You don’t have to be a fan of cabaret or even be familiar with the music of Kurt Weill to enjoy Whiskey Bars, but it sure helps if you understand a bit of French. I had already seen Bremner Duthie perform the one-man-show in English about a year ago, just after he had toured the summer festival scene to much critical acclaim. On Saturday night I went to the opening of the French version of the show, and found it just as interesting, if not better because of the fabulously atmospheric venue (Espace La Comédia, 6 impasse Lamier, 11th, M° Philippe Auguste).
Slightly tweaked in its new incarnation, the story is basically about an aging English cabaret singer talking to an invisible French critic in his dressing room as he prepares for that evening’s show — his crucial comeback performance. He speaks in Franglais, his almost perfect French peppered with English when appropriate. The Kurt Weill songs are mostly in English, with one in French and another in German. It’s a compelling story — we find his character funny, sad, dramatic and tragic in turns. His haunting version of Mack the Knife is worth the admission price alone. Catch the show every Saturday night through July 5 at 10:30pm, reservations 01 58 39 39 15, tickets €13-15. Don’t miss it!
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