Starmania

Starmania , created in 1978, is a modern Opéra-rock of which the music was composed by Michel Berger and the words written by Luc Plamondon. Played at various places in Occident, it was the subject of multiple adaptations as well in English as in French. The album original studio of 1978 was sold with more than 2.200.000 specimens only in France, thus positioning in the 7th place of the best sales of albums at the national level.

Summary

In a near future, the Occident is nothing any more but one country. In this world where the spectra of the Terrorisme and the Totalitarisme plane, three stories of love are lived in parallel. Each one will have to decide on what it will do of its life.

Characters

  • Marijuana, the waitress automat.
  • Johnny Rockfort, the chief of Black Stars.
  • Sadia, the “brain” of Black Stars.
  • Crystal, the stimulating TV.
  • Ziggy, the mythomaniac record dealer and androgyne.
  • January Zero, the Politicking businessman .
  • Stella Spotlight, the ex star, the Sex-symbol.
  • Roger-Roger, the presenter of the tv news.

History

In 1978, the first disc Starmania with like subtitles: Starmania, or the passion of Johnny Rockfort according to the televised Gospels is put on sale. The interpreters are:

In 1979, the spectacle is played Palais of the Congresses of Paris, with like interpreters:

In 1980, the spectacle is played National Comedy (Station C) in Montreal (Quebec) in a setting in scene of Olivier Reichenbach with, as interpreters:

In 1988, Michel Berger and Luc Plamondon put in scene a new version of Starmania with, as interpreters:

  • Norman Groulx : Johnny Rockfort
  • Richard Groulx: January zero
  • Renaud Hantson: Ziggy
  • Luc Laffite: Roger-Roger
  • Sabrina Lory: Stella Spotlight
  • Maurane : Marijuana (replaced in 1989 by Réjane Perry)
  • Martine St-Clearly: Crystal (replaced in 1989 by Nathalie Lhermitte)
  • Wenta: Sadia

In 1990, the spectacle is presented through all the France. It is also presented to Moscow and Saint-Pétersbourg in French language.

One year later, Starmania is presented in German to the Opera of Essen.

In 1992, the album Tycoon , the english language version of Starmania , is put on sale (In 1997, the disc is renamed Starmania english language version ). The words are of Tim Rice. For this disc, the principal interpreters are:

The first October 1993 a new version of Starmania is created with the Mogador Theater, put in scene by Lewis Furey, with costumes of Philippe Guillotel (and Fence Opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games of Albertville). This new production is elected better musical production of the year to the Victoires of the music. October 26th, 1995, this production celebrates its 500e representation and its millionth spectator. In 1996 then 1997, this version receives a Victoire of the music for the spectacle having attracted the greatest number of spectators. Also, the troop triumphs with the Théâtre Mogador and the Canada. A disc studio is published, with the following interpreters:

These same interpreters will play in alternation the versions French and English on the scene of the Mogador Theater. Interpreted every Friday evenings with the re-entry 1993, the english language version will not remain however that a few weeks with the poster. The voice of Roger-Roger on scene is interpreted by Muriel Robin.

Between 1993 and 2001, this spectacle was assembled several times in different places (in Paris: Theater Mogador, Palate of the Congresses of Paris, Sport hall of Paris, Casino of Paris). Two seasons were exclusively Parisian (season 1993/1994 with the Mogador Theater and season 1998/1999 with the Casino of Paris), and in 2000/2001, the spectacle was played only in round. The other seasons, the spectacle was initially played Paris (generally from October at January) before being the subject of a round (from February to June). This version of the spectacle is the subject of new CD Live , in 1998, for the 20th birthday of Starmania.

For the 25e birthday, in November 2004, a version concert with a Symphony orchestra, is assembled to Montreal. In January 2005, this version is presented to Paris with a Orchestre and a chorus French, as well as a Leader and Soliste S Québécois.

2007: From July 21st to 28th the Singing Fous Alès (1 000 chorus-singers) pay homage to Starmania. Great final concert on July 28th.

It is envisaged a new version of starmania in 2009

History

Certain details of the history vary from one version to another of the Rock opera.

History

Monopolis, news capital of the Occident, is terrorized by Black Stars, a band having for chief Johnny Rockfort who acts under the influence of Sadia, a transvestite agitator of the high society which descends the evening in the undergrounds and gives its orders. They meet with the Underground Coffee under the amused glance of Marijuana, the waitress automat.

With the top of this underground coffee rises the Gilded Tower, a building of one hundred twenty and one stages at the top of which the office of January is located Zero, billionaire who launches out in the policy while becoming candidate to the presidency of the Occident. It bases its countryside on the return to the order and the construction of the new atomic world. January zero becomes thus the sworn enemy of Johnny Rockfort and Black Stars.

Certain observers pointed out, as of the first version in 1978, that the presence of an underground grid and buildings could be an allusion to the town of Montreal (because also of the strong Québécois participation in the genesis of work, like in its distribution).

As explained by Plamondon him even on TV French France 2 during the spectacle at the time of the 25 years of the Rock opera, there exist prophetic similarities striking between Starmania and certain events of our days, between the tower of January Zero and the twin towers of September 11th, 2001. In the DVD of the spectacle of Marigny, the even physical representation of January Zero makes think of certain political leaders today who have and can play well with the mediae. With its reflections about the impact of media handling on the public opinions, of the use by policies of the fear to be maintained with the capacity, the Starmania musical comedy always remains of topicality.

