Midnight Confession

On Friday, Alliance Francaise did a special cabaret for Valentine's day. With only love, though not necessarily happy, songs, the show had the provocative name Chansons Sur L'oreiller (pillow songs). It was an intriguing premise, but the night turned out to be a dud.

First, I missed out on my free glass of plonk. The usher didn't tell me that you had to get your wine before sitting down. Second, instead of the cute pixie girls with the buttery Parisian accents, a middle aged woman sat next to me. It wasn't her age that bothered me, but rather the way she plopped her purse and coat in the next seat and when queried by a harried usher, baldly lied that she was reserving it. In my head, proper French women would not be so gauche. Finally, the singers didn't have the pipes for the show.

A bed was set up on the slightly raised stage. Two couples, who started the evening snuggled up in bed, led us on a journey from first love, passion, to betrayal, indifference, and finally the inevitable break-up through 22 songs. Sophie Perceval served as MC in the Rive Gauche cabaret and joined in for a song or two. In this one, she was the female vocalist and sang about half the songs, alternating with the male singer. Unfortunately, she's an average singer, about as good as any bathroom crooner, who tends to be a bit flat. Mitch Smolkin sang the other 12 or so songs. He's got a stronger voice, given that he is a musician, but it was still (as Randy Jackson would say) "a bit pitchy". Denis Schingh provided the piano accompaniment.

The problem was that with just piano and voice, a singer needed the power of a balladeer or a broadway singer. You don't have to have a "good" voice to do rock and roll, see Bob Dylan, but you do in a cabaret. After the first couple of songs, I was ready to leave but didn't want to draw attention in the small but packed room. With 22 songs in the set, I was hoping that there would be an intermission when I could have snuck out. No such luck

Song List: Les mots et les gestes; Ce matin-la; Les mots de rien; Reste avec moi; Je ne sais pas ou tu commences; Une nuit sur son epaule; Attention fragile; J'me sens bas belle; Le grand sommeil; Sarah (Georges Moustaki); Il n'aurait fallu; Le lit; De l'amour a l'amour, In der Finster (Dans la noirceur); Fuir le bonheur de peur qu'il ne se sauve, By the Time I Get to Phoenix; Je t'ecris; La chanson des vieux amants; Nous dormirons ensemble; Paper Thin Hotel; Ne me quitte pas; Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye