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Bay Street Theater & Sag Harbor Center for the Arts has announced the December 2018 concert Jacques Brel by Alfredo Merat will be available to stream online at baystreet.org on Monday, August 17, at 8 p.m. as part of Bay Street's online programming platform Bay Street To-Go.
Tickets to watch this recorded concert (performed live at Bay Street Theater) are available online at baystreet.org for $20. Ticket purchasers will receive a link to the event, and will receive a reminder email as the airdate approaches. Fifty percent of the net proceeds go directly to the artist, as Bay Street continues in its mission to support local artists, even during the pandemic.
Who was Jacques Brel? An iconic Belgian singer, songwriter, actor who composed and performed literate and theatrical songs making him a mysterious and legendary figure in the 1960s.
The story and music of Jacques Brel, one of the most popular singers of French songs, comes to life on stage with Alfredo Merat's tribute to this music legend, which marked the 40th year anniversary of his death. Brel was a master of la Chanson Francaise.
"The universe of Brel," says Alfredo Merat, "his passions, his truth, his ironies, contradictions, his love, his hatred brings his real life in his songs and story."
For the performance, Merat invited special musical guests to help deliver a unique production. The songs are in French with an English narrative. Songs include: Ne Me Quitte Pas, Le Plat Pays, le Diable, ca va, Madeleine, Bruxelles, la Chanson de Jacky, Quand on n'a que l'amour, Le Moribond, Les Bonbons 64 & 67, and more.Alfredo Merat is an East Hampton-based singer/songwriter known for his passionate Latin-flavored compositions and guitar style. Born in Madrid, Spain, and raised in Bordeaux, France, he has been channeling the music of Jacques Brel into an intimate live music portrait of the famed Belgian singer. He began the coffee houses circuit at age 17 and has toured all over Europe, the Caribbean, and the United States. His influences range from Flamenco to Jazz, reggae and rock. His band, Europa, and the Europa Jam Sessions, have become staples of the East End music scene.
Bay Street To-Go, Bay Street's virtual entertainment and education program, is an online platform that provides engaging live theater experiences for our audience and patrons, at a time when in-person programming just isn't an option. We are excited to bring our community this creative outlet in the form of Facebook streams, virtual sing-alongs on Zoom, or online education classes. While we continue to respect quarantines and mandatory lockdowns, we are eager to be able to explore this new online platform, and hope to keep it as a programming option at Bay Street Theater even when we're all able to gather together again under one roof.
