Piaf! Her name is legendary. Her voice isunmistakable. She is a cultural icon universally regarded as France’s great-est singer and its most recognized inter-national star. Her remarkable life wasfilled with love, triumph and tragedy. Herpoignant and heartbreaking story is toldin her songs. When she sang Non, JeNe Regrette Rien (No Regrets), Piaf de-fied anyone to pity her. In her book NOREGRETS: THE LIFE OF EDITH PIAF, Carolyn Burke calls her “the singer whoreached across social, linguistic and national divides to voice the emotions ofordinary people.”Her life was one of sharp contrasts: therange of her fame as opposed to hertragic personal life, and her small fragilefigure on stage contrasting with the resounding power of her voice. Piaf embraced life passionately, even at itscruelest; as long as she could express itin her songs she felt the suffering wasworth it. Her music reflected her determi-nation in the face of tragedy with songslike La Vie en rose (1946), Hymne àl'amour (1949), L'Accordéoniste (1955), LaFoule (1957), Milord (1959) Padam (1951)and Non, je ne regrette rien (1960).When Piaf died in 1963, although forbid-den a Mass by the Roman Catholic arch-bishop of Paris because of her lifestyle,her funeral procession drew hundreds ofthousands of mourners onto the streetsof Paris and the ceremony at the ceme-tery was jammed with more than fortythousand fans. Singer Charles Aznavourrecalled that Piaf's funeral processionwas the first time since the end of WorldWar II that Parisian traffic came to acomplete stop. Her life has been the subject of manyfilms and plays, most recently LA VIE ENROSE in 2007. The film stars MarionCotillard in the role that won her theAcademy Award for Best Actress as Piaf.Numerous songs by Piaf are used inmovies such as SAVING PRIVATE RYAN,INCEPTION, BABE:PIG IN THE CITY andthe animated film, MADAGASCAR 3. There is a museum dedicated to Piaf,the Musée Édith Piaf at 5, rue Crespindu Gast, 75011, Paris.

She was born Édith Giovanna Gassionin 1915 in Paris. Her father, LouisAlphonse Gassion, a traveling street acrobat, was rarely at home. Her mother,Anita Maillard, of French, Italian and Moroccan heritage, was pre-occupiedwith her career as a singer on the localcabaret circuit. It was not surprising thatÉdith’s childhood was lonely. The family's fortunes deteriorated duringthe first World War when Louis Alphonseleft to serve at the front and Anita wasforced to earn her living singing on streetcorners. When Louis Alphonse returnedfrom the war two years later, he sent hisdaughter to Normandy to be raised byher paternal grandmother, Maman Tinewho ran a brothel near Rouen.While these were the happiest years ofEdith’s childhood, they were also mixedwith sadness. She developed acute keratitis, an inflammation of the cornea,which made her temporarily blind fromthe ages of three to seven. The story isthat Maman Tine shut down the brothelfor a day so the "girls" (who doted onEdith) could take her to Lisieux wherethey prayed to St. Thérèse. Ten dayslater Piaf's blindness was cured. Mostlikely, the passage of time and the dropsthe doctor put in Edith's eyes cured her.But Piaf was never adverse to using the“miracle” story.Edith returned to Paris as a young girl tolive with her father, who incorporated herinto his street act. The father and daugh-ter team toured the country together forseveral years, earning their living in the streets. After he performed, Edith would-pass the hat around the crowd. But soon

music theatre

Audience Guide

AUDIENCE GUIDEResearch/Writing by Justine Leonardand Education Intern Andrew Groblefor ENLIGHTEN,Skylight Music Theatre’s Education ProgramEdited by Ray Jivoff414-299-4965rayj@skylightmusictheatre.orgwww.skylightmusictheatre.org

See the guide online at www.skylightmusictheatre.org

2012-2013Our 54th SeasonIssue 3, January/February 2013IN THIS ISSUEEdith Piaf - France’s Greatest Singer

Edith Piaf (1915-1963)

