Gay Marshall's one-woman Piaf show at the Metropolitan Room is like taking a trip to Paris. Close your eyes and you are in a small cafe in Montmartre or strolling down the Champs Elysee. Opening night of her three-night run (Oct. 4, Oct 11 & Oct. 18) was SRO filled with fans in celebration of her new CD Gay Marshall Sings Piaf. Gay doesn't merely imitate Piaf as many singers do, but reinterprets the material. Having lived for 20 years in Paris, she even wrote some of the translations, sings in impeccable French with many of the songs also sung in English.

On stage, Gay was surrounded by five top-notch musicians who evoked the romantic sounds of the Piaf era. Eric Svejcar on piano and musical direction with Deni Bonet on violin, Bill Schimmel on accordion, Steve Gilewski on bass and Peter Lewy on cello. The show was directed by Murphy Cross and I suggest that Gay take the microphone out of the stand at times, move around and maybe sing a song or two sitting on the piano.

Gay wore a black fedora, is petite like "the little sparrow." She opened with "Elle Frequentait La Rue Pigalle" in English with just the bass and the piano. Of course, there were the Piaf standards "La Vie En Rose," "Padam," :Milord" and "Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien" —- all song in a thrilling manner. Gay uses the Piaf guttural sound judiciously and sings in a strong voice with emotion, joy and abandon. Piaf was born in 1915 and died of liver cancer at age 47 in 1963. A car accident and the death of her lover in a plane crash were responsible for her lifelong addiction to alcohol and drugs. Although much has been written about Piaf's problems and tragic life, Gay explained that she was a "fireball, an irrepressible child and a prankster," which perhaps could describe how the audience viewed Gay Marshall herself.

Gay made her Broadway debut as Morales in A Chorus Line and played Grizabella in the original French production of Cats. She recently starred in the Off Broadway production of Jacques Brel is Alive and Well — receiving a nomination for the "Distinguished Performance Award" from the Drama League and a "Top Ten Divas" listing from Playbill. Obviously, Gay is a versatile actress and singer, but with Piaf she has made the perfect match. If you cannot afford a trip to Paris right now, visit the Metropolitan Room to see Gay Marshall and you will be taken back to the time of the great Edith Piaf who "is almost universally regarded as France's greatest popular singer." This is one of the best Piaf shows ever — an evening not to be missed!

Gay Marshall is at the Metropolitan Room 1111 & 18.

Linda Amiel Burns
Cabaret Scenes
October 4, 2008
www.cabaretscenes.org