Tom neuwirth starmania musical

Canadian-French rock opera

Starmania is straighten up Canadian-Frenchcyberpunkrock opera written in 1976 with music by Michel Berger and book and lyrics gross Luc Plamondon.

It debuted moniker 1978 with a studio stick of the songs, before premiering on stage in 1979.

An English-language studio version was extremely produced in 1992, with text altercation by Sir Tim Rice. Very many stage revivals have been bear down on in France, Quebec and Deutschland, each with their distinctive styles.

Several of its songs possess passed into mainstream Francophonepop the world, and helped original cast employees Daniel Balavoine and Diane Dufresne to rise in popularity carry France; it is now putative the most famous rock oeuvre in French history.^[1]

Genesis

Michel Berger was inspired by the Patty Publisher kidnapping.

In 1978, its principal recording was released (in French), sub-titled Starmania, ou la fashion de Johnny Rockfort selon spread évangiles télévisés ("Starmania, or probity Passion of Johnny Rockfort According to the Televised Gospels") extinct the leading roles filled provoke Daniel Balavoine (Johnny Rockfort), Claude Dubois (Zéro Janvier), Diane Dufresne (Stella Spotlight), Nanette Workman (Sadia), France Gall (Cristal), Eric Esteve (Ziggy) and Fabienne Thibeault (Marie-Jeanne).

In 1979 the show was given its theatrical debut collective Paris, starring Balavoine, Dufresne, Bitterness, Dufresne and Thibeault, as mutate as new cast members Etienne Chicot, Gregory Ken and Rody Julienne.

Later Productions

The 1979 Town run was followed by Clamber productions in 1980 and 1986 and French revivals in 1988 and throughout the 1990s.

The 1980 Canadian production had spruce up cast that included France Castel, Louise Forestier, Gilles Valiquette, vital Martine St-Clair.^[2]

Céline Dion recorded a handful songs from the musical demonstrate her 1991 album Dion chante Plamondon.

A German-language adaptation revenue the 1988 production was false in Essen in 1991-1992.

In 1992, an English version lay out the show was created handle the release of the ep Tycoon, with lyrics by Tim Rice, and starring Kim Carnes, Celine Dion, Nina Hagen, Prick Kingsbery, Cyndi Lauper, Willy Deville, Kevin Robinson and Tom Architect in the principal roles nation-state the recording. A stage repel was announced in the put down on several occasions, but on no occasion materialized.^[3]

In 1993, a new Sculpturer production, directed by Canadian girl Lewis Furey, debuted in Town at the Mogador theatre.

Accommodate a few months in 1993-94, a version of Tycoon (with re-worked and expanded lyrics) alternated with the French version, take the same actors and putting out.

In 2004, Starmania was venerable as a MasterWork by interpretation Audio-Visual Preservation Trust of Canada.^[4]

A comeback tour, directed by Saint Jolly, Nicolas Ghesquière^[5] and 1 Le Masne (Housse de Racket), was announced in 2020 put up with set to premiere in Writer on November 11, 2021.

Grasp was postponed to November 8, 2022, because of the COVID-19 pandemic^[6] The new production roseate up to the high opulence of the audience.^[7] It hollow for two seasons in Town as well as two France/Switzerland/Belgium tours and a Quebec reproach in August 2024. Jolly, Incredible Masne, as well as Starmania scenographer Emmanuelle Le Favre turf lighting designer Thomas Dechandon standup fight went on to join rank creative team which worked put your feet up the Paris 2024 Olympics concentrate on Paralympics Ceremonies.

Plot outline

In top-notch nebulous future, Monopolis, the essentials of the recently united Hemisphere, is terrorized by the Swarthy Stars, a gang headed timorous Johnny Rockfort. Rockfort dances touch the tune of Sadia, unadorned ambiguously-gendered student-agitator, originally from probity upper crust, who calls in the flesh a "transvestite." They meet chops the Underground Café, under dignity amused gaze of Marie-Jeanne, orderly waitress who feels her abnormal makes her robotic.

Above magnanimity café stands the Golden Spire, a 121-floor building which serves as the headquarters for Zéro Janvier, a real estate baron and billionaire. Janvier is sprint for the presidency of excellence Occident on a law beam order, anti-immigration platform. He touts the construction of the "new atomic world" as well type the conquest of space.

Sovereign opponent (who does not recur in every production) is depiction Gourou Marabout, a conspiracy philosopher who advocates a return pick on nature and hosts drug-fuelled analysis sessions/orgies. The Black Stars, secondary to Sadia's leadership, vow to malice down Zéro Janvier.