Sponsored by The Schoenleber FoundationEnlighten is funded in part by

Edith discovered that she had a powerfulsinging voice that could mesmerize anaudience and left her father to begin herown singing career. When she was 15, she met SimoneBerteaut, who became her lifelong com-panion and partner in mischief. Soon, it

w

Édith sang, it

was Simone who passed the hat whileEdith sang. In spite of her scruffy streeturchin appearance, Edith proved extremely popular; her amazingly expressive voice moved even the mostimpassive listener. In 1932, Edith fell in love with LouisDupont, a local delivery boy. Dupontmoved in with Edith and Simone, butwas never happy with the idea of Edithroaming the streets. He persuaded herto take jobs he found for her but she resisted whenever possible, until she be-came pregnant. At age 17, Piaf had heronly child, a girl named Marcelle. Raising the child in a small apartmentwith barely enough money to pay therent was hard, but Edith made a seriouseffort to be a good mother even thoughshe had little maternal instinct nor do-mestic ability. Before long, she returned to streetsinging and Marcelle was often leftalone. Edith was devastated when Mar-celle died of meningitis just after her sec-ond birthday. Shortly after Marcelle'sdeath in 1935, Edith was performing heract on a street corner in Pigalle (theneighborhood's raunchy reputation led toits World War II nickname of "Pig Alley"by Allied soldiers) when Louis Leplée,the director of a cabaret on the ChampsElysées happened to walk by. He wasbowled over by the young singer's voiceand offered her a job in his club, LeGerny, which was frequented by theupper and lower classes alike. It wasLeplée who invented Edith's famousstage name, La Môme Piaf, which instreet slang meant little sparrow. Leplée taught her the basics of stagepresence and told her to wear a simpleblack dress, which became her trademark costume. While Edith Piafmight have appeared tiny and fragile,when she performed on stage, she exerted an extraordinary power over heraudience with her raw, emotional vocals. Leplée ran an intense publicity campaignleading up to her opening night and theunknown street singer was an immediatehit with chic Paris audiences who flockedto the Champs Elysées to hear La MômePiaf sing. Encouraged by this overnightsuccess, Piaf recorded her first single,Les Mômes de la Cloche, penned byMarguerite Monnot, a collaboratorthroughout Piaf's life.

Yet, just as Piaf's career was on thepoint of taking off, tragedy struck. Lepléewas murdered in his home and Piaf, and many of Leplée’s Pigalle underworldconnections, were called in for question-ing. The French press had a field daywith the story but it turned out that Leplée had been killed by mobsters withprevious ties to Piaf. A barrage of negative media attentionnow threatened her career. To rehabili-tate her image, she recruited composer-Raymond Asso, with whom she wouldbecome romantically involved. Hechanged her stage name to "Édith Piaf,"barred undesirable acquaintances fromseeing her and commissioned Monnot towrite songs that reflected Piaf's previouslife on the streets. Asso persuaded the director of the ABC,one of the most famous Paris venues ofthe day, to sign Piaf as a supportingartist. When the 23-year-old Piaf took tothe stage she brought down the house, earning as much applause as the head-lining stars. That same year Piaf would

edith piaf on stage

Edith and Simone Berteaut

Advertisements for Piaf’s mother, profession-ally known as Line Marsa (above) and father,billed as “The man who walks upside down.”

Edith, age 4

“Miss Edith, Vocal Phenomenon,”age 8.

also launch a film career, starring inJean Limur's film LA GARÇONNE. A fewmonths later, Piaf appeared at theBobino, another famous Paris venue,now as the headlining act.In 1940, Piaf met French actor PaulMeurisse. The couple's passionate rela-tionship lasted two years with Meurisseacting as a kind of Pygmalion figure inPiaf's life, educating her about Frenchculture and teaching her how to behavein society. Soon the singer was the darling of Paris' intellectual elite, becoming a close friend of JeanCocteau, the famous French playwrightand film director. Cocteau wrote a playespecially for Piaf and Meurisse, LE BELINDIFFÉRENT, which revealed the full extent of Piaf’s acting talent. It proved tobe the hit of the season.During the Second World War, Piaf con-tinued her career engaging in her ownform of resistance by employing Jewishmusicians to accompany her on tour.During this time, she was in great demand and very successful. Singing forhigh-ranking Germans earned Piaf theright to pose for photos with French pris-oners of war, ostensibly as a morale-booster. In reality, it enabled her to forgeID cards which were distributed alongwith maps and money, allowing 118POWs to escape.By the time the war ended in 1944, the30-year-old Piaf was at the height of her

