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C'est la Vie (formerly La Vie Ennui) |
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"Full of charm and period 'oo-la-la,' La Vie Ennui is ready for the high life, capturing that ever-light, ever-sassy Parisian style." —Chicago Tribune
"There's no ennui in this perfectly packaged, memorably melodic, richly polished musical gem—a big-hearted salute to French cabaret and the chanteuses who break our hearts. The songs showcase Opelka's skill at churning out four-star tunes and wicked lyrics. One of the Eight Theatrical Wonders of 2002 Chicago theatre." —Chicago Reader
"An engaging, charming little gem. This uplifting, fun-loving, witty musical romp celebrates the French cabaret style made famous by Edith Piaf. With its terrific selection of wonderful, beautifully sung tunes, this treasure could well run for years." —Chicago Daily Southtown
"This is parody at its classiest. It's easy to imagine an entire club constructed around this show a la Tony and Tina's Wedding." —Windy City Times
"Musical theater has life in it yet. For that we can thank composers like Gregg Opelka, whose merry homage,
La Vie Ennui, reflects a fondness for French chanteuse Edith Piaf and his admiration for classic cabaret." —Chicago Daily Herald
"La Vie Ennui is a clever send-up of French chanson. Opelka is a deft wordsmith, with clever and intelligent rhymes. This young man must be ranked on the 'A' list of American musical theater practitioners." —Copley News Service
"Opelka has fashioned a musical that is so right on the money it's a little frightening. This is a great, fun show that has a long life ahead of it." —Midwest Ursine |
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Musical. Book, music and lyrics by Gregg Opelka. Cast: 2w. (one pianist.) Dominique and Fatiguee are a pair of down-at-the-highheels chanteuses working at Chez Leplee, a dingy, dead-end cabaret in 1950 Paris. Henri Leplee, the miserly nightclub owner, insists his two songbirds croon only the songs of their archrival, the famous Edith Piaf, night after night. Bored with this routine, copycat existence, Dominique and Fatiguee, along with their faithful (nonspeaking) pianist Jean-Paul-Pierre, scheme to have their boss "conveniently detained" by the police so that they can finally perform their own material—if only for one night. The result is a charming musical sorbet about life, love and annoying accordion players. The 13 songs range from the hilarious "The Accordionist Song" (about a woman murdering her next-door neighbor accordion student) and "New Jersey" (a love song to the romantic faraway Garden State) to the infectious "It's a Crazy World, N'est-ce Pas?" and "You've Got to Be a Waif" to the poignant "Living in the Cinema" and "The Boys of Days Gone By," as well as the lilting title song. Unit set. Approximate running time: 90 minutes.
Also Available:
cast recording CD
Music Samples
| Title | MP3 |
| A Couple of Belles Coquettes |  | | It's a Crazy World, N'est-ce Pas? |  | | Say Je T'aime |  | | You've