(Quebec) Barely a week after the death of singer Karl Tremblay, some will say that the Cowboys Fringants musical created by Les 7 Doigts comes too soon. Others, it comes at just the right time…
The show launched Wednesday at the Grand Théâtre de Québec has nevertheless been in preparation for more than two years. But in the current context, he could of course only be highly emotional – whether for the creators, the members of the Cowboys, including his lover Marie-Annick Lépine, who were present, or the public, who sang with the interpreters, often clapping their hands, sometimes with tears in their eyes.
Far from being a hagiography, Royal Pub celebrates first and foremost the band’s music. Throughout a dreamlike fictional story that does not lack humor, 14 songs were sung during this 90-minute show, including five new original pieces by the Cowboys.
Before the start of the performance, the producer of La Tribu, Claude Larivée, dedicated Thursday’s media premiere “to our dear Karl”, whom he had accompanied since his beginnings, while the director of 7 Doigts, Sébastien Soldevila , who signed the booklet, assured us that the show was presented “as it was designed”, that is to say that it has not been retouched since last week.
When the members of the group arrived, the audience jumped to their feet to applaud them, and some people in the room even said: “We love you!” » or “Thank you for everything, Cowboys!” »
However, the lyricist Jean-François Pauzé, who composed the new pieces – which will be found on the next Cowboys album –, knew that his friend Karl was in the cables and that he had little chance of get out. He wrote at least one song that addresses his departure head-on. And it hits hard.
“Tonight, I am the shadow of myself, it is already the end, I am tired, I can sing […] The singer gave his last show, I don’t need any more enlightenment, I’m going out the back door…”, sings in The end of the show the character of Johnny Flash (Martin Giroux), an old rocker who is about to take his last breath and who is the alter ego of the late singer of the Cowboys…
But we’re talking to you here about the end of the show… Let’s go back.
At the pub after an accident
Royal Pub tells the story of an insurance broker named Jonathan Doyer (Richard Charest), who lands in the famous pub from the song of the same name (found on the album October) following a car accident.
The opening number – so critical in musicals – sets the tone. The troupe made up of around twenty artists – seven singers and actors, seven dancers and six acrobats – performs a new (very festive!) Cowboys piece entitled welcome to our housewhich stretches for almost eight minutes, led by singer Kevin Houle in the role of Siriso, a kind of male artificial intelligence.
The rest is a succession of scenes of beautiful musical coherence which take place inside the pub, where we find several of the characters from the Cowboys songs, including Loulou Lapierre, this “ordinary little mother” in Happy ordeal!the Catherine who found a job as a waitress in Royal Pubor even Normand and Yves, newly unemployed in their fifties who drown their sorrows in Shooters.
What connects all these characters? This is where the creative team led by Sébastien Soldevila, with help from Olivier Kemeid on the dialogues, was quite inventive.
Because by an unfortunate combination of circumstances (which we leave it to you to discover), all these beautiful people have fallen into a metaverse, on the border of the physical and virtual world, in a sort of purgatory.
The character of Jonathan cannot therefore leave the pub, “a refuge” where people sing joyfully – their joy as well as their sorrow. Most of the pieces chosen by the Cowboys and the creative team are rather festive (Happy ordeal!, Shooters, Crossing or both news welcome to our house And If you are interested in life…), although there are of course more touching moments, especially towards the end, with the poignant The end of the show, Nothing And Shooting Stars.
A great shiver runs down our spines when four, five or six of them sing the Cowboys songs. Because it is not easy to replace the familiar voice, sometimes rebellious, sometimes benevolent, but always true of Karl Tremblay. We therefore have the impression that this troupe of artists comes to support, with a lot of heart, the members of the Cowboys. It’s moving.
But when the pieces are sung solo, what do you want, he has just left us, it is more difficult to receive, even if the solo performances are generally quite solid. Whether it’s Kevin Houle in Of sadness, by Richard Charest in All houses are the same or even Alexia Gourd in Royal Pub, who sings his heart out. Only the interpretation of Yvan Pedneault in America criesperhaps too emotionally charged at the moment, goes less well.
Full show
On the staging side, hats off to the team who managed to subtly combine dance and circus without it being heavy or making us say: hey, here’s a Chinese pole act. No, there is a complete integration of the performing arts into Royal Pubwhich is quite fabulous, with the circus adding just enough spice to elevate the performances.
The last segment, which we talked about at the beginning, is so close to reality, in the tragic destiny of the character of Johnny Flash, that we inevitably disconnect from the story of Royal Pub.
Was this the way the Cowboys and the 7 Fingers creative team found to pay homage to the great Karl? We would have liked to ask Jean-François Pauzé or Sébastien Soldevila the question, but it was not possible to speak to them.
Basically, if we had presented this show in two weeks, in a month or in six months, the result would have been the same. The Cowboys’ pieces already belong to the public who have been singing them for more than 25 years and the new ones will soon be delivered. As for Karl Tremblay’s voice, as the character Johnny Flash says so well about his, “my voice, my songs, it will remain in the hearts of the world”.
With Royal Pub, the wave of love for the Cowboys singer is not about to subside. But the mourning remains to be done.
Until November 26 at the Grand Théâtre de Québec. From December 6 to January 6, 2024 at the Théâtre Maisonneuve at Place des Arts in Montreal. Then on tour, in Paris, Trois-Rivières, Ottawa and Sherbrooke.
Songs
welcome to our house*
Of a sadness (The Antipodes)
Happy ordeal! (Union break)
Shooters (Only wind)
All houses are the same (The Antipodes)
America cries (The Antipodes)
If life interests you*
Intermission
The crossing (of the Atlantic in 1774) (The Antipodes)
Royal Pub (October)
Loulou vs Loulou*
Unanswered questions*
The end of the show*
Nothing (High mass)
Welcome back to our home*
Shooting Stars (High mass)
* New songs to be released on a new album