fame in France and she began using hercelebrity to help launch the careers ofup-and-coming artists. She discovered Yves Montand in Paris,made him part of her act and becamehis mentor and lover. In 1945 Piaf andMontand formed a famous double act inMarcel Blistène’s film ETOILE SANS LUMIÈRE. When he became one of themost famous singers in France and almost as popular as Piaf, she broke offtheir relationship.La vie en rose, her signature song, waswritten by Piaf in 1945 with the melodycomposed Louis Guglielmi, known asLouiguy. Encouraged by its phenomenalsuccess, Piaf would write 80 more of herown songs during her career.In 1946, Piaf met a group of youngsingers called Les Compagnons de laChanson. Piaf recorded a single withthem entitled Les trois cloches (TheThree Bells). The song was an enor-mous hit, selling over a million copies.Les Compagnons accompanied Piaf onher first American tour the following year. Piaf's tour of the U.S. proved to be a realchallenge. American audiences wereless receptive to her melodramatic style.Her first concerts at the PlayhouseCabaret in New York failed to attractlarge audiences until she received a rap-turous review of her concert in a majorNew York paper. Encouraged by this favorable press, Piaf signed up for aweek of shows at the Versailles, an ele-gant cabaret in Manhattan. The weekwas extended to four months. During her stay in New York Piaf wouldbegin two important relationships, strik-ing up a lifelong friendship with MarleneDietrich and falling in love with boxingchampion Marcel Cerdan. Their romancemade international headlines, with news-papers around the world picking up onthe fairytale story of "The Queen ofFrench music and the King of the Ring". After so many years of personal tragedy,Piaf appeared to have finally found happiness. She paid tribute to Cerdan inher classic L’hymne à l'amour, writtenwith frequent collaborator MargueriteMonnot. But Piaf's life was struck by tragedyagain on October 28, 1949 when Cerdanwas killed in a plane crash over the

Azores Islands. Piaf, distraught by thisnew loss, spiraled into a deep depres-sion. She began visiting mediums anddabbling in spiritualism. She threw herself into her work, expressing herpersonal suffering through tragic and increasingly melodramatic songs. In 1950, barely a year after Cerdan'sdeath, Piaf was back on stage in Pariswhere she met French singer CharlesAznavour. She helped the singer get hisfirst bookings and in return Aznavourwould remain devoted to Piaf, acting asher chauffeur and private secretary aswell as her most intimate confidant. Aznavour would also write a number ofhit songs for Piaf including Jézébel andthe legendary Plus bleu que tes yeux.1951 proved to be another year oftragedy for Piaf. She was involved in twoserious car accidents, amazingly, surviv-ing both without sustaining any seriousinjuries. However, while recovering fromthe second crash she was given heavy doses of morphine as a pain-killer and

edith piaf on stage

Edith and Marcel Cerdan

Piaf and Marguerite Monnot

she became addicted. Combined withher increasing drinking habit, the drugwould gradually destroy her mental andphysical health.Despite her problems, in July 1952 shemarried French singer Jacques Pills at aprivate ceremony in Paris. The couplethen flew to the States for Piaf's fifthAmerican tour. While Piaf returned to theprestigious Versailles, Pils performed aseries of concerts at a smaller cabaret inNew York. He was accompanied on thepiano by Gilbert Bécaud, who wouldteam up with Pills to write Piaf's classic hit, Je t'ai dans la peau.As Piaf continued her dizzy rise to inter-national stardom, drugs and alcoholwere beginning to take their toll on herincreasingly fragile health. In the early50s Piaf would begin a long series oftreatments at a health clinic in an attempt to wean herself off alcohol andmorphine. Ironically, while her health continued todecline, her studio recordings in 1952 and 1953 were absolutely magnificent,and her concerts surpassed many of herprevious performances. Meanwhile,Piaf's close friends rallied around andhid her tortured private life from thepress, encouraging the singer to keepout of the limelight. Piaf disappearedfrom the French music scene at the endof 1953, shutting herself away from theworld for most of the following year.In 1955 Piaf made a triumphant come-back, giving the performance of a life-time at L'Olympia, the most famousvenue in Paris. Despite her waninghealth, Piaf's voice was as powerful asever, washing over her audience in atide of incredible emotion.

