French Musicals- Page 2

[Solstrom]

Posted: 1/19/07 at 8:30am

Maybe don't forget all songs with Liliane Montevecchi (Nine, Follies, Grand Hotel) : there's always something about Paris or Folies Bergère inside
The Funny Face soundtrack with "Bonjour Paris"...
DRS which takes place in French Riviera
South Pacific (with Emile De Becque)...

But, if you want discover other stuff there's original french cast recordings like :
- Starmania (Tycoon is the english version)
- Sol En Cirque (a very good musical tale with métaphore about children with Aids)
- La Révolution Française (first Boublil & Schonberg musical)
- Les 1001 vies d'Ali Baba (very fun)
- Roméo & Juliette (actually in Séoul and in french korean site) https://www.romeonjuliette.com)
- Chance ! (five non stop years in Paris, but the closing show was the last 31/12)
- Battemements de Coeur pour duo de cordes (very poetic and charming)
- Autant en emporte le vent (Gone With the Wind)
- Le Roi Soleil (the actual smash hit about Louis XIV)
- La Vie en Bleu (about Picasso's life)
- Le Passe-Muraille (original french version of "Amour")
- Irma La Douce
- Y'a de la joie (about Charles Trenet life)
and some others.....
And of course french version of Broadway musicals as Chicago, Cats, Nine, Sweet Charity, Cabaret (https://www.cabaret-lemusical.fr and https://www4.fnac.com/Shelf/article.aspx?PRID=1928630&OrderInSession=1&Mn=3&Mu=-13&SID=5aac3ec6-5bc9-79cd-1524-1a557bd98e5a&TTL=200120071424&Origin=FnacAff&Ra=-28&To=0&Nu=3&UID=0FE01489D-745E-A45C-F16B-E454C9305BB0&Fr=0 ) and soon Lion King (https://www.leroilion.fr)
If you want something, pm me if I can help you.

Updated On: 1/19/07 at 08:30 AM

[mrcacou]

Posted: 1/19/07 at 9:39am

Le Cabaret des hommes perdus which is a great success with Jerome Pradon right now. The theme is somehow akward but still it is a great piece of musical theatre. At least I got to understand what hey were singing not like in those huge Concerts in Costumes like Romeo & Juliette and Le Roi Soleil with dumb lyrics like for example in R&J : To Love is to fly high and touch the birds' wings. OMG

[Jon]

Posted: 1/19/07 at 9:44am

Dear World
Gigi
Carnival
Irma LaDouce
Fanny
Mirette
Martin Guerre

[Piercemn]

Posted: 1/19/07 at 10:15am

I, too, was going to recommend the Umbrellas of Cherbourg, as well as Amour, and was going to remind you that both Les Miserables and Miss Saigon, as well as The Pirate Queen are written by French composers. Don't forget Gigi. The soundtracks (from movies, not theatre) for both 8 Femmes (8 Women) and Something's Got to Give have French music on them, the latter, lots of blues and jazz.

Another French musical people forget about is Irma La Douce, the stage version, not the movie. They may have Gershwin scores, but both the films Funny Face and An American in Paris are set, at least partially, in Paris.

If I think of any more, I'll add them later. Thanks for this link. It's fascinating.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 1/19/07 at 12:07pm

I don't think anyone mentioned the song "Come Play Wiz Me" from Anyone Can Whistle or the French musical Les Enfants du Soliel.

[SeanMartin]

Posted: 1/19/07 at 12:43pm

For something more Contact-ish, look up Le Bal, a history of Paris from 1920 to about 1960, all done with dance. It's a very strange little film, but absolutely charming. Based on a stage work, BTW.

[Julian2]

Posted: 1/19/07 at 1:11pm

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is set in France, but proably the most American of the French-set musicals.

Those guys are french! These fries are french!

[Lance2]

Posted: 1/19/07 at 2:55pm

Hey, I'm new to this board so here goes my first post:

I think it's a good choice to go with Le Roi Soleil, Notre Dame de Paris and Romeo & Julliet since they're good representation of the way the French make musicals.

There is a certain feel of a pop concert in most of the French musical from the last years starting with Notre Dame de Paris. Notre Dame de Paris and Romeo & Julliet also had international succes and I think that Le Roi Soleil will follow.

My personal favourite French show is Ali Baba, but taht's just because it's too much fun...

[Solstrom]

Posted: 1/19/07 at 4:06pm

Yeah, Ali Baba is very fun ! Between 10 Commandements and Roméo & Juliette, is my favourite.
Roméo & Juliette is, for me, very bad, as Le Roi Soleil.
Overall, this kind of shows doesn't play in theater but almost arena, like a concert.
So, for the sets, is very often big screen with projections, and stage lifts with maybe 5 up and down movements during one song....
And sooo often singers doesn't have good acting and/or good dancing.....
But it works because there are Medias behind these kind of shows....
I prefer shows in theater like "Sugar", "Chantons Sous La Pluie - Singin' in the rain", "Un Violon Sur Le Toit - Fiddler on The Roof", "Créatures", musical play in real theater, with real orchestra....and very great cast !

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 1/19/07 at 6:12pm

The French version of The Little Prince

Another is Don Juan

Updated On: 1/19/07 at 06:12 PM

[yankee_fan907]

Posted: 1/19/07 at 6:58pm

Don't forget "Dites-Moi" and the French version of "Bali Hai" from South Pacific!

[mrcacou]

Posted: 1/20/07 at 6:36am

Tintin est le Temple du Soleil also have nice moments. The Little Prince has awesome moments but it was really boring. Right now the big thing in Paris is Sam Mendes' Cabaret. For once we are lucky as the French Cast recording will be out on January 29th.