Jayne Paterson to Join 'Jacques Brel' Cast, Jan. 9

Jayne Paterson will join Constantine Maroulis in the hit musical revival of Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, directed by Gordon Greenberg, now playing Off-Broadway at The Zipper Theatre. Their first performance will be Tuesday, January 9, 2007. 

Paterson, an understudy for both female roles since the production opened in March, is assuming the role being vacated by original cast member, Natascia Diaz.

Paterson's Broadway credits include Les Miserables and Jane Eyre.  She has appeared in regional productions of The Wizard of Oz, The Tempest, A Little Night Music, Godspell, Anne of Green Gables, and Romeo and Juliet.  She most recently played Sally Bowles in the Stages St. Louis procuction of Cabaret.

In addition to the cast changes, the production will begin the following performance schedule effective January 9:   Tuesdays at 7pm, Wednesday - Saturday evenings at 8pm, with matinees on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday at 3pm.

The revue "transforms Brel's astonishing musical compositions into a theatrical experience that has enthralled audiences for nearly four decades. The original show opened in 1968 at The Village Gate in Greenwich Village and ran for more than four years," according to press materials.

"With a cast of four actors and three musicians, the show celebrates Brel's timeless relevance and enduring passions. Translated from the French by American poet Eric Blau and lyricist Mort Shuman ('Save The Last Dance For Me'), the show is a diverse blend of ballads, tangos, boleros, rock and classics. With raw human emotion, each piece tells a story, examining themes of love, war, adventure, broken dreams, people from all classes, being young, growing old and death...but never forgetting that life, with all its tragedies and complexities, shows us much humor."

The current cast includes Robert Cuccioli (Jekyll & Hyde, Les Misérables), Natascia Diaz (Man of La Mancha, tick, tick...BOOM!), Gay Marshall (A Chorus Line, The Baker's Wife-Paper Mill) and Jim Stanek (Lestat). The production team is comprised of: Robert Bissinger (Set Design), Jeff Croiter (Lighting Design), Mattie Ullrich (Costume Design), Peter Fitzgerald (Sound Design) and Kevin Bertolacci (Production Stage Manager).    
                                              
Jacques Brel... is now playing at The Zipper Theatre (336 West 37th Street). Tickets can be purchased through Telecharge (212) 239-6200 or www.telecharge.com.  Visit www.jacquesbrelreturns.com for more information.