Piaf then set off on another extensivetour of the States, which culminated in ahugely successful performance at NewYork's Carnegie Hall in 1956. Though ex-hausted by her American concerts, Piafbegan a four and a half month tour ofLatin America. By the end of the year, Piaf was back ina private health clinic undergoing another long drying-out period. This timethe cure worked and Piaf would nottouch a drop of alcohol for the rest of herlife. Unfortunately, drugs and alcohol hadirrevocably damaged the singer's health.In 1958 Piaf returned to L'Olympia forthe third time in her career, giving amemorable series of concerts where shepremiered La Foule, a melody which Piafhad brought back from South America.This song was another international hit. Later that same year Piaf began anotherpassionate love affair, this time withFrench singer/songwriter GeorgesMoustaki. Moustaki and Piaf both hadfiery tempers and their relationship wasnot always a calm one, but they shareda mutual passion for music, and Mous-taki would go on to write many of Piaf'slater hits (including Milord, in collabora-tion with Marguerite Monnot). In September 1958 Piaf and Moustakiwere involved in another serious carcrash, which would only serve to weakenPiaf's declining health. Just a fewmonths after the accident Piaf collapsedhalfway through a concert in New Yorkand was rushed to the hospital for anemergency operation.Ignoring the advice of her doctors andher closest friends, Piaf refused to aban-don her singing career. In spite of thefact that she collapsed on stage severaltimes in mid-performance, Piaf could notimagine her life without music.

In 1960 Piaf began working with theyoung French songwriter Charles Dumont who wrote one of the most famous songs of her career, Non je neregrette rien. When Piaf premiered thesong at her next major concert atL'Olympia, her performance would godown in music history as one of the mostlegendary concerts of all time.In the summer of 1961 Piaf met a youngGreek singer, Theophanis Lamboukas.Piaf preferred to call him Sarapo, whichis Greek for "I love you". He would bethe last of Piaf's husbands and lovers.Just as she had done with so many ofthe previous men in her life, Piaf wouldtake charge of Sarapo's career, usingher name to launch the young unknown.Piaf married Sarapo in a private cere-mony in October,1962. After a long honeymoon, the couple performed theirfamous duet, A quoi ça sert l'amour atthe Bobino in February 1963.Two months later Piaf fell into a comaand the singer spent the last months ofher life slipping in and out of conscious-ness in her villa near Cannes. Piafpassed away at age 47 on October 11,1963. Her last words were "Every damnfool thing you do in this life, you pay for." It is said that Sarapo drove her bodyback to Paris secretly so that fans wouldthink she had died in her hometown. Sheis buried in Paris in Père LachaiseCemetery next to her daughter Marcelle.Her grave continues to be among themost visited.Wikipedia) and http://www.little-sparrow.co.uk/© RFI Musique, February 2008

edith piaf on stage

L’ACCORDÉONISTELA FILLE DE JOIE EST BELLEAU COIN DE LA RUE LÀ-BASELLE A UNE CLIENTÈLEQUI LUI REMPLIT SON BASQUAND SON BOULOT S'ACHÈVEELLE S'EN VA À SON TOURCHERCHER UN PEU DE RÊVEDANS UN BAL DU FAUBOURG SON HOMME EST UN ARTISTEC'EST UN DRÔLE DE P'TIT GARSUN ACCORDÉONISTEQUI SAIT JOUER LA JAVA ELLE ÉCOUTE LA JAVAMAIS ELLE NE LA DANSE PASELLE NE REGARDE MÊME PAS LA PISTEET SES YEUX AMOUREUXSUIVENT LE JEU NERVEUXET LES DOIGTS SECS ET LONGS DEL'ARTISTEÇA LUI RENTRE DANS LA PEAU PAR LE BAS, PAR LE HAUTELLE A ENVIE DE CHANTERC'EST PHYSIQUETOUT SON ÊTRE EST TENDUSON SOUFFLE EST SUSPENDUC'EST UNE VRAIE TORDUE DE LAMUSIQUE LA FILLE DE JOIE EST TRISTEAU COIN DE LA RU LÀ-BASSON ACCORDÉONISTEIL EST PARTI SOLDATQUAND IL REVIENDRA DE LA GUERREILS PRENDRONT UNE MAISONELLE SERA LA CAISSIÈREET LUI, SERA LE PATRONQUE LA VIE SERA BELLEILS SERONT DE VRAIS PACHASET TOUS LES SOIRS POUR ELLEIL JOUERA LA JAVA ELLE ÉCOUTE LA JAVAQU'ELLE FREDONNE TOUT BASELLE REVOIT SON ACCORDÉONISTEET SES YEUX AMOUREUX

