Two Profound Paths Cross

One of those artistic miracles that is almost impossible to believe. Man of La Mancha, of course, is the Show That Cannot Die. (I've been in productions that were so bad they *should* have died, but that didn't stop the standing ovations for one of the most profound musicals of the 20th century.) Brel, meanwhile, is a singer whose passion, sorrow and wisdom cut through any language barrier. So how strange and wonderful that Brel should translate Man of La Mancha into French, then star it it himself! What prompted him I've never fully understood. (The story is recounted in Eric Blau's book about "Jaques Brel is Alive and Well...") I gather that Brel, who himself always seemed so intent on facing life as it is with courage, found some strange sympathy with the Cervantes who said "Perhaps insanity lies in seeing life as it is, and not as it should be." There is no way to listen to this recording without hearing both the English (Richard Kiley) version and Brel's own songs in one's head. You'll be pondering it for days afterwards.