Being Piaf: Jil Aigrot is “Edith!”
I have noticed a trend lately creeping into the American theatre, the tribute show. Within the last few months on Broadway you could go and experience a night with the Beatles or Janis Joplin. Even though two out of four of the boys from Liverpool and the famous queen of soul have passed on, their music lives on through talented performers who channel them nightly. Several years ago a group of savvy producers came together and built a Tony Award winning musical around a tribute to Frankey Valli and the Four Seasons. Jersey Boys is still playing to sold out audiences years later. On November 1st and 2nd, Pace Presents will bring another tribute show to the Schimmel Stage. “Edith” is a tribute to the late, great French chanteuse, Edith Piaf.
Jil Aigrot rose to international acclaim after prviding the singing voice for Marion Cotillard in “La Vie En Rose”
There is one key factor that sets this event a part from your average tribute show, Jil Aigrot. “But who is Jil Aigrot?” you ask. You may have missed her name (and face) but you have probably heard her voice. Jil Aigrot was the singing voice for Marion Cotillard in the award winning Piaf bio pic, La Vie En Rose. Ms. Cotillard even won the 2008 Oscar for portraying the great diva and I would venture to say that a part of that award also belongs to Ms. Aigrot. After all, half of the performance was the music and it was Piaf’s musical gift that brought her to international attention.
How did this relatively unknown concert performer become the voice of Edith Piaf? As Jil Aigrot would explain herself, it was sheer luck. A popular cabaret singer in her home city of Cannes, Jil Aigrot was used to requests from Piaf’s famous repertoire. She decided to put together a concert of Piaf’s hits and discovered in her research that there was to be a book signing of a biography on Piaf’s life. Intrigued by the fact that the book was penned by Piaf’s close friend, Ginou Richer, she decided to attend the event and have the book signed. While meeting Richer, Aigrot decided to tell her of her upcoming concert tribute to Piaf. Richer asked her to sing something on the spot. When she was through with her song, Richer proclaimed, “You have something of her!” While Aigrot was pleased with the compliment, she didn’t think much of it until a few months later when she was personally contacted by Richer and was invited to audition for the movie.
Although she was never seen in the movie, playing the voice of Edith Piaf became the role of a lifetime and was a major career changer for Aigrot. She is now an internationally recognized voice and her concert has received world-wide acclaim! Aigrot attributes her recent success to, “faith, luck and a trip to the book store” but I would have to add one other element to that list and that is her undeniable talent. She not only has incredible pipes but she has the ability to become Piaf. You surely won’t be able to find a better tribute anywhere else.
Edith Piaf is perhaps France’s best known voice of the 20th Century.
Edith Performed by Jil Aigrot/Friday and Saturday, November 1st and 2nd/7:30pm/ $45/$35/ $25
For Tickets, visit schimmel.pace.edu or call (866) 811-4111
See you at the Schimmel!
Michael Torbet
2013-14 Pace Presents Blogger
