Jacques Brel is alive and well and living in...Solana Beach? The Belgian-born troubadour is actually no longer alive or well, and unfortunately for him is no longer living in Paris. But "Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris," the 1968 revue of some of his best-known songs, has been unearthed to open North Coast Repertory Theatre's 27th season.

Jason Maddy, Jenn Grinels, Courtney Corey and Robert Grossman

Copyright©2008 Aaron Rumley

It's a strange little show, no doubt, full of 26 songs arranged in no obvious order, and director David Ellenstein doesn't do much to elucidate the piece's non-structure. For the entire show, the four performers inhabit Marty Burnett's set -- some downtown café's brick walls adorned by set dresser Bonnie Durben's boater hats, records, lollipop swirls, party masques, a rifle, and the other varied objects and props that make up the show's visual look -- but it's never clear who they are or what they're doing there. There are vague characterizations here and there -- there's the recurring soldier, played by Jason Maddy, and Robert Grossman as the rogueish oldtimer, the wide-eyed redheaded beauty of Jenn Grinels, and Courtney Corey's fluttery soprano.

It's a wonderful collection of singing voices, and the evening does have its moments. Mr. Grossman licks his lips and contorts his face à la Brel himself as he imagines life as "Jackie," and Mr. Maddy is at his best with his cartwheeling antics in "Bachelor's Dance." The two pair up for the delightfully oddball "Girls and Dogs."

It's the women who get the most choice numbers though. "Carousel," a whirling waltz that starts at a languid tempo and builds to a frenzied finale as the four voices come in one by one with their parts, makes one wonder if Sondheim was paying attention to Brel as he wrote the rapid-fire "Getting Married Today" in "Company" a few years later. As led by Ms. Corey, who captures the giddiness of a merry-go-round ride as she spits out the song's challenging patter on her tiptoes, it's an exciting climax to the show.

Robert Grossman, Jenn Grinels, Courtney Corey and Jason Maddy

Copyright©2008 Aaron Rumley

In the fourth position, Ms. Grinels amazes in song after song, lighting up the stage anytime she takes the spotlight (which fortunately is often). Whether it be in the storybook charm of "I Loved," the new-girl-in-town waltz "Timid Frieda," or the more serious "Sons of...," Ms. Grinels embodies that je ne sais quoi of the French troubadour tradition.

Perhaps the main problem with many of the songs in "Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well..." is a simple one, namely, the difficulty in translating the poetic imagery of Brel's original lyrics (an unenviable task left to show creators Eric Blau and Mort Shuman). Sometimes things are better left in their original form, as evidenced by the two original-language songs included here. Ms. Grinels makes plain every nuance of what is probably Brel's best-known song, "Ne Me Quitte Pas," as she accompanies herself on the guitar and sings in impeccable French. And as if singing in one foreign language weren't difficult enough, Ms. Corey impresses by singing in two -- Flemish and French -- in the dramatic "Marieke."

In the original 1968 version, Brel's playful jab at Flemish women, "Les Flamandes," became "Marathon," an entirely rewritten journey through twentieth-century American history up until that point that opened the show. Mr. Ellenstein has updated that journey by adding references to the war in Iraq, but follows the lead of the 2006 New York revival in kicking off the evening with "Ça Va," an early Brel hit but a less traditional choice for an opener, as it immediately puts the spotlight on Ms. Grinels rather than all four members of the ensemble.

Jenn Grinels, Robert Grossman (top), Jason Maddy and Courtney Corey

Copyright©2008 Aaron Rumley

In addition to the guitar playing talents of Ms. Grinels and Mr. Grossman, the singers are backed up by a three-piece musical ensemble led by Steven Withers. Sound designer Chris Luessman balances the four voices and accompaniment remarkably well for the theatre's intimate space.

Designer Peter Herman has updated the performers' costumes to everyday contemporary looks. Like Mr. Ellenstein's topical lyrics, they help bring the very Sixties show in to the present. But one has to wonder why certain original references to "Chinamen" and "fags" remain, for if the goal was to bring a 21st-century sensibility to the revue, surely these could use an update as well.

After all -- and this may be news to many of North Coast Rep's subscribers -- Jacques Brel is neither alive nor well nor living in Paris (nor anywhere else, for that matter).

It's not as though he will mind.

VIEW PROGRAM HERE (PDF)