Claudia Hommel
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Claudia Hommel

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Chicago, Illinois, United States
Band Jazz Cabaret

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"Critic's Choice- by Neil Tesser"

Wednesday 2/5, Symphony Center—

With her throaty trill, floppy hat, and accordion-and-violin accompaniment, Chicago's Claudia Hommel plays the role of chanteuse-boulevardiere to the hilt.

It’s not Piaf, though, nor Dietrich or Garland that she's modeling herself on; instead, Hommel’s glassy tone and blithe celebrations of life make her seem a latter-day female counterpart to Maurice Chevalier, the quintessential French entertainer who successfully made the transition from the cabarets of early-20th-century Paris to the Broadway stage and Hollywood.

Like Chevalier, she sings of love and even lust without sounding desperate or wanton, and she incorporates the approach to sex that the French consider their birthright: the idea that if you simply think about it all the time, consider it perhaps the only thing that truly matters, you turn it into a subject fit for all and immune from leers.

In the music Hommel presents—French standards like “Autumn Leaves” and “C'est si bon,” as well as lesser-known tunes, in English and French—this attitude plays a role as important as the voice itself. Hommel, with her lovely intonation and clear timbre, wins on both counts.

She brings a terrific trio—pianist Bob Moreen, bassist Jim Cox, and accordionist Chuck Kopp—to the Symphony Center Club series, which includes dinner as well as the show, and she offers an unspoken guarantee that you'll think you paid for the evening in euros. - Chicago Reader


"A Night in Paris at Ravinia- by Dorothy Andries"

For a few hours the evening of Friday May 7, we were in Paris, transported by a marvelous cabaret show at the Ravinia Festival starring Claudia Hommel. The lovely chanteuse sang nearly all of her two dozen songs in French, with the exception of a few that had been written by Cole Porter or had crossed the Atlantic to become popular songs in English.

Among those were “My Man” and “Autumn Leaves” with English words by Johnny Mercer and they were sung in both French and English. Hommel is a cabaret artist, which means she is a song stylist and interpreter. An excellent actress, she can set a mood with a turn of her head or the look in her eyes. She spoke about each song, giving us the context in which it was written, and tidbits about the women who sang them.

Did you know that Erik Satie wrote a song for the Parisian singers Paulette Darty? Or that Francis Poulenc wrote a song with words by playwright Jean Anouilh for singer Yvonne Printemps? Neither did I, until Friday night.

Her program was divided into two parts, pre- and post World War II. Josephine Baker was the most familiar in the first set and Edith Piaf in the second.

In Piaf songs “Milord,” “Padam padam,” the finale “Non, je ne regrette rien” and the encore “La Vie En Rose,” Hommel made no attempt to imitate the “Little Sparrow,” but simply gave the pieces straight-up respectful renderings. She began “Autumn Leaves” unaccompanied, filling the room briefly with just her own clear voice. Only in the second verse was she joined by Bob Moreen at the piano and Don Stille on the accordion. Her colleagues are excellent musicians, Stille playing virtuoso riffs and Moreen also joining her on vocals now and again.

Hommel is a very pretty woman, her flawless skin topped with curly black hair and she made ample use of hats and at one point a bright red feather boa. She wore a mauve satin gown with a stole for the first half, then returned after intermission in a sleek deep purple skirt with form-fitting bodice.

Since so many French songs are about lost love, the program had plenty of drama. By the end of “My Man,” Hommel had collapsed in mock grief across the top of the grand piano!

The show marked the finale of the 2010 Rising Stars series at Ravinia, and it was held on the second floor dining room of the restaurant building. There was regular seating, but the front part of the room was also punctuated with cabaret tables, and a faint aroma of wine filled the air. The back of the stage area was marked off by a long red curtain.

Hommel told the audience that she was the first Chicago cabaret singer to be invited to Ravinia, hinting that the festival just might bring other local chanteuses to the festival. It would be a great idea. There were lots of new faces in the audience, so obviously she has a good fan base. For more about this remarkable Paris-born singer, visit her Web site, www.cabaret-paree.com. - Pioneer Press


Discography

Paris/Paree- 1997
Paris in the Jazz Age- 2000
Romance Language- 2002 (w/ Johnny Frigo)
The Jazz Faure Project- 2006 (w/ Sean Harris)

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Bio

A favorite from the Art Institute of Chicago to the Musée de Montmartre in Paris, actor/singer CLAUDIA HOMMEL is best known for her cabaret concerts of French and American songs celebrating Paris. Not limited to the role of French chanteuse, "Claudia Hommel is a gifted and uniquely versatile artist, with a wide range of roles demanding deep emotional commitment or zany satirical high-jinks and everything in between," writes her mentor, actor and director Alvin Epstein. Claudia's repertoire encompasses French chanson, American standards, 19th and 20th century art songs and theatre music. Her clear and beautiful voice, ranging from lyrical to gutsy, adds to her considerable appeal.

Born in Paris, raised in Detroit, seasoned in New York City and calling Chicago home, Claudia leads an active career as a theatrical singer in clubs, recital halls, museums, libraries and theatres from New York City to California. Described as a "bit of Audrey Hepburn, with something of Ginger Rogers, Leslie Caron, Maurice Chevalier and... Air Jordan," Claudia "will make you want to dance along the Seine."

In association with members of the American Association of Teachers of French and the Music Educators National Conference, Claudia tours her Parisian cabaret programs as artist-in-residence to secondary schools and colleges across the continent. Her academic background in history and archives infuses her school residencies, workshops and master classes with revelations of social and cultural history and criticism.

A member of the Actors Equity Association, Claudia appeared as Young Nadya in Joshua Sobol's Adam, Guenevere in Camelot, Elvira in Blithe Spirit, Artie in Lee Blessing's Eleemosynary, and Hermia in A Midsummer Night's Dream. She is also a member of the Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. She often shares the stage with other members of the Chicago Cabaret Professionals, which she co-founded in 1998.

The Maison Clobert label features Claudia's recordings of Parisian cabaret concerts: Paris/Paree, Paris in the Jazz Age, and Romance Language: French songs for lovers (featuring the legendary jazz violinist Johnny Frigo), and the classical-jazz crossover album The Jazz Fauré Project: au bord de l'eau.