Starmania: The Musical the French Love

If you had to name the most important musical in France, it would almost certainly be Starmania. Set in a dystopian future, this rock musical offers a critical yet wistful portrait of the emptiness that hides behind glamour, success and the hunger for stardom. Its characters will do anything to win fame, and the title itself is a blend of "star" and "mania."

Starmania premiered in 1979, and it was this show that first made musicals popular in France. Its lyricist, Luc Plamondon, also worked on another well-known production: Notre-Dame de Paris. The signature number, "Le Blues du businessman," is a confession of the emptiness and regret behind an outwardly glittering life, and it struck a chord with many listeners. Thanks to its haunting lyrics and melody, the show was remade in English as a concept album. Tim Rice, the lyricist known for The Lion King, handled the English adaptation, titled Tycoon. Big names such as Céline Dion took part, and the album helped introduce the work abroad, though the show has reportedly never been staged in the English-speaking world.

The 2022 revival was directed by Thomas Jolly, who won the Molière Award for best production as well as awards for visuals and sound for it. The name may ring a bell: Jolly was the artistic director of the 2024 Paris Olympics, and his distinctly French opening ceremony made headlines.

French musicals have a charm all their own. Unlike Broadway productions, which tend to be driven by story, they focus on conveying characters' emotions, and the depth of those emotions, through music. Some have almost no spoken dialogue at all. Many are sung-through, telling the entire story almost entirely in song, because French musicals grew out of operetta. Les Misérables and Notre-Dame de Paris are both sung-through. The lyrics are often as metaphorical as poetry, so if you go in without knowing the plot, the story can be hard to follow. If you care about plot logic and narrative flow, you might think, "This feels more like a concert than a musical." Staging is relatively simple, abstract and experimental, and the choreography often features dynamic, acrobatic performance.

Once you accept all this as the distinctive character of French musicals, a different kind of fun and emotion opens up. Go in with an open mind, and consider shifting how you usually watch theater to see it from a new angle.