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‘Triplets of Belleville’ Screened With Live Orchestra Playing Film Score

‘Triplets of Belleville’ Screened With  Live Orchestra Playing Film Score on Stage
‘Triplets of Belleville’ Screened With Live Orchestra Playing Film Score on Stage

The Triplets of Belleville Cine-Concert is a unique cinematic and musical experience involving an 8-piece orchestra playing, singing, dancing and performing live in sync to the Oscar-nominated animation feature The Triplets of Belleville on Friday, October 28, at 7:30 p.m. at the Redfern Arts Center at Keene State College.

Benoît Charest, the composer of the film soundtrack, conducts and plays with “Le Terrible Orchestre de Belleville,” a group of well-known Québecois jazz musicians as they transport audiences to the exciting streets of 1930s Paris and Le Jazz Hot era where the film is set. The 2002 animated film follows the kidnapping of a Tour de France cyclist, who is spirited across the ocean to the teeming metropolis of Belleville. His near-sighted grandmother and faithful dog follow his trail and are taken in by a trio of eccentric jazz-era divas. The motley sleuths follow the clues to an underground speakeasy, where they entertain the crowd, and then the chase is on for the henchmen and her kidnapped grandson! To mark the tenth anniversary of The Triplets of Belleville, Montreal jazz composer and guitarist Benoît Charest decided to present a live soundtrack, played in sync with the film which has no actual dialogue with the story told entirely through sound effects, music and visual action. The musical performance requires split-second timing and the use of some very unusual instruments including a teapot, a newspaper, and an upside down bicycle.

The French/Quebec animated film, The Triplets of Belleville, was a resounding success with nominations at the Academy Awards, the Canadian Genies, and the French Césars. It was a hit with audiences as well with its visual mixture of grotesquerie and absurdity along with storyline which went straight to your heart. One of the main people responsible for this success was Charest, who wrote the music for the film and was nominated for a Best Music Oscar for the film, and Best Song Oscar for its theme song, “Belleville Rendez-Vous”.

The New York Times said that The Triplets of Belleville Cine-Concert is “a tour de force of ink-washed, cross-hatched mischief.” So come along with us to the streets of Paris in the 1930s and hear the sounds of Le Jazz Hot, when The Triplets of Belleville fills the Redfern’s big screen with composer Benoit Charest leading the Le Terrible Orchestre de Belleville on Friday, October 28.

There are several free activities surrounding The Triplets of Belleville Cine-Concert, all of which take place on Friday, October 28, on the Keene State campus.

  • A public discussion with Benoit Charest on Music Composition for Film at 2 p.m. in the Redfern’s Alumni Recital Hall. Charest shares some of his work and talks about his approach to collaboration and making music for film.
  • A pre-show listening party and salon to sample the sounds of Le Jazz Hot and get in the swing of things with refreshments in the Harry Davis Room off the Redfern main lobby.
  • A post-show meet and greet reception with the artists follows the performance in Redfern’s main lobby. For questions or more details on these activities, contact Redfern Assistant Director, Sharon Fantl, sfantl@keene.edu.

Tickets to The Triplets of Belleville Cine-Concert range from $32 to $18 depending on seating. A $3 per ticket discount coupon is available in local newspapers. For tickets, call the Redfern Box Office at 603-358-2168 or visit keene.edu/arts/redfern.

Ticket discounts also are available to people who become members of the Redfern Circle. Membership provides many benefits including preferred seating and invitations to special events. The Redfern also offers a student membership option, which is a great way for students to attend performances together.

The Triplets of Belleville Cine-Concert is sponsored by The Peak Radio.

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