a life lesson above everything else. I know that Japan is unbelievably expensive, but I'd like to go there one day. At the moment there are two more trips to London to look forward to (and two more "Rages"), along with additional performances by Juliette Binoche and Vanessa Redgrave.

Love means caring about someone else's happiness and wellbeing more than about your own, all the while making sure that you don't go under yourself.

Here's a woman who honestly aged gracefully. I thought I needed a "trial run" during Les Rencontres Brel - turns out I needed it indeed - and hey, why not go hear her sing? Yes, yes, yes, how great was that?
She is so amazing. After a rather strange but entertaining performance by a guy who did some dancing to Brel songs, called "Compagnie de Fakto", she came on, and stayed on (and on) for an amazingly long time. She doesn't look, and certainly doesn't sound her age, although she cleared her throat every once in a while between the songs. Her choice of Brel-covers was eclectic, to say the least; no "Diable" in sight, or rather within earshot.

Bruxelles
Mathilde (are women allowed to sing this?, her version was brilliant in any case)
J'arrive
La Chanson des Vieux Amants
Ne Me Quitte Pas

Although her vieux amants didn't kill me, as it was modified enough not to directly spark memories of "Rage", there were involuntary tears. Otherwise she sang a lot of Carrière/Jouannest as well as Gainsbourg-covers, all in all a good ninety minutes. Brava.

The whole site of "Les Rencontres Brel" looks like a mixture of flea-market, fairground and circus, with a giant tent "Le Chapiteau" erected in the middle. Nice visitors, too. I lost my wallet yesterday after some stupid mishap involving a water bottle (don't ask). It was returned to the ticket office with nothing missing from it. Merci du fond du cœur!

It was a weekend of musical perfection.

First, "Jacques Brel - The Rage to Live", this time at the Rosemary Branch in Islington. It is a tiny space, only 57 seats. I was desperate to see the show again, but also a bit anxious, for all kinds of reasons. And yes, there were changes from the New End run. The musicians started with their own little shtick about having to go through some bits again, the last of which was the first musical number of the show, "Vieillir", at which point Anthony Cable came down the aisle (in his own clothes and sans toque, or is it casquette?) and started singing. Thus the play began. It was a completely different atmosphere, but no less captivating than the original production. Anthony switched between third and first person narrative, and often pretended to be talking to the musicians about Brel rather than being Brel himself. There was an interval after "La Valse à Mille Temps". It was great to hear the songs again, especially the ones that had not been recorded, most notably for me "The Man from La Mancha". I was so glad that the second to last song was changed from "Vieux amants" to "Mathilde", as to hear the former again would have killed me. Literally.

The next day we saw Leonard Cohen (in Amsterdam, of all places), a fascinating character, nearly seventy-four, but still in excellent nick. He seemed truly touched by the sheer number of people who turned up, taking off his hat in reverence during each applause. We decided to stay rather far back, but it was still quite an experience. I seemed to be the only person within a 9 ft radius that knew the lyrics to "Closing Time". If anyone had told me twelve years ago that I was going to get to see Cohen live, I'd've thought them crazy.

Setlist:
Dance Me To The End Of Love
The Future
Ain't No Cure For Love
Bird On The Wire
Everybody Knows
In My Secret Life
Who By Fire?
Hey That's No Way To Say Goodbye
Anthem

Tower Of Song
Suzanne
Gypsy Wife
Boogie Street
Hallelujah
Democracy
I'm Your Man
Take This Waltz

So Long, Marianne
First We Take Manhattan
Sisters Of Mercy
If It Be Your Will
Closing Time
I Tried To Leave You
Whither Thou Goest

The weather was kind, the sun even came out at some point. The Westergasfabriek is an interesting venue; great catering, too (I know this isn't the time to rave about food, but their fruit cups were beyond excellent, providing a much-needed vitamin boost and not even too expensive). It might have been nicer to see him in a more intimate venue, but I'm glad to have seen him at all. The place being Amsterdam, the whole affair turned into one giant coffee shop with pot being smoked left, right and centre (I actually drank coffee, lovingly prepared with latte art and all)!!!

Thanks so much to fellow Brel AND Cohen fan ASH for letting me sleep on an air bed in the living room (and for also driving me to the airport, wow!). Bless you! Otherwise, I don't know how I'd have made it through the Cohen concert.

The Wednesday before, I spontaneously attended a concert by k.d. lang in Cologne. Her Cohen-cover of "Hallelujah" alone was worth it, but "Constant Craving" never sounded as good, either.


* "Vieillard tonitruant" ("booming doter") is what Brel called himself (at 49!) in "Vieillir".

Honestly, can't wait for the football to be over.

Am I the only German rooting for Spain, if I'm rooting for anyone at all?

Since I am not advertising myself, I guess it's ok. The show Jacques Brel - The Rage to Live is back on for one night only at the Rosemary Branch Theatre in Islington (N1), 2 Shepperton Rd. on July 11th, 7.30 pm. Hope it'll be well-attended. Can't wait to see the show again. I hear there are some changes to the New End run. Fair enough.