SUIVENT LE JEU NERVEUXET LES DOIGTS SECS ET LONGS DEL'ARTISTEÇA LUI RENTRE DANS LA PEAUPAR LE BAS, PAR LE HAUTELLE A ENVIE DE PLEURERC'EST PHYSIQUETOUT SON ÊTRE EST TENDUSON SOUFFLE EST SUSPENDUC'EST UNE VRAIE TORDUE DE LAMUSIQUE LA FILLE DE JOIE EST SEULE AU COIN DE LA RUE LÀ-BASLES FILLES QUI FONT LA GUEULE LES HOMMES N'EN VEULENT PASET TANT PIS SI ELLE CRÈVESON HOMME NE REVIENDRA PLUSADIEUX TOUS LES BEAUX RÊVESSA VIE, ELLE EST FOUTUEPOURTANT SES JAMBES TRISTESL'EMMÈNENT AU BOUI-BOUIOÙ 'Y A UN AUTRE ARTISTEQUI JOUE TOUTE LA NUIT ELLE ÉCOUTE LA JAVA......ELLE ENTEND LA JAVA...ELLE A FERMÉ LES YEUX...ET LES DOIGTS SECS ET NERVEUX...ÇA LUI RENTRE DANS LA PEAUPAR LE BAS, PAR LE HAUTELLE A ENVIE DE GUEULERC'EST PHYSIQUEALORS POUR OUBLIERELLE S'EST MISE À DANSER, À TOURNERAU SON DE LA MUSIQUE... ... ARRÊTEZ!ARRÊTEZ LA MUSIQUE!The AccordionistThe "daughter of joy" is beautiful on the street corner there, she has a clientel who fill her stockings.When her work is finished,she looks for a little dreamat a dance hall outside of town.Her man is an artist, a strange little man an accordionist who can play the java. She listens to the java, but she doesn't dance, she doesn't even see the dance floor.But her loving eyes follow the nervous playing, the artist's long, dry fingers.it's under her skin,from the bottom, from the top.She feels like singing, its natural.She is tense, she holds her breath,she is crazy with the music.

The girl is sad on the corner over there. Her accordionist left to be a soldier, when he returns from the war, they will open a house.She will be the cashier, and he will be the boss. Life will be so beautiful, they will be true pashas, and every evening, he will play the java for her.She hears the java that she hums very low, She sees, once again, her accordionist, her loving eyesfollow the nervous playing, the artist's long, dry fingers, it's under her skin,from the bottom, from the top.She feels like crying, it's natural.She is tense, she holds her breathshe is crazy with the musicThe girl is alone on the corner over there- men don't want girls who sulk.And so what if she dies-her man won't return Goodbye to all the beautiful dreams.Her life has flown away.However, her sad legs carry her to the dive where there is another artistwho plays all night. She hears the java.She listens to the java,she closes her eyes,The dry, nervous fingersIt's under her skinfrom the bottom, from the topand she yells it’s natural.Then to forget, she starts to dance,to turn to the sound of the music,Stop! Stop the music!

edith piaf on stageTranslations

COMME MOIPEUT-ÊTRE BIEN QU’AILLEURSUNE FEMME A LE COEURÉPERDU DE BONHEURCOMME MOI…ET QUE D’UN GESTE HEUREUXELLE SOULÈVE UN PEULE RIDEAU DE SOIE BLEUECOMME MOI…POUR REGARDER EN BASSON AMOUR QUI VIENDRALA PRENDRE DANS SES BRASCOMME MOI…ELLE ATTEND SON AMOURLES YEUX DE SON AMOURLES BRAS DE SON AMOURCOMME MOI…PEUT-ÊTRE BIEN AUSSIQU’À L’INSTANT ELLE VITLE MEILLEUR DE SA VIECOMME MOI…ET QU’EN FERMANT LES YEUXELLE ABANDONNE UN PEUSA MAIN DANS SES CHEVEUXCOMME MOI…PEUT-ÊTRE QU’À SON COEURELLE ÉPINGLE UNE FLEURET PUIS REGARDE L’HEURECOMME MOI…ET PENSE À SON AMOURAUX YEUX DE SON AMOURAUX BRAS DE SON AMOURCOMME MOI…PEUT-ÊTRE BIEN ENCOREQU’ELLE ENTENDRA PLUS FORTSON COEUR BATTRE ET QU’ALORSCOMME MOI…ELLE VOUDRA CRIEREN ENTENDANT MONTERUN PAS DANS L’ESCALIERCOMME MOI…COMME MOI DANS L’INSTANTOÙ MON COEUR EN SUSPENSSE RETIENT UN MOMENTCONTRE TOI…ET PUIS MEURE, MON AMOURDANS TES YEUX, MON AMOURDANS TES BRAS, MON AMOURMON AMOUR…Like MePerhaps somewhere else,a woman has a heart,desperate for happiness like me,and with one happy gesture,she raises, a little, the curtain of blue silk llike me,to look for her lover,who comes to take her in his arms,