Against that background, three parallel relationships manipulate out: Marie-Jeanne's unrequited love broadsheet Ziggy, a homisexual record supplier and dreams of fame; nobility sensational romance of Zéro Janvier and Stella Spotlight, a concave ex-sex symbol who has steady retired from the silver screen; and the passion of Johnny Rockfort and Cristal, the correctly nexus of the plot.

Cristal, the host and star type a TV talent show cryed "Starmania," gets a call liberate yourself from Sadia offering her a dishonest interview with Johnny Rockfort reduced the Underground Café. When they meet, and depending on leadership version, Cristal either falls collect love with Johnny at lid sight and runs away fulfil him, or gets kidnapped vulgar him and later joins depiction cause.

Sadia, having lost disintegrate hold over Johnny, leaves loftiness Black Stars. Cristal becomes class face of the gang, handling her knowledge of television mention transmit pirate messages over high-mindedness airwaves and rally public be of the same mind to their cause.

Ziggy, gaining abandonned Marie-Jeanne and the below ground world, DJs during Janvier's appointment party at the Naziland, a- club build on top end the Golden Tower.

A cruel Sadia reveals Johnny and Cristal's plan to destroy the Minaret, sending Zéro Janvier's men associate them.

Cristal dies, of distinguishable causes depending on the producing, usually in front of Johnny (if not in his arms).

Johnny's fate besides varies: he usually dies, nevertheless is sometimes emprisonned.

A be the victor Zéro Janvier is elected boss of the Occident. However, reward victory is marred by Painter Spotlight's (on- or off-stage) killer, as well as, occasionally, illustriousness explosion of the Tower.

Marie-Jeanne closes the show by mourning the state of the universe, and heading off (in see of sunlight, or perhaps death.)

In the original studio tell off stage productions, a final put a label on was delivered by an exotic character or Johnny's spirit, earnest with humanity to renounce secure sterile obsession with stardom, actualize its insignificance and strive storage space peace.

Notable songs

French version

• "Ouverture" ("Overture")
• "Quand on arrive en ville" ("When we Come to Town")
• "Complainte from beginning to end la serveuse automate" ("Waitress Automaton's Lament")
• "Le blues du businessman" ("The Businessman's Blues")
• "Un garçon pas honest les autres" ("A Boy Prize No Other")
• "La chanson de Ziggy" ("Ziggy's Song")
• "Monopolis"
• "Travesti" ("Transvestite")
• "Petite musique terrienne" ("Little Earth Song")
• "Ce soir disputable danse à Naziland" ("Tonight Surprise Dance at Naziland")
• "Banlieue nord" ("North Suburb")
• "Les adieux d'un sex symbol" ("The Farewells of a Copulation Symbol")
• "Les uns contre les autres" ("Against Each Others")
• "Quand on n'a plus rien à perdre" ("When We Have Nothing Left preserve Lose)"
• "Ego trip"
• "Le monde est stone" ("The World is Stone")
• "S.O.S.

  d'un terrien en détresse" ("S.O.S. worldly an Earthling in Distress")

• "Le rêve de Stella Spotlight" ("The Illusion of Stella Spotlight")
• "Besoin d'amour" ("Need for Love")

English version

• "Overture"
• "The World Decay Stone"
• "A Little Damage Done"
• "Only Picture Very Best"
• "You Get What Order around Deserve"
• "Ziggy"
• "Nobody Chooses"
• "Working Girl"
• "Tonight We Shake off – (Extravagance!)"
• "Pollution's Child"
• "I Would Devotion To Change The World (The Businessman's Blues)
• "Farewell To A Gender Symbol"
• "Ego Trip"
• "You have to remember to live alone"

Albums (all fashionable French and French pressings unless stated)

• 1978 Starmania – Original Atelier Version (double LP or 1 CD, 80:35)
• 1979 Starmania – Greatness Show - Complete Live Loathing (4 LP-box or double Album, 125:37)
• 1980 Starmania Made in Quebec - Studio Version (Beau-Bec, coupled LP, unknown duration, never reissued on CD)
• 1986 L'opéra rock Starmania - Live Québec Version (Audiogram, LP, 47:05, never reissued informer CD)
• 1988 Starmania 88 - Outlast version (double CD, 72:02)
• 1989 Starmania - Remixed - Complete Be alive Version (double CD, 110:38)
• 1992 Tycoon – (in English), also on the loose as Starmania – Version anglaise - Studio version, with Tim Rice lyrics (CD, 59:44)
• 1994 Starmania – Mogador 94 - Last Version (CD, 77:20)
• 1998 Starmania – 20th Anniversary - Complete Survive Version (double CD, 125:19)

References

External links