For tix, call the box office at 020 7704 6665 and leave a message.

Rosemary Branch Theatre

I don't work for them, honestly, I just believe this show deserves an audience.

Jacques, je mangerai des frites en l'honneur de toi.

Indeed, what do you do when a wall appears in font of you?

a) go around

b) climb over

c) go through with a pick-axe

d) sit down in front of it and reassess the situation

e) calculate the probability of tunnelling through

Since I don't want to do e), I have to choose d)


If I approach the wall at 3mph, I'd still have to know how thick it is, but since I've long lost my centre of gravity, I wouldn't be able to do any calculation at all.

Quantum physics is not my thing.

Usually: "Waiting for the Miracle (to come)" by Leonard Cohen

Today (so far): "Here Comes the Sun" by The Beatles ; )

This selection might change and there might be updates. Stuart Barr (MD extraordinaire) claims that these lists are tricky, as people tend to judge you by them. Fair enough. As far as I remember, you get to choose eight albums and one song from each album. Let's make it ten, so it's not too hard.

In no particular order

Miles Davis: Ascenseur pour l'echafaud - Florence sur les Champs Elysées

Thomas Allen/Geoffrey Parsons: On the Idle Hill of Summer - Heart's Haven (Ralph Vaughan Williams)

Leonard Cohen: Ten New Songs - A thousand kisses deep

Yo Yo Ma: Solo - Sonata for Solo Cello, Op.8; I. Allegro Maestoso ma Appasionato (Zoltan Kodaly)

Jacques Brel: Quinze ans d'amour - Amsterdam (who'd've thunk ...)

Anthony Cable/Stuart Barr/Franko Bozac: Jacques Brel-The Rage to Live - Jacky's Song (dito)

Benjamin Britten: Curlew River - Clear as the sky without a cloud

update*
k.d. lang: Live by Request - Black Coffee

Sting: Leaving Las Vegas - Angel eyes

The Rolling Stones: Forty Licks - Paint it, black

* saw k.d. lang yesterday for the first time live in Cologne. Her Cohen cover of "Hallelujah"
alone was worth the admission price, but this is an Ella Fitzgerald song

Maybe, I've got too much time on my hands, but I've come to love so many of the songs now. This is also an exercise in embedding YouTube vids.
I'd like to retract my earlier verdict that Brel wasn't watchable, which was based on a (video of a) sweaty performance of "Les Bigotes". However, I still love A.C.'s performance. Who else can make the word juggernaut sound sexy? Why aren't there bootleg vids from "The Rage to Live" (ok, the reasons are obvious). I have by now downloaded some of Scott Walker's versions, of which I like "Mathilde" and "Next" the best. However, I refuse to listen to anyone else's but A.C.'s English version of "Amsterdam" - and don't even mention Klaus Hoffmann's German version. Nothing prepares you for the bit where Anthony goes from parlando to chest voice (in Brel's original it is "dans la chaleur epaisse"). I don't listen to it often, as I want it to make me cry for some time to come - and no-one has to understand that.
Le Gaz is hilarious. Watch his hands. He'd be eighty next year. Unimaginable.






Coffee of the day: Espresso frappuccino. It's getting warmer. Or is it me?

Jan 2: Lust, Caution

Jan 3: Sleuth

Jan 7: Darjeeling Ltd.

Jan 10: Into the Wild

Jan 15: Blindsight

Jan 16: Evening

Jan 18: Elizabeth - The Golden Age

Jan 20: Ayurveda - The Art of Being

Jan 22: 4 months, 3 weeks, 2 days

Jan 24: My Blueberry Nights

Jan 29: The Band's Visit

Maybe I wasn't the only one sobbing!

http://www.london24.com/textonly/story.aspx?brand=ISLGOnline&category=whatsontheatre&tBrand=textonly&tCategory=london24&itemid=WeED09%20Jan%202008%2013%3A36%3A57%3A967

" (...) Anthony Cable's (show) demands that you take a big box of Kleenex with you for the musical numbers." - DALE MAITLAND CARTWRIGHT

Thanks, Dale (and thank you yet again, Anthony).

*honestly, I used to hate Latin (and among my pet peeves are asterisks unaccounted for): It means "hence those tears"

Jacques Brel is alive. And well. And living in Hampstead. At least until tomorrow.
There's a man named Anthony "Cam'st thou not from Newcastle" Cable, who is Brel. Older than Brel ever lived to be, a bit rugged, but much more watchable than Le grand Jacques himself. But be careful. This northern lad will not only make you tango (translated lyrics from "La chanson de Jacky"), but might also make you weep. And then maybe weep some more.