like me, she waits for her lover,for the eyes of her lover,for the arms of there lover, like me.Perhaps then, as well, for an instant,she lives the best of her life, like me,and closing her eyes,she touches her hair, like me,perhaps she pins a flower over her heartand then looks at the time, like me,and thinks of her lover,of the eyes of her lover,of the arms of her lover, like me.Perhaps then again,she hears even louder,her heartbeat, and then, like me,she will want to screamin hearing a step on the stair,like me,like me in the instantwhere my heart, in suspense,stops for a moment in front of you,and then dies, my love,in your eyes my love,in your arms my love, my love.PADAMCET AIR QUI M'OBSÈDE JOUR ET NUIT CET AIR N'EST PAS NÉ D'AUJOURD'HUI IL VIENT D'AUSSI LOIN QUE JE VIENS TRAÎNÉ PAR CENT MILLE MUSICIENS UN JOUR CET AIR ME RENDRA FOLLE CENT FOIS J'AI VOULU DIRE POURQUOI MAIS IL M'A COUPÉ LA PAROLE IL PARLE TOUJOURS AVANT MOI ET SA VOIX COUVRE MA VOIX PADAM...PADAM...PADAM... IL ARRIVE EN COURANT DERRIÈRE MOI PADAM...PADAM...PADAM... IL ME FAIT LE COUP DU SOUVIENS-TOI PADAM...PADAM...PADAM... C'EST UN AIR QUI ME MONTRE DU DOIGT ET JE TRAÎNE APRÈS MOI COMME UNDRÔLE D'ERREUR CET AIR QUI SAIT TOUT PAR CŒUR IL DIT: "RAPPELLE-TOI TES AMOURS RAPPELLE-TOI PUISQUE C'EST TON TOUR 'Y A PAS D'RAISON POUR TU N'PLEURES PASAVEC TES SOUVENIRS SUR LES BRAS...ET MOI JE REVOIS CEUX QUI RESTENT MES VINGT ANS FONT BATTRE TAMBOUR JE VOIS S'ENTRE BATTRE DES GESTES TOUTE LA COMÉDIE DES AMOURS SUR CET AIR QUI VA TOUJOURS PADAM...PADAM...PADAM... DES "JE T'AIME" DE QUATORZE-JUILLET PADAM...PADAM...PADAM... DES "TOUJOURS" QU'ON ACHÈTE AU

RABAIS PADAM...PADAM...PADAM... DES "VEUX-TU" EN VOILÀ PAR PAQUETS ET TOUT ÇA POUR TOMBER JUSTE AUCOIN D'LA RUE SUR L'AIR QUI M'A RECONNUE ÉCOUTEZ LE CHAHUT QU'IL ME FAIT COMME SI TOUT MON PASSÉ DÉFILAIT FAUT GARDER DU CHAGRIN POUR APRÈS J'EN AI TOUT UN SOLFÈGE SUR CETAIR QUI BAT... QUI BAT COMME UN CŒUR DE BOIS...PadamThat song which haunts me day and night,That song is not born today,It comes from far as I come,Dragged into the present by a hundred thousand musicians.One day that song will make me crazy,A hundred times I've wanted to say why,But it cuts my words.It always speaks before I do, And that voice cuts off my words.Padam...It runs up behind me,Padam...It forces me to remember,Padam...The song points it's finger at me,And that I drag behind me like a bad joke,That song which knows everything by heart.It says "Remember your love, Remember, since it’s your turn, now.There is no reason not to cry,with the memories you carry around."And me, I see all the rest,My twenty years beat the drum.I see amid all the fighting,the comedy of love,in the song which always playsPadam...The 14th of July "I love you."Padam...The cheaply bought "Always"Padam...The gift-wrapped "Want yous"Listen to the fury within me,As if all my past was parading by,Imust keep some trouble for later,I have an entire diagram of that song Which beats like a heart of wood!

