Starmania:
Michel Berger & Luc Plamondon
Starmania Stage Set 1979
Starmania (1979, Palais des Congrès, music by Michel Berger, lyrics by Luc Plamondon) was one of a trio of sung-through French musical plays that marked a swivel in French traditions of musical theater during the last two decades of the 20th century. The two other plays were Les Misérables (1980, Palais des Sports, music by Boublil and lyrics by Schoenberg, based on Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel), and Notre Dame de Paris (1998, Palais de Congrès, music by Richard Cocciante and lyrics by Plamondon, based on Victor Hugo’s 1831 novel known in English as “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.” Those 3 plays were preceded by an earlier effort by Boublil (music) and Schoenberg (lyrics) called La Révolution Française (1973, Palais des Sports de Paris).
In contrast with the other historically-grounded works, Starmania was an evocation of a dystopian, futuristic world called Monopolis. Written in 1976, Berger’s original concept of the play was loosely inspired by the 1974 saga of American heiress Patty Hearst who was kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Front and then subsequently joined her captors. In Starmania, Berger’s wife France Gall played the glamorous character Cristal who personifies this theme. Cristal is the hostess of the Starmania TV show that promises overnight fame and celebrity for its competitors. Cristal falls in love with dissident Johnny Rockfort and joins his group. The name Starmania is a parody of societies’ saturation by superficial entertainment and mass media (“star-mania”). Staging was by Tom O’Hargan (Jesus Christ Superstar, Hair).
Michel Berger initially intended to author both music and lyrics but later partnered with Canadian Luc Plamondon for the book and lyrics. Berger enlisted Plamondon upon instigation by France Gall who knew Plamondon’s lyrical work for Canadian singer Diane Dufresne. For his part, Plamondon had a strong grounding in Broadway rock musicals like Hair and Jesus Christ Superstar.
In France, the songs themselves achieved deeper and longer resonance than the somewhat dated and fantastical narrative of the play’s storyline. The last full stage production in France occcurred during the 1990s until a revival in 2022 under the direction of Thomas Jolly. Many of the songs have continued to be strong performers in online streaming. In 1992, Tim Rice wrote an English version of the songs from Starmania on an album named Tycoon and staring Céline Dion, Cyndi Lauper and Tom Jones.
In Starmania’s futuristic vision of the city Monopolis, the world has become a single entity called Occident (West) and neon lights have replaced the sun. Many denizens live underground and the world is chaotic. Citizens seek escape and fame by participating in a reality TV program called Starmania. A media tycoon, Zéro Janvier, works in a 121-floor Golden Tower above the Underground Café and seeks autocracy in an upcoming election. Johnny Rockfort, leader of a dissident terrorist faction called the Étoiles noires plans to blow up Janvier’s headquarters but ends up going to prison.
There are 18 musical numbers in the play. The original studio “concept album” sold over 2 million copies and it launched many successful single versions that remain popular today. The most popular of these songs include: Quand on arrive en ville, S.O.S. d'un terrien en détresse, Le Blues du businessman, Un garçon pas comme les autres, Besoin d'amour, and Le monde est stone.
The original cast included Daniel Balavoine as Johnny Rockfort, France Gall as Cristal, Fabienne Thibeault as Marie-Jeanne, Diane Dufresne as Stella Spotlight, Nanette Workman as Sadia, Claude Dubois as Zéro Janvier (on the 1978 album; replaced by Étienne Chicot for the 1979 stage premiere), Éric Estève as Ziggy (on the 1978 album; replaced by Grégory Ken for the 1979 stage production).
Starmania Cast 1979
