A Pirate Productions production.
Directed by Nataša Vlaović and Julien Farlin.
Musical direction Nataša Vlaović and Julien Farlin.
Performed 30th May to 1st June & 5th to 8th June 2013 at Gasperich Parish Hall, Luxembourg.
Pirate Productions is pleased to announce its new show “The Jazz Club.” Set sometime in the 1930s/40s, this original script, devised by our two directors Nataša Vlaović and Julien Farlin, follows the various characters who inhabit a New York Jazz Club over three evenings. Jazz and Swing standards intersperse the dialogue as they all embark on a personal journey.
The show is presented with a 3 course dinner, a full bar and cocktails from the period will also be served.
Article in Wort.lu
Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald fans are in for a treat at the latest original show by English-language musical theatre group the Pirates.
“The Jazz Club” features works by these artists and more as it takes audiences on a dramatic tour of a 1930s New York jazz club and its lively characters. The piece was devised by directors Julien Farlin and Natasa Vlaović, who initially planned to host a wine and jazz event as part of the group’s “Wine and…” series.
“What is so particular about this show is that there was no script to start with, simply this idea of jazz being played somewhere in a club,” explained the director, adding that he then developed different characters and wove a story around them.
“You could say this show came about almost like a jazz tune- musicians play chords based on an idea and together develop a song, looking for the right tempo, feel and arrangement along the way.”
The show takes as its focus a New York jazz club set some time during the 1930s and ’40s where various characters discuss their day, their hopes and sorrows and sing and dance. The band is an integral part of the performance with the musicians performing on-stage as characters. They will perform tunes that even people with no jazz knowledge are sure to recognise though not all tunes are old classics. A number of acid jazz and bossa nova songs among others will be performed giving the show a modern touch.
Interestingly, there are no main characters in the show, a conscious decision by the director, who wanted to present different individuals who each “contribute in their own way to the story unfolding.” Among the cigarette girls, bar tenders and club guests, regulars will recognise some of the Pirates’ established performers as well as new faces.
And while the structure of the evening has shifted away from wine-tasting, audiences will still be able to get a tipple of their favourite drink and even a sit down dinner as the venue proposes three-course meals for audience members who book in advance.
“We liked the idea of offering dinner to the spectators so that they could wine and dine and be entertained at the same time,” said Julien.
The Jazz Club is performed at the Gasperich Church Hall, 33 rue de Gasperich, from May 30 to June 1 and then from June 6 to 8. Doors open at 7pm and tickets cost 15 euros for adults. The optional three-course meal costs 15 euros per person.
Audiences are encouraged to come in period costume.