Just in time for Valentine’s Day weekend, the McAninch Arts Center (MAC) brings “Piaf! The Show” to Chicago area audiences, 7:30 p.m., Friday, Feb. 11. This show features Piaf’s unforgettable songs, including the romantic “La Vie En Rose” complemented by a visual tapestry of photographs and images of famous locations of the Piaf era. Conceived and directed by Gil Marsalla, “Piaf! The Show” is considered by Piaf's close friends, as: "...the most beautiful tribute ever produced on Edith Piaf's career...". It has had more than 400 performances in more than 50 countries, including sold-out performances at Carnegie Hall and the Olympia Paris, where Piaf performed her final show. A free MAC Chat will follow the performance.
MAC audiences had the opportunity to experience a virtual performance of “Piaf! The Show” in spring 2021 when COVID protocols precluded in-person performances. Now they have the chance to see this multi-media production, inspired by the life of the legendary Parisian, live.
Performing the title role will be Nathalie Lhermitte. Legendary French actor and filmmaker Alain Delon says of Lhermitte, “It is because she is a great singer and a great actress, that she does not imitate Piaf ... but that she is Piaf on stage!”
Nathalie Lhermitte started performing at age 6 and the day she turned 18 was also the day she released her first album, “Tu es tout ce que j'aime," featuring two singles which sold over 400,000 copies. In 1995 she opened for Michel Leeb at the Olympia Paris with Herbert Léonard. Notable theater roles include role of Cristal in "Starmania," which she performed for three years at the Théâtre Marigny in Paris and then on a national tour, with final performances
in Moscow and Saint Petersburg. Since February 2015, she has played the role of the Queen in the play "La petite fille aux allumettes" nominated for the Molières and directed by David Rozen at the Théâtre du Palais Royal, Théâtre du Gymnase and on tour. Lhermitte has also had a succession of roles in musicals in which she has portrayed Piaf and, in 2018, she joined “Piaf! The Show.”
About Édith Piaf
Abandoned by her mother, Édith Piaf (1915-1963) struggled throughout her life. She spent her youth entertaining passersby, and often accompanied her father's acrobat street act with her singing. Her fortunes changed when French nightclub owner Louis Leplee offered the starving but talented Piaf a contract. He was responsible for taking her off the streets at age 20 and changing her name from Édith Gassion to "La Mome Piaf" (or "Kid Sparrow"). Piaf grew in status entertaining in elegant cafés and cabarets and became a singing sensation amid the chic French society with her throbbing vocals and raw, emotional power.
Beginning in 1936, Piaf recorded many albums and eventually became one of the highest paid stars in the world. She later toured internationally including to the United States. As time went on, she increasingly struggled with drug and alcohol addiction and was slowly crippled by severe arthritis. A series of spectacular comebacks in concert and recordings would follow over the years, but her health would slowly waste her away. Piaf's last appearance was at the Olympia Paris. Her last recorded song was "L'homme de Berlin" in 1963, the year of her death. She died in poverty, but her funeral was massive. It was the only time since WWII that Parisian traffic was completely stopped. The museum, the Musée Édith Piaf, was dedicated in her honor.
Tickets
"Piaf! The Show” comes to the McAninch Arts Center, located at 425 Fawell Blvd. on the campus of College of DuPage, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 11. Tickets are $50-$70. For tickets or more information, visit www.AtTheMAC.org or call the MAC Box Office at 630.942.4000. The Box Office is open Tuesday through Sunday, 12 noon to 6 p.m. and one hour prior to performance.
MAC COVID-19 Policy for Seated Events |Effective Jan. 1, 2022
- Masking is required for all attendees
Masks should cover both the nose and mouth. - Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination OR Negative Test (regardless of age) is required
For the safety of audiences, as well as artists and staff, the MAC will not admit any guests to seated events who do not provide documentation of vaccination as required. Full refunds will be made available to any parties wishing to cancel their tickets for any reason.
All policies, including ticketing and attendance, are subject to change based on evolving guidance from the College, DuPage County Health Department, the State of Illinois and the CDC. As this guidance is rapidly evolving, so may MAC protocols. Everyone should feel free to contact the MAC Box Office by email at themac@cod.edu or by phone at 630.942.4000 with any questions. Box Office hours are 12-6 p.m. Tuesday – Sunday.
About the MAC
McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage is located at 425 Fawell Blvd., 25 miles west of Chicago near I-88 and I-355. It houses three indoor performance spaces (780-seat proscenium Belushi Performance Hall; 186-seat soft-thrust Playhouse Theatre; versatile black box Studio Theatre), and outdoor Lakeside Pavilion, plus the Cleve Carney Museum of Art and classrooms for the college’s academic programs. The MAC has presented theater, music, dance and visual art to more than 1.5 million people since its opening in 1986 and typically welcomes more than 100,000 patrons from the greater Chicago area to more than 230 performances each season. The mission of the MAC is to foster enlightened educational and performance opportunities, which encourage artistic expression, establish a lasting relationship between people and art, and enrich the cultural vitality of the community. Visit www.AtTheMAC.org or www.facebook.com/AtTheMAC for more information.
Support for the McAninch Arts Center is provided in part by the G. Carl Ball Family Foundation; DoubleTree by Hilton Lisle/Naperville; Arts Midwest; The National Endowment for the Arts; the Illinois Arts Council Agency; WDCB 90.9 FM and the College of DuPage Foundation.
Established as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit charitable organization in 1967, the College of DuPage Foundation raises monetary and in-kind gifts to increase access to education and to enhance cultural opportunities for the surrounding community. For more information about the College of DuPage Foundation, visit www.foundation.cod.edu or call 630.942.2462.
The 2021-2022 MAC Season celebrates the memory of Joan Frank, for a lifetime of service, thanks to the support of family and friends.