*Flashback*

December 30th, 2007

London on a Sunday. More alive than other cities on this proclaimed day of rest, but most theatres are dark. And to me, theatre is what London is mostly about. So I look into the indispensable TimeOut magazine and find two terms side by side that have made me cringe in the past: New End Theatre, where I've witnessed a questionable piece by Arnold Wesker, and "one-man musical", which is, in the famous words of Forrest Gump (R. Zemeckis, 1994), like a box of chocolates (Belgian, maybe?), as you never know what you're gonna get. But there are three days to enjoy, so what's one shabby theatre night? Also, the late starting time startles me. 9.30 on a Sunday night. I like that. The programme says that many songs are sung in English, which makes me wary. Should I have downloaded the "Scott Walker sings Brel" album instead?
The stage is painted black, only one battered wooden Parisian-Coffee-House-style chair and an Eavestaff mini piano, as pointed out to me by my fishy companion (a rare breed: piano-tuna, lol), in a sectioned-off area in the back. My kinda setting. The first song (Vieillir) is not sung live. I reckon that Brel translated into English sounds a bit like "Lez Miz". The theatre is quite small, which makes a performer with an operatic background sound very prominent. Amsterdam is sung in both languages, which is intriguing and finally explains the lyrics to me. I didn't know "Madeleine" before, and he acted it out in a funny and endearing way. The former song as well as "Ne me quitte pas" are left untouched by translations. The latter is the only musical number without any applause, as the audience is stunned by the genuine pain conveyed, and rightly so. In the end, I wonder why the show left me deep in thought.

New Year's Eve, 2007

The next day, I'm still in awe, mainly because I didn't expect much, but got a lot. We have tickets for Marber's "Dealer's Choice", which is a nice coincidence, as on the last New Year's Eve we spent in London, in 2003/04, we also saw a play by Marber (After Miss Julie). Dealer's Choice was great. However, of the three plays this time, "Doubt" (at the Tricycle Theatre), "Dealer's Choice" and "The Rage to Live", the latter touched me the most.

January 2nd, 2008

I have viewed the site Jacques Brel - The Rage to Live and now know which songs exactly were sung. I'm glad I've seen it. It still doesn't leave my thoughts.
I decided to pull a "me" again. Flying over just to see one play for the second time (re: Equus).

*End of flashback*

Now I know why I was so touched. The contrast of emotions contained in those fifteen songs, along with Cable's intense performance, including the spoken segments between the songs, and the cosiness of the space made it impossible not to be swept away, given a certain willingness to let it happen. There was a recording of the show for sale and I happily took it with me. Just too bad that one of my favourites wasn't on it: the French-sung version of "The Man from la Mancha". Now, with some songs, I'm not so sure which I like more: the original or the "cover".

Again, as with Equus, I spent the night at the airport (Stansted this time), because, again, it was that good (ok, and I wanted to save money). The weepiness, however, might be the result of sheer exhaustion, as sleep I did not.

Your last meal: noodlesoup
Something on your desk/work area: donthaveone
Your New Year’s Eve plans: theatre
The smallest gift you received this year: n/a
The largest gift you received this year: triptolondon
Something you wish you hadn’t eaten so much of during the holidays: biscuits
On your feet: blackshoes
Your hair: unfresh
How many other countries you’ve traveled to: twelve
One country you dream of visiting: Namibia
A hobby you’d like to take up/revisit this year: reading
A hobby of yours that died (aww, buh-bye) this past year: collecting
A publication you subscribe to (print): Allure
The most embarrassing subscription in your feed reader (if you have one): n/a
One of your favorite stores to window shop dreamily in: HarveyNick's
One of your favorite online stores to window shop dreamily on: Sephora
A color you love to wear: black
Your bed pillow: small
The color of your kitchen counter: brown
What you plan to do when you get up from the computer: cinema

I'm not going to start blogging in Italian now. Bromine fumes are hell. Iodine looks much more interesting, though. It's purple. Two more days (or so) to go.
Re: my post from September 6th. I did get sucked into the craze after all. Apple had a sale, so I got myself a liitle green number. It brings out my eyes.

It just occurred to me that I've blogged very little about either coffee or theatre lately (ever, actually), so here is a validation of this blog's name, before I have to rename it chemblog.de.
Yasmina Reza's new play "Le dieu du carnage" opened in German in Zürich. The director won an award. Do not get me started on directors' roles in German (and Swiss and Austrian, for that matter) theatre. Rumour has it that the play will open in London in March 2008, starring Ralph Fiennes, presumably in a translation by Chris Hampton. I'll be there. The "Impulse" theatre festival has been going on, but there was no time to attend. I'm not too keen on German language theatre at the moment, although I liked "Everest.Geister" by Sven Lange. The playtext (German) is online:

http://svenlange.com/stuecke%20pdf/Everest.%20Geister.pdf

It was a very fitting location, the "Orangerie" in the south of Cologne. Although they had some nifty sound effects, wind blowing and all, we froze our *** off as well, so there had to be empathy with the actors. Richard Hucke was da man (George Mallory); Sven Heiß played Irvine as the kid he must have been "B.E." (before Everest). Here's a blog (in English) about it:

http://everestisours.blogspot.com/2007/11/everestghosts-mallory-irvines-curtain.html

Coffee of the week: Latte macchiato. It's already too cold for frappuccinos, even down here. Or is it me?