Piaf

Piaf was a musical theatre production by The Norwegian Theatre, produced in 2004, and based on a script by Pam Gems.

Matthias Davids directed it, and Heidi Gjermundsen Broch acted in the title role.

At the webpage of The Norwegian Theatre the following, among other things, is written about Piaf:

"Edith Gassion was born in a street in Paris December 19 1915. She grew up with her grandmother, who was a cook at a brothel in Normandy. Later her father took hand of her and thought her how to sing in the streets. In 1935 she was discovered by the nightclub owner Louis Leplee. He was the one to give her the name 'La Môme Piaf' - the little sparrow. With a distinct voice and her very own style she soon made her breakthrough."

Information

(Objekt ID 32875)
Object type Production
Premiere October 16, 2004
Produced by The Norwegian Theatre
Based on Piaf by Pam Gems
Audience Adults
Audience size 51803
Number of events 81
Language Norwegian Nynorsk
Keywords Theatre, Musical theatre
Running period October 16, 2004  
Duration 2 hours, 35 minutes, including an interval
Website Det Norske Teatret
More

At the webpage of The Norwegian Theatre the following, among other things, is written about Piaf:

"At the height of her career she was the best paid songstress in the world. She toured a lot in Europe as well as America, and early in her career she also took part in some movies. Still, it was as a recording artist she conquered the world. Milord, Les Trois Cloches, La vie en rose and Non, je ne regrette rien - if her body was small and spare, her voice was grand. But her life was marked by scandal, and she became a myth at an early time.

She loved many men, married twice, but never with her greatest love: the boxer Marcel Cerdan. The French-Algerian died in a flight accident, and Piaf never came over the tragedy.

She led a hard life, and it fluctuated from the highest tops to the deepest humiliation. Alcohol, illness and morphine characterised large parts of her life, but she never lost hold of herself, her roots. Who she was, where she came from, what she represented - all of this she knew, and she was honest towards herself. There has barely been another singer as loved as Piaf.

She only lived until 47. October 14 1963 more than 40 000 people followed her to her grave."

Source:

The Norwegian Theatre, detnorsketeatret.no, 16.10.2012, http://www.detnorsketeatret.no/index.php?option=com_play&view=play&playid=239

Performance dates
October 16, 2004Hovudscenen, The Norwegian Theatre Opening night