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Singer/Actress/Playwright/
Raquel Bitton is recognized as the foremost singer of French Jazz music in America today and has been internationally praised as the greatest interpreter of the music from the Edith Piaf repertoire.
The star of the award winning Film �Piaf..Her story..Her songs� currently airing on PBS stations nationwide.
Raquel has performed her hit show, �Raquel Bitton sings Piaf- her story, her songs� to sold-out performances at notable concert halls across North America including Three sold out performances at Carnegie Hall,once with Skitch Henderson and the New York Pops.
Raquel Bitton has performed as the headline soloist at the following venues.
- Carnegie Hall, New York, NY(2001,2002,2003)
- The Kennedy Center, Washington, DC
- The Elgin Theater, Toronto, Canada
- Massey Hall, Toronto, Canada
- Place des Arts, Montr�al, Canada
- Symphony Hall, Boston, Massachusetts
- Orchestra Hall, Chicago, Illinois
- The Academy of Music, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Benaroya Hall, Seattle, Washington
- Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco, California
- Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco, California
- San Francisco Opera House, San Francisco, California
- Herbst Theatre, San Francisco, California
- Lincoln Theater, Miami, Florida
- Club Sportif, Monaco
- -Feinsteins New York
- -Venetian Room, San Francisco Ca
Critical Acclaim
�MAGNIFICENT, EMOTIONAL, MESMERIZING�.
Musically stunning: ' Bitton�s impassioned delivery has a trance-like effect on a listener. Piaf and Billie Holiday share a poignancy that few others have mastered; Bitton, here, is one.� Phil Elwood, San Francisco Examiner
�BITTON�S VOCALS�HONORED PIAF�S STYLE
without strictly imitating it. No one could live up to a legend so inflated, but a bright interpreter like Ms. Bitton certainly can illuminate it.�
Ann Powers, The New York Times
�BITTON OFFERS TOUCHING TRIBUTE TO PIAF.
Bitton delivered a performance that would surely have been touching even to someone who�d never heard of Piaf. Classic pieces such as Sous le ciel de Paris; Milord; Non, je ne regrette rien; and, of course, La vie en rose triggered ecstatic applause from a packed crowd.�
Don Heckman, Los Angeles Times
�THERE IS THE UNMISTAKABLE PASSION
Ms. Bitton brings to her invocation of the Piaf vocal spirit.�
Barry Singer, The New York Times
"Passion is at the core of the "Piaf" Persona, in this case there is a surrogate, she is RAQUEL BITTON." �
Anna Kisselgoff, The New York Times
"Dear Raquel, your singing is superb, and I was so happy to find out to which extent you possess the "Climat" PIAF. Your voice, your heart, your talent would have pleased her so much, I assure you. -
Henri Contet (Author of more than 40 of Piaf's songs..Le Vieux Piano, T'es beau tu sais...)
�PIAF IS BORN AGAIN � RAQUEL BITTON BRINGS A LEGEND BACK TO LIFE.
Raquel Bitton went straight to the audience�s heart like Piaf before her�. [Carnegie Hall] was packed with people far as the eye could see. Raquel Bitton�s show was well and truly sold out! This singer doesn�t simply imitate, she performs in her own right and performs with the same burning passion of the one and only Madame Piaf! That Saturday night, another star was born.�
Myriem Wong, France Amerique/Radio France International/Figaro.
For more reviews: www.raquelbitton.com
Fact Sheet:
Film
"Piaf- her story, her songs". A docu-concert film written by and starring Raquel Bitton. Won several prestigious film festival awards and was released by Lions Gate Films in 2003. PIAF..Her story..Her songs� is now airing on PBS stations nationwide
Theater
Commissioned by Tony Award winning Theatreworks in California, Raquel Bitton conceived and co-wrote "The Sparrow and the Birdman", a three person play with music celebrating the friendship between the French poet Jean Cocteau and the legendary French singer Edith Piaf.
Ballet
Le Ballet des coeurs �Hearts�, Raquel was responsible for the concept and scenario of this full-length ballet that married the story line of the classic French film �les enfant du paradis� with selected songs from the Piaf repertoire that tell the story which was choreographed by Michael Smuin. A 65 piece orchestra accompanied Raquel as the ballet was preformed at the Opera House in San Francisco for two seasons with the San Francisco Ballet and at the Kennedy Center in DC with the Washington Ballet.
Radio/TV
- Co-Produced �The Nights of Edith Piaf� for National Public Radio
- Consultant for and appeared in the PBS television documentary, �La Vie en Rose�
Discography (seven albums to date)
- Boleros (French Latin Jazz recording)
- Paris Blues
- Dream a little Dream
- Raquel Bitton sings Edith Piaf
- In a Jazzy Mood
- Changes (Country)
- Wish You Love
Sparrow Productions Inc
(415) 883 3393
www.raquelbitton.com
Email : Sparrowprdct@aol.com
Reviews
Piaf: Her Story, Her Songs (2003)
The composers who wrote for Piaf said about this film
Following are comments from composers, authors and close friends of Edith Piaf shown in the film in support of Raquel Bitton and her Film "PIAF...HER STORY...HER SONGS"
"Raquel, the film is magnifique, I loved it, you did a fantastic job, you should be proud of yourself."
Francis Lai, legendary composer who wrote for Piaf and wrote the theme song in collaboration with Michel Rivgauche for Raquel in "Piaf- her story..her songs."
"Raquel, today when I think of you, and it's very often, I am very proud of you, I know that Piaf also is proud of you. A thousand Bravos and thank you for your extraordinary film, so right on, so tender!"
Rosalie Dubois, famous French chanteuse and a dear friend of Piaf.
Thank you infinitely for your film"Piaf..Her story..Her songs." You have succeeded in capturing the essence and myth of Edith Piaf with Bravado. What a beautiful interpretation, it's not an easy thing. You have an intonation that reminds me of Edith. It's a compliment coming from me, because we were together so much, being the wife of her conductor. I traveled with her for years.
Monique Chauvigny, wife of life long Piaf conductor Robert Chauvigny.
What a beautiful gift you gave Edith on her 40th anniversary of her death. The images, the sound, you and us are all PERFECT! It's for us a great honor to know that she is loved and honored in the USA.
Bernard Marchois, curator of the Piaf museum in Paris (Les amis d'Edith Piaf)
I saw the film and it filled my heart with joy. What a magnificent interpretation of "T'es beau tu sais." I have goose pimples! Your film is very important to me and is particularly dear to my heart. Thank you again a thousand times for this gift, it's magnificent! Doris Contet, wife of one of Piaf's favorite composer Henri Contet.