Chansons - Piaf, Brel & Me - Bringing Stories And Songs From France To New Zealand

Showing digitally online at the Dunedin Fringe Festival from 13–23 March 2025

Live life the French way! Chansons is a charming and revelatory song-cycle that crosses borders from the boulevards of Paris to Hollywood to delight audiences around the world with songs from many of Europe’s most acclaimed songwriters bursting with joie de vivre.

Chansons is a journey through childhood memories, the flavours of French cuisine, and the richness of Gallic culture, with an evocative soundtrack of French music. Step into a world of love, friction, freedom, and nostalgia as personal stories bring France to life. Each story unveils the nuances of life, woven together with timeless songs to amplify every emotion, thought, and experience. From heartfelt reflections to the rhythms of France, this immersive experience invites audiences to feel, remember, and dream.

Featuring songs in French, English, and with a touch of German, Chansons offers an experience that everyone can enjoy – no French needed! With English explanations guiding each song, the themes come to life in an engaging and accessible way. Step into an original cabaret of timeless melodies that celebrates savoir vivre, offering a charming reflection on life’s moments and the philosophies that shape the way we live. Allow yourself to be carried away by the magic of music and storytelling!

This extraordinarily warm-hearted show is written, produced, and brought to life by Stefanie Rummel, who has captivated audiences across the globe, not only in France and Germany but Australia, Finland, Iceland, Luxembourg, Norway, the UK and the US. Fluent in English, French, and German, Rummel seamlessly brings her shows to life in multiple languages. With an impressive 11-year run in the musical Nunsense, Rummel has also graced the stage in beloved productions such as Kiss Me, Kate, Sweet Charity, and Jesus Christ Superstar. Her one-woman shows and musical cabarets are a sought-after experience, delighting audiences in theatres, on cruise ships, in variety shows, and at exclusive events worldwide. Rummel has earned recognition in numerous national, international, and television singing competitions, including performances with the renowned HR Big Band.

In Chansons, Rummel has been accompanied by pianists from around the world, including Bobgan Pieleanu (Romania), Tom Schlueter (Germany), Bob Egan (US), Vignir Þór Stefánsson (Iceland), and Andreas Sommer (Germany).

Rummel has performed Chansons live in Germany (Gallus Theater, Frankfurt, Ballhaus, Berlin) at the Reykjavik Fringe Festival (Iceland), Edinburgh Fringe (UK), Adelaide Fringe (Australia) and digitally at Living Record Festival, Lathi Fringe, Solo Art Heals from MarshStream (San Francisco),Bob Egan’s Virtual Piano Bar (US) and the Theatermakers Summit Cabaret (New York). As a guest artist she performed on the cruise to Greenland with two of her solo shows.

Chansons was nominated for Producer of the Year and Choice Theatermaker awards in 2021, and Best Player and Best Musical from Ken Davenport in New York in 2022. Rummel also won awards for 1st Best Chansons, 2nd Best Music Video and Best Composer, 3rd Best Folk Song and Best Musical Theatre Song. At the Estrel Song Contest she won the fourth place as Liza Minelli. With Jacques Brel’s song ‘Amsterdam’ Stefanie Rummel was the finalist as the Best Vocalist at the Intercontinental Music Award and she received the Silver Medal from the Global Music Award in 2022. Press acclaim includes ‘A fascinating show’ (LondonTheatre1) and ‘Rummel’s voice is outstanding’ (The Reviews Hub).

In an ever-changing and challenging world here is an invitation to come, leave your troubles outside, and escape for an hour into a world of love, discovery, and song that will leave audiences humming the show’s melodies out into the night.

www.chansons.show

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