"The French Project" Takes Over Gainsbourg For Three Nights

The cast of The French Project at Gainsbourg, Sept. 14-16.

Tonight through Wednesday, a collective of Seattle performers, writers, and musicians are launching an ambitious performance series called The French Project at Gainsbourg , the Francophile lounge Seattle Weekly music writer Hannah Levin opened up in Greenwood with her husband last year. The show starts at 8 p.m., but doors open at 7 p.m. and seating is limited ($10 at the door, 8550 Greenwood Ave. N.).

The core cast of the show features Erin Jorgensen, Sara Edwards, Basil Harris, and Charles Smith performing a repertoire of Parisian tunes from everyone from Edith Piaf to Jacques Brel to the bar's namesake, Serge Gainsbourg (plus, hopefully, Boris Vian, whose omission from the set-list would be tout à fait impensable! ).

Edwards and Jorgensen were half of a four piece performance group who wowed audiences at On the Boards ' Northwest New Works Festival this last spring with a deeply moving piece called Sunday Service , that explored the loss and persistence of religious faith through music and text. It was by far the deepest, most serious piece at the festival, and also suggests the musical talents of the group involved. The show also features two members of Seattle's Awesome! : Basil Harris, one of the core performers of The French Project , and Rob Witmer will be rocking the accordion.

Poet, solo performance artist, and plumber Allen Johnson also joins the crew to channel the Parisian  poète maudit par excellence Charles Baudelaire. And finally, Tania Kupczak will be screening a film shot by Seattle's busiest cinematographer, Ben Kasulke.