‘Jacques Brel’ Is Alive and Well in Ventura

Jacques Brel hasn’t been alive and well for 25 years--the Belgian troubadour died at age 49 in 1977. But some of his famous melodies live on in a vigorous Ventura revival of the revue that introduced his work to most Americans: “Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris.”

One of America’s most devoted keepers of the Brel flame, Moni Yakim, is director of the Rubicon Theatre Company production at the Laurel Theatre, just as he was of the original 1968 off-Broadway revue.

The last time Yakim staged the Brel show in this area, at Pasadena Playhouse in 1988, the title was reduced to “Jacques Brel Is ... ,” perhaps to emphasize the timelessness of his work.

However, a couple of the show’s most prominent moments now feel inescapably dated. This is most evident in the opening number, “Marathon,” which moves rapidly through mid-20th century history and ends with a predicted vision of what the present era would be like. At least in the English translations by Eric Blau and Mort Shuman, we were supposed to be using robots and taking interplanetary vacations by now. How quaint.

The opening of the second act, “The Bulls,” evolves into an antiwar number that stops abruptly in Saigon. That probably seemed brash in 1968, but now it sounds antiquated.

Still, most of the other songs deal with more evergreen themes. Brel/Blau/Shuman’s heart-on-sleeve tendencies create a few creaking lines, but more often the lyrics effectively crystallize dramatic moments and strong passions. Brel’s simple, repetitive melodies rely on propulsive rhythms to whip up the sense of occasion.

The Rubicon production is blessed with two veterans of the off-Broadway and Pasadena productions, George Ball and Amanda McBroom.

Ball’s long and elastic face and big voice energize such solos as the jaunty “Mathilde,” “Jackie” and “Funeral Tango,” as well as the more harrowing “Next” and the first-act finale, “Amsterdam.”

McBroom, the well-known cabaret singer and composer, uses a more restrained style to heat up her big numbers, such as the haunting “My Death,” “Sons Of,” “Marieke,” “No Love, You’re Not Alone” and the concluding, tongue-twisting “Carousel.” (Because of a commitment on the East Coast, McBroom will be replaced by Eileen Barnett in the production’s concluding week, Feb. 13-17.)

Ball and McBroom are a married couple in real life, and so is the cast’s younger pair, Stan Chandler and Kirsten Benton. Since he came to prominence as one of the original Plaids in “Forever Plaid,” Chandler has expanded his vocal and dramatic range remarkably. Here he shines in the moving “Alone,” and he demonstrates why the character in “Bachelor’s Dance” is still a bachelor. He makes two of the score’s weaker numbers, “Statue” and “Fanette,” stronger by virtue of his carefully crafted interpretations.

Benton doesn’t get as many star turns as the others, but is appealing in “I Loved” and as a shrewd observer of the others in “Old Folks.”

Yakim’s choreography generally enhances the songs. But Abra Flores-Paudler’s costume design doesn’t add much and, in McBroom’s case, slightly lessens the overall level of sophistication.

“Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris,” Laurel Theatre, 1006 E. Main St., Ventura. Wednesdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Saturdays-Sundays, 2 p.m. Ends Feb. 17. $28-$38. (805) 667-2900. Running time: 2 hours, 20 minutes.

Music by Jacques Brel. Lyrics translated and adapted by Eric Blau and Mort Shuman. Directed and choreographed by Moni Yakim. Musical director Dean Mora. Set by Jeff G. Rack. Lighting by Dana Kilgore. Costumes by Abra Flores-Paudler. Sound by Craig Hauber. Production stage manager Vernon Willet.