It is in this context that tie themselves and three parallel stories of love are untied:

  • impossible love of Marijuana for Ziggy, young record dealer androgyne and mythomaniac. However, Ziggy loves only the boys.
  • the sensational idylle of January Zero with Stella Spotlight, a sex-symbol which has just bidden its farewell with the cinema and which suffers to be seen aging.
  • Lastly, the love-passion of Johnny Rockfort and Crystal, true node of the intrigue.

Crystal, presenter-high-speed motorboat of the television program Starmania , receives a telephone call of Sadia, which proposes to him an exclusive and clandestine interview with Johnny Rockfort, of which no one does not know the face. The appointment takes place with the Underground Coffee. Crystal and Johnny have the love at first sight at once. She flees with him. Sadia thus loses its influence on Johnny.

Crystal decides to become the spokesperson of Black Stars by sending pirate messages, that thanks to a camera with neutrons which enables him to seize the waves of television.

Sadia, furious of jealousy, discharges Ziggy thanks to its connections high-placed, which leaves Marie-Jeanne to become DJ of Naziland, a gigantic revolving discotheque which overhangs Monopolis, the top of the Gilded Tower of January Zero. Sadia involves it in its vengance. According to the revelations of Ziggy with Marie-Jeanne, she works now for January Zero, however her sworn enemy. Sadia decides to denounce Johnny and Cristal at January Zero the evening when this one celebrates its engagement to Stella Spotlight in Naziland, the Black Stars having chosen this evening to explode a bomb in the Gilded Tower.

The men of January Zero continue Black Stars. Crystal is touched and dies in the arms of Johnny. The shade of Johnny Rockfort will plane on the victory of January Zero, elected official chair Occident.

Johnny launches out then in philosophical meditations and interrogations on the direction and the reason of the life, it testifies to its discomfort vis-a-vis the existence and the company.

Stella Spotlight, disgusted capacity, turns over to its dream of immortality. Marijuana, disappointed and without love, leaves the world of the undergrounds to leave to research the sun.

Terrorism against totalitarianism, 2 lifeblood which is opposed, 2 dangers which threaten the world.

False Ideas

Starmania and not Star Academy

As opposed to what one could think, the emission Starmania (in the history), presented by Cristal, is not the equivalent of the current Star Academy, or of the Nouvelle Star. The concept imagined by Michel Berger and Luc Plamondon resembles rather an emission which would reveal destinies “out of the commun run” or “specimens”. Like the known as Crystal: What does it have that you do not have you? or Write, tell me me your life and your desires, and say to me who you want-being and, which know, you will be perhaps, the one evening old star. This emission thus raises more of the account that song.

In the Rock opera, 2 emissions Starmania are presented by Cristal.

  • In the first, it is January Zero which is the guest. He evokes his formidable rise of powerful, rich and famous man but also his regret not to have done what he wanted.

  • a second emission presents the exclusive interview of Johnny Rockfort to us, which tells its past, its personality, the reasons of its discomfort, its destroying hatred towards the company…

One is thus far from the contests of song (even if well-sure the characters sing but we are in a Opéra-rock, but we speak-there about the context of the history).

Sadia, disguised

In the same way, as opposed to what one tends to write, the character of Sadia is not a girl of the middle-class which is disguised as a sign of rebellion, but it is indeed a man who disguises himself as a woman. What makes even more complex its relation with Johnny Rockfort.
Si, during the creation of the rock opera, one did not stress the “true nature” of Sadia, it was undoubtedly not to cause raised shields of the leagues of virtue. It is enough to listen to the words of its song of presentation:
Disguised
What then informs us on his coalition with Ziggy, explicitly homosexual. If the text is not explicit (the protagonists indicate Sadia like female entity, always “it”, since it is its appearance), one is in right to think that its relation with Ziggy is not platonic. The spectator includes/understands best the opportunism of this last, obtaining, consequently occasion, a rapid social rise, a promotion professional coveted and undoubtedly more, which remains, on the other hand, surprising and completely incomprehensible for Marie-Jeanne:

One can say that it is the other history of love which one quotes, because perhaps more disturbing, but neither more nor less strange than the others, than it either that of the stimulating TV being combined with its kidnapper or that of the star declining attractive with the powerful man with the capacity…

Principal songs

  • In English:

    • Ziggy
    • The World Is Stone
    • Only the Very Best

Recordings available

The year is that where the recording was carried out.

Discography

  • 1978 : Starmania - Original version
  • 1979: Starmania - the spectacle (CD doubles)
  • 1980: Starmania Made in Quebec (the Québécois version republished forever in format CD.)
  • 1986: Starmania (Another Québécois version which was never republished out of CD.)
  • 1988: Starmania 88
  • 1989 : Starmania remixée integral version (CD doubles)
  • 1992: Starmania - English language version (Tycoon)
  • 1994: Starmania - Mogador 94
  • 1998: Starmania - 20th birthday (CD doubles)

To also note: Dion sings Plamondon, of Céline Dion into 1991 which includes/understands 4 songs of Starmania : Le Monde is stone , the Blues of the businessman , a boy not like the others (Ziggy) (left in individual) and the ones against the others .

DVD

  • 1989 : Starmania - Marigny 89

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