Musical comedy scheduled for Tusket
New offering from Yvette d’Entremont puts twist on some classical works
A twist on some well-known classical and operatic songs is one of the features of Nelson dormait, a new musical comedy written and directed by Yvette d’Entremont, which will be presented in Tusket in late March.
A 30-member cast and ensemble have been rehearsing since September for the show, with performances scheduled for March 26 to 29 at the Père Maurice LeBlanc theatre, part of the Par-en-Bas school community centre.
D’Entremont has done major theatrical productions over the years. Her latest follows the story of a couple named Vince and Rose, both single and in their late 60s, who decide to marry after many years of dating. The upcoming wedding has everyone pretty excited, but — as you might expect — the path to the nuptials is not without some twists and turns and misunderstandings.
D’Entremont — who appears in the show, playing the part of Rose — has given the comedic dialogue a boost by using some famous classical music and adding funny lyrics.
The show’s title, for instance, “Nelson dormait,” is French for “Nelson was sleeping” — Nelson being the church organist, who cannot be found on the day of the wedding, presumably because he’s asleep. The title is based on the name of a well-known operatic piece, Nessun Dorma.
D’Entremont says many people are introduced to classical music through the Bugs Bunny cartoon show on television.
“On Saturday nights after supper, we would watch
Bugs Bunny’s antics on TV,” d’Entremont recalled, “without realizing that we were
Working on a scene during a rehearsal for Nelson dormait. On the bench are Ginette Cottreau and Philippe Cottreau (the two, who are siblings in real life, play siblings in the show). Standing behind them, from left, Leona Doucette, Leo LeBlanc, Mia White and Monica LeBlanc.
ERIC BOURQUE
being immersed into the world of classical music. I think that was a brilliant tactic on the part of the creators. I always dreamt of creating a
musical comedy where I could ‘marry’ classical music with a funny storyline, where the audience would get a chance to discover and appreciate this phenomenal music that I love so much.
“For this show, I started with the famous opera song Nessun Dorma, which became ‘Nelson dormait.’ I developed a storyline around it, where someone named Nelson could have possibly been asleep during a wedding. Then I just started writing and changing lyrics to one song after another.”
The all-adult cast consists entirely of local people, including some experienced ones d’Entremont has worked with extensively on other musicals, a few experienced actors with whom she had never worked before, along with some newcomers to the stage.
A retired teacher who also is a popular singersongwriter, d’Entremont has tackled some big theatrical projects, including Roméo et Juliette in 2009 and La voix de la mer in 2013.
“I love to take on huge productions and challenges, I don’t shy away from them,” she said. “I love the creative process — when I’m writing — and I also love the rehearsal process, too, because I get to see my words come to life, as well as seeing the play come to life.”
Yes, it’s a lot of work, she says, but it’s fun too.
Referring to the preparation for the new show, she said: “We laugh at each other, and despite having been at this since September, we still find the jokes and punchlines hilarious ... the delivery is bang on. This is an exceptional group of actors.”