A touch of France comes to Teaneck June 21 and 22 when the TEANECK FESTIVAL OF ARTS production of "Piaf: Love Conquers All" is presented at the Garage Theatre Group in Residence at Fairleigh Dickinson University’s Becton Theatre. The hit Off- Broadway one-woman show, a Tone Poet Music Production, celebrates the life of famed, legendary French singer Edith Piaf.
Before its successful 10 week commercial Off-broadway run earlier this year “Piaf: Love Conquers All” was named “Outstanding Musical” in the New York International Fringe Festival in 2007 and was chosen to be among the “Top Ten of the 2005 Toronto Fringe Festival.” The production toured Canada and has just returned from the Piccolo Spoleto Festival in South Carolina. Actress Naomi Emmerson, who has appeared in film and television and played leading theatrical roles in the U.S. and Canada, stars as Edith Piaf in the production.
Ms. Emmerson sings 13 songs in French, including, “La Vie En Rose,” and "Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien,” made famous by the renowned French chanteuse who struggled with drug and alcohol addiction but still became the highest paid female singer in the world in the 1950s. “She was the ultimate French singer in Paris during the 30s, 40s, 50s and just about the beginning of the 60s,” said Ms. Emmerson, who designed and helped write and directed the production. “Piaf made a big hit here in New York. She’s the music of the heartbroken, the poor, the downtrodden…”
Of the extended engagement before full houses at The Soho Playhouse in New York, Reviewer Bryan Close said: “There’s a lot here to love.” Reviewer Markos Papadatos declared: “Piaf: Love Conquers All” is one remarkable and truly unforgettable theatrical experience.... “Emmerson manages to transform into Edith Piaf and introduces the singer’s craft to a whole new generation. The audience (gains) a deeper understanding of the life of Edith Piaf and French culture; moreover, they (also gain) a deeper appreciation of love, faith and hope, three exceptional qualities which Piaf exhibited the best in her short life. “It was deserving of the standing ovation it received at the end of the play.”
Teaneck Festival of Arts production of “Piaf: Love Conquers All” can be seen at Fairleigh Dickinson University’s Becton Theatre on River Road on the Teaneck campus Saturday, June 21 at 8 pm and on Sunday, Teaneck’s Unity Day, at 2pm. The Sunday matinee will be followed by a question and answer session with Naomi Emmerson. Tickets are $20, $15 for students. To reserve tickets call 1-800-811-2909. Tickets will be on sale starting June 1 at the Teaneck Public Library on Teaneck Road and at Animations Toy Store, 475 Cedar Lane in Teaneck. Visit the TFOA website: www.teaneckfoa.org for more info.
This is the third production so far this year by the Teaneck Festival of Arts, which previously presented “Teaneck’s Tapestry of Talent” in January and “On The Edge – A Fabulous Night of Offbeat Comedy and Sublime Jazz Vocals” last April, as well as two Visual Art Shows at the Teaneck Public Library. The mission of the Teaneck Festival of Arts is to establish a permanent Center for Film and the Arts in Teaneck. TFOA is a project of the Puffin Foundation, which supports cultural and educational programs in Teaneck. TFOA enjoys the support of local businesses and organizations including the Teaneck Economic Development Corporation, the Teaneck Suburbanite, Holy Name Hospital, Fairleigh Dickinson University, the Cedar Lane Management Group, as well as the Township Council and many other community leaders.
