Is there a French musical capable of succeeding Stephen Sondheim or the blockbuster Hello Dolly! ? At the Théâtre du Lido, which has become the Parisian branch of the great Broadway hits, the programming has drawn since its opening from the rich repertoire of Anglo-Saxon musical theater. It took the genius of Michel Legrand and Jacques Demy, combined with the twirling and insolent charm of twin sisters, born under the sign of Gemini, to ensure a French succession. Nearly sixty years after their release, The Young Ladies of Rochefort continues to seduce all generations, with a legendary repertoire.
At the helm, Gilles Rico. Coming from opera, he knows tales well: he has already adapted Cinderella or the book The Three Robbers. For him, the main challenge is to avoid a copy and paste of this cult musical, while respecting, down to the comma, the text and the songs. “The main challenge was to keep the spirit of it while developing certain story lineshe explains, in particular what is off-screen on the screen and which can be shown on a theater stage. The other challenge was to transpose this story shot outdoors, under a bright blue sky, into a dark room. »
Between jazz and lyrical
The director returned to the original scenario: “Jacques Demy wanted to create a gigantic cinematographic fresco where his characters would be found over several generations, from one film to another, a bit like The Human Comedy. He would have liked the role of Bill, one of the showmen in Les Demoiselles, to be played by the same actor as that of Guy in The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. But this was not possible. So he gave up. But I kept the idea, as a theatrical spring, of slipping in winks and references to these other works. he explains.
“There is a touch of melancholy, but joy is the key word”
After an unfortunate first stage version in 2003, the musical is in good hands here. Patrice Peyriéras was a close collaborator of Michel Legrand. Musical director of the show which he re-orchestrated for fourteen musicians, he is in a way its guardian. “The scores of Les Demoiselles had disappeared, says Gilles Rico. Patrice Peyriéras did everything by ear. He is a genius improviser who gives a new dimension, in this in-between between jazz and lyric so characteristic of Michel Legrand. »
The repertoire is known to be difficult to sing. “We needed performers who were as good dancers, singers as actorssays the director. And Jean-Luc Choplin wanted, for The Young Ladiesdiscover new talents. We found two great pairs of twins who come from lyrical backgrounds and will play alternately. As always with Demy, there is a touch of melancholy, but joy is the key word. One of our main concerns is that the audience leaves with a light heart. »
