[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 41 (Thursday, April 2, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E558]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


              IN HONOR OF THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF ``BREL''

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, April 1, 1998

  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 25th 
anniversary of the most successful theatrical production in Cleveland, 
Ohio, ``Jaques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris.''
  During the 1970's racial tensions in Cleveland were high, suburban 
shopping malls were gaining popularity, and interest in the downtown 
area was dismal. Shops and restaurants were closing and once 
magnificent, busy buildings were abandoned. Ray Shepardson, a guidance 
counselor from Seattle, had the foresight to recognize the potential of 
the theaters of Playhouse Square, the forgotten gems of downtown. He 
organized support in the community to save the theaters from scheduled 
demolition and to restore them to their original grandeur. He was 
determined to prove that downtown entertainment in Cleveland would 
thrive.
  After restoration of the theaters, the show that brought people who 
hadn't been downtown in decades back was ``Jaques Brel is Alive and 
Well and Living in Paris,'' created and directed by Dr. Joseph Garry. 
The cabaret-style show features 4 extraordinary singers performing 26 
songs by Jaques Brel, a contemporary French poet, philosopher, 
troubadour, artist, rebel, lover, cynic, and sentimentalist. In the 
Director's words, ``Brel'' is more than a caberet show, ``it is a 
series of impressions, perceptions, and truths. It is bitter, it is 
sweet, it is agonizing, it is loving. It is the mind, heart and soul of 
a sensitive contemporary man.''
  On April 18, 1973 ``Brel'' opened for a planned three-week run to an 
audience of 300 people who fell in love with the show and with the 
vision of a revitalized downtown Cleveland. A record-breaking two years 
and 600 performances later, the show had a recording, a national 
reputation, and sometimes an even bigger crowd than the Indians. It 
proved Ray Shepardson correct--people really would come downtown to the 
theaters at Playhouse Square.
  Twenty-five years after that opening night, the historic theaters of 
Playhouse Square and downtown Cleveland continue to draw great crowds, 
and ``Brel'' is the musical phenomenon that started it all. I would 
like to salute the Director, Joseph Garry, the Musical Director, David 
Gooding, the original cast, Cliff Bemis, David Frazier, Providence 
Hollander, and Theresa Piteo and everyone involved in carrying on the 
legacy of ``Brel.''

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