Throughout the concert, there were film clips of Piaf in concert, including on the Ed Sullivan Show Édith Piaf was surely smiling when Thursday night’s vibrant tribute to her life and music opened with a animated duet of La Foule by French singers Nolwenn Leroy and Zaz. La Foule—“The Crowd”—is about the chance encounter of two people in the midst of a festive crowd who, as quickly as they connect, they are separated. So much of Piaf’s life seemed fated for disappointment, but this sold-out Francofolies de New York Festival was beautifully orchestrated to ensure a remarkable celebration of her life and music. There were no—well, very few—disappointments. Waiting in line Francofolies was founded in 1985 in La Rochelle, on France’s west coast, north of Bordeaux. It has grown to be one of Europe’s most popular music festivals and now hosts such festivals in Belgium and Quebec. This past Thursday, September 19, marked its debut in the United States, at the Beacon Theatre in New York’s Upper West Side. The Francofolies de New York Festival was sold out at the Beacon Theatre At 7:30, when the show was to start, the line to get in to the sold-out venue was [...]