edith piaf on stageTranslations 2

MILORDALLEZ VENEZ! MILORD VOUS ASSEOIR À MA TABLE IL FAIT SI FROID DEHORS ICI, C'EST CONFORTABLE LAISSEZ-VOUS FAIRE, MILORD ET PRENEZ BIEN VOS AISES VOS PEINES SUR MON CŒUR ET VOS PIEDS SUR UNE CHAISE JE VOUS CONNAIS, MILORD VOUS NE M'AVEZ JAMAIS VUE JE NE SUIS QU'UNE FILLE DU PORT UNE OMBRE DE LA RUE... POURTANT, JE VOUS AI FRÔLÉ QUAND VOUS PASSIEZ HIER VOUS N'ÉTIEZ PAS PEU FIER DAME! LE CIEL VOUS COMBLAIT VOTRE FOULARD DE SOIE FLOTTANT SUR VOS ÉPAULES VOUS AVIEZ LE BEAU RÔLE ON AURAIT DIT LE ROI VOUS MARCHIEZ EN VAINQUEUR AU BRAS D'UNE DEMOISELLE MON DIEU! QU'ELLE ÉTAIT BELLE J'EN AI FROID DANS LE CŒUR... ALLEZ VENEZ! MILORD VOUS ASSEOIR À MA TABLE IL FAIT SI FROID DEHORS ICI, C'EST CONFORTABLE LAISSEZ-VOUS FAIRE, MILORD ET PRENEZ BIEN VOS AISES VOS PEINES SUR MON CŒUR ET VOS PIEDS SUR UNE CHAISE JE VOUS CONNAIS, MILORD VOUS NE M'AVEZ JAMAIS VUE JE NE SUIS QU'UNE FILLE DU PORT UNE OMBRE DE LA RUE... DIRE QU'IL SUFFIT PARFOIS QU'IL Y AIT UN NAVIRE POUR QUE TOUT SE DÉCHIRE QUAND LE NAVIRE S'EN VA IL EMMENAIT AVEC LUI LA DOUCE AUX YEUX SI TENDRES QUI N'A PAS SU COMPRENDRE QU'ELLE BRISAIT VOTRE VIE L'AMOUR, ÇA FAIT PLEURER COMME QUOI L'EXISTENCE ÇA VOUS DONNE TOUTES LESCHANCES POUR LES REPRENDRE APRÈS... ALLEZ VENEZ! MILORD VOUS AVEZ L'AIR D'UN MÔME LAISSEZ-VOUS FAIRE, MILORD VENEZ DANS MON ROYAUME JE SOIGNE LES REMORDS JE CHANTE LA ROMANCE JE CHANTE LES MILORDS

QUI N'ONT PAS EU DE CHANCE REGARDEZ-MOI, MILORD VOUS NE M'AVEZ JAMAIS VUE... MAIS VOUS PLEUREZ, MILORD ÇA, J' L'AURAIS JAMAIS CRU. [Spoken]EH! MAIS VOYONS, MILORD SOURIEZ-MOI, MILORD MIEUX QUE ÇA, UN P'TIT EFFORT... VOILÀ, C'EST ÇA! ALLEZ RIEZ! MILORD ALLEZ CHANTEZ! MILORD [Sings] TA DA DA DA... MAIS OUI, DANSEZ, MILORD TA DA DA DA... BRAVO! MILORD... TA DA DA DA…ENCORE, MILORD... TA DA DA DA...

MilordCome on, Milord, sit at my table,It's cold outside,In here, its comfortable, let me talk you into it.Take your ease,Put your troubles on my heartand your feet on my chair.I know you,You've never seen me,I'm only a girl of the harbor,a shadow of the street.However I brushed against youWhen we were passing yesterday,You were full of yourself indeed,The heavens showered blessings.You with your silk scarfflapping on your shoulder.You had the best part, you would have said, "The King".You marched as a victor

in the arms of a young woman,my God how beautiful she was,It made my heart cold.Come on, Milord, sit at my table,Its cold outside,In here, it's comfortable,Let me talk you into it.Take your ease,Put your troubles on my chair.I know you-You’ve never seem me,I'm only a girl of the harbor,A shadow of the street.And to think,All it takes is a ship,For everything to fall apart.When the ship goes awayit takes with it the sweet girl with tender eyes,who wasn't able to understandthat she shattered your life.Love makes you cry,Like the life that gave you all the luck,Just to take it back.Come on, Milord,you're acting like a kid,Come into my realm,I heal remorse, I sing about romance,I sing about milordswho never had any lucklook at me, Milord,You've never seen me.But you're crying, Milord,I never expected that.Ah well, look at me, Milord,Give me a smile,Better than that-A little effort!You see that's it!Come on, laugh, Milord!Come on, sing, Milord!Bravo, Milord!Again, Milord!

