La Vie en Rose: Sing’Theatre’s Tribute to Edith Piaf
PUBLISHED May 19th, 2015 04:00 pm | UPDATED June 19th, 2020 07:56 pm
Singapore’s most acclaimed artists will celebrate the 100th anniversary of Edith Piaf’s birth with La Vie en Rose, a concert pays tribute to the passion and spirit of the most celebrated French music icon of all time. Featuring theatre veterans like Sebastian Tan and Lim Kay Siu, performers Linden Furnell and Robin Goh, as well as singers Rani Singam and Leandra Leandra, this 90-minute showcase sees Edith Piaf’s classic hits reinterpreted as contemporary genres like jazz, pop, classic, rock, and latin.
Who is Edith Piaf?
Edith Piaf’s tale is one of rags-to-riches. Born into a life of squalor and abandoned by her mother, she was raised in a Normandy brothel. As a child, she became blind, but miraculously recovered a few years later. Thanks to the cabaret owner Louis Leplée, who taught her the basics of stage presence and told her to wear a black dress (thus becoming her signature apparel), she had her first big break.
Her stage name ‘Piaf’ comes from the Parisian slang, ‘The Waif Sparrow’. Her only child died of meningitis at the age of two and her great romance with the boxer Marcel Cerdan ended in tragedy, as he died in a plane crash on his way to meet her in New York.
The songs she made her own include La Vie en rose, No Regrets (Non, je ne regretted rien), Hymn to Love and My Man. Her music was often autobiographical and reflecting her life, with her specialty being of chanson and ballads, particularly of love, loss and sorrow. By 1946, she had not only won the hearts of those in Europe, but had also received rapturous reviews for her performances in the United States despite failing to attract large audiences for her first concerts.
Not only did the eponymous song earn a Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 1998, Edith Piaf’s biopic La Vie en Rose (2007) became the 3rd highest grossing French language film in the United States since 1980. Marion Cotillard’s interpretation of Piaf earned her an Academy Award for ‘Best Actress’ and a BAFTA Award for ‘Best Actress in a Leading Role’.
La Vie En Rose By Sing’Theatre
The cast of La Vie en Rose
Each of these artists will put their personal spin on Piaf’s timeless songs; this confluence of styles and perspectives ties in with Sing’Theatre’s philosophy of creating a cultural bridge between Singapore and France. It will also be a rare opportunity for audiences to watch Lim Kay Siu singing on stage or to watch Sebastian Tan performing outside of his popular Broadway Beng® persona!
‘This is a very special year for both Singapore and France, the former for having entered its jubilee year and the latter for entering the centennial of the birth of Edith Piaf. For the first time ever, we have decided to celebrate this milestone with a concert that brings Piaf’s joie de vivre to life. Not only will La Vie en Rose show off her more exuberant side, it will also demonstrate the timelessness and versatility of her songs,’ explains Nathalie Ribette, director and producer of La Vie en Rose.
Sebastien Tan
When asked about the enduring popularity of Piaf’s songs, Sebastian Tan noted that she was ‘…a very provocative and relevant artist. Her songs reflect her life in France. She is such an icon and the messages she conveys in her songs are universal and speak to people, even now.’ Newcomer L.A Benjamin added, ‘I think Edith Piaf’s songs endure because the emotion in them is so raw. While so many things in our world have changed since her time, we still love, we still feel pain, we still feel joy. She portrayed all of these emotions so well that it’s impossible to not relate to her songs when you hear them.’
So come and celebrate Edith Piaf’s life through an evening of song and entertainment.
La Vie En Rose is running at Victoria Theatre from 27 to 30 May 2015. For more information and tickets, please see SISTIC.
