In the parallel universe of Cowboys Fringants

There will be five new Cowboys Fringants songs in Royal Pub, the musical comedy drawn from their universe which will combine music, dance and circus. This highly anticipated event show – what else with the Cowboys? – will take place for 27 performances at Salle Maisonneuve at the beginning of December.

Wednesday, in the bright premises of the circus company Les 7 Fingers in Montreal, the seven actors and singers of Royal Pub performed one of these new songs just for us, welcome to our house.

“The freak show is about to begin,” they sing in this long piece which will open the show and set the table for this story which takes place in a world derived from that of the Cowboys. “It’s an appetizer. We understand that we are in a somewhat special universe which is not that of the Cowboys. We are in a parallel universe,” explains the group’s songwriter, Jean-François Pauzé.

Some of the characters in the musical came straight out of songs, like Loulou Lapierre from Happy Calvary. Others were invented for the sake of the story which takes place, yes, at the Royal Pub. A whole crowd gravitates there, the boss, the manager, the waitress, a few regulars, and it is into this strange world that the insurance broker Jonathan will arrive, after having had an accident.

Director Sébastien Soldevila drew on the immense repertoire of the Repentigny group to create a narrative framework that goes “from point A to point B” by connecting the pieces together. “All songs are legitimate to be sung at the time they are sung. ” Even Crossing ? ” Even Crossing ! laughs Jean-François Pauzé. Sébastien really wanted it, so we found a twist! »

The show will feature 14 songs, including 5 new ones. Sébastien Soldevila says he “jumped for joy” every time he received a text from Jean-François Pauzé. “There is one, for me, it’s one of the most beautiful Cowboys songs. I love all the short stories, but this one is a tick above. People are going to freak out. »

Not making a show based only on old hits was one of Jean-François Pauzé’s conditions for embarking on the project. “I wanted us to add water to the mill to make something very current. »

Carrying the Cowboys message

18 days before the premiere at the Grand Théâtre de Québec, where there will be six performances before those in Montreal, the troupe of singers, who have been rehearsing for months, are feverish. “We know the fans are waiting for us! », says Kevin Houle, who plays the boss of the Pub Royal.

The seven artists are excited to delve into the Cowboys’ “rich and cohesive” repertoire. On Wednesday, they also performed the powerful Of a sadnesswhich appears on the album The Antipodes. A revised version, but which respects the original, and which, with all the voices combined and the harmonies, gave us some chills. It’s very beautiful, then, but as we point out to the performers, there are still seven of them to replace the singer Karl Tremblay!

“Yes, and seven isn’t enough!” », they say. The rhythm, the register, the delivery, the quantity of words to pronounce – “and they are all good, you have to hear them” –, the impeccable diction: they cannot believe the qualities of Karl Tremblay as a performer, “ never rushing, never ahead, always relaxed and getting the job done.” But the idea was not so much to imitate him as to “carry the work and the message of the Cowboys”.

The singer-actors will be surrounded by three dancers and around ten acrobats. What contribution does the circus make to a show like this?

“It’s a language like any other,” replies Sébastien Soldevila, co-founder and co-artistic director of 7 Fingers. “Could we have removed the circus? Yes. Does the circus bring anything? Yes. A spectacular appearance. But each issue is tied to the story. Because it’s a very concrete story, as far-fetched as it may be. »

Jean-François Pauzé likes the fact that the circus is used sparingly “and not with acrobats pitching everywhere all the time”. “They give a rhythm to the show. They come at the right time, they punctuate it in a really cool way. ” He smiles. “Does it seem like I’m excited?” »

One more rope

With Karl Tremblay’s illness, the last few months have been intense for the four members of the Cowboys Fringants. “But there was something beautiful too, great moments of friendship,” says Jean-François Pauzé. The musical project came at a good time for him, and allowed him to work during a slow period.

For him, this new adventure is just another string to the group’s bow. The experience was so conclusive that with Sébastien Soldevila, he toyed with the idea of ​​a recurring project. In 2024, Royal Pub will also be presented in Paris, Trois-Rivières and Sherbrooke.

And this new Cowboys album, which is announced by the end of 2023? Only new songs will be made: the five he wrote for Royal Pub, and five others, to “complete it,” he explains. “The rest of us don’t do that, EPs. We release albums. There will also be instrumental pieces that are part of the musical. »

The singer will obviously be Karl, who has already recorded all his parts. It was logical that he interpreted those written for Royal Pub, believes Jean-François Pauzé. “It’s not true that we’re going to do new material and he won’t have sung on it. Karl will therefore have sung all the Cowboys songs. »