edith piaf on stageTranslations 3

From Leslie Fitzwater:This year I was asked, “Why is Edith Piafimportant?” I found myself tongue-tiedas all the reasons rushed forwardyelling, “Me! Pick me!” Now that I’vehad some time to reflect, let me share afew, selected thoughts. Until Piaf, France had its national stars(Damia, Fréhel, Mistingett), and its inter-national stars (Chevalier, Boyer, Gabin),but it had no super star. Piaf fit the bill.She was talented, daring, pushy, hyper-focused on perfection, choosy about herrepertoire, scandalous, and most impor-tant, had a clear vision of each step ofher career with the fortitude to stick it outtill the vision was realized. Piaf’s songs and orchestrations re-mained current with the times: in the20s she sang chansons réalistes; the30s were jazzy; the 40s were big bandstyle; the 50s sounded loungy; the 60shad rock ‘n roll beats. She insured herlegacy by inspiring composers (Emer,Dumont, Monnot, Contet) to write for her,and by association with her, elevatedtheir careers. She mentored othersingers (Yves Montand, Charles Az-navour, Les Compagnon), and jump-started their international careers. When Piaf died, the loss was so greatlyfelt, that there was a search to find herreplacement. Mireille Mathieu washanded that awesome, dubious honor.Edith Piaf created the French singingstyle clay from which subsequentsingers (Jacques Brel, Barbara, JullietteGreco, Ute Lemper, Ziaf, CarolineMoreau) have ripped their portion tomold singing styles of their own.

For further reading:NO REGRETS: THE LIFE OF EDITH PIAFby Carolyn BurkePIAF by Margaret CroslandWHEEL OF FORTUNE by Edith PiafTORCH SINGING: PERFORMING RESISTANCE AND DESIRE FROM BILLIEHOLIDAY TO EDITH PIAF by Stacy Holman JoFor further listening:Piaf au Carnegie Hall: 1956-1957Voice of the SparrowPiaf: 30th AnniversaireHymne to Love – Piaf’s recording inEnglish

French Connections inMilwaukeeby Mary Emory, Past President, Alliance Françaisede Milwaukee and Past Presidentof the Skylight Board

If PIAF ON STAGE has piqued your in-terest in the French language, there aremany opportunities to connect withFrench in Milwaukee. The AllianceFrançaise de Milwaukee is a chapter ofa worldwide organization based in Paris.Our mission is to promote, share andenjoy the culture, language and friend-ship of the French speaking world. Wehope that our presence in Milwaukee en-riches the cultural fabric of our commu-nity and we welcome all as members.No need to speak French – you mighteven learn some!The Alliance Française,1800 East Capitol Drive,53211, has classes for alllevels and many programsand events. A casse-croûte brown bag luncheach Wednesday from noon to two,luncheon downtown with a businesstopic the second Tuesday of oddmonths, evening programs on the thirdThursday are a few examples. Visit ourwebsite, www.afmilwaukee.org, or call 414-964-3855.The Festival of Films in French runs atthe UWM Union February 8 – 17, 2013,and all films are free thanks to variousfund raising efforts including a dinnerFebruary 4 at Chez Jacques. Bastille Days on Cathedral Square inEast Town will be July 11 – 14, 2013.One highlight will be the French Mass at5:15 on Saturday, July 13 at the Cathe-dral of St. John the Evangelist. Also, thisyear a choir of forty 13 to18 year oldFrench children will be performing eachday. We are looking for host families forthe four days to welcome the childrenand their parents into your home. If youwould be willing to entertain young peo-ple from France for four days, pleasecontact: Anne Leplae, Executive Direc-tor, Alliance Française de Milwaukee,414-431-0952. MERCI BEAUCOUP for your interest inFrench, and I hope you enjoy hearingEdith Piaf by Leslie Fitzwater.

edith piaf on stage

"On the steps of this house was born 19 Decem-ber 1915 in greatest destitution, Edith Piaf, thevoice which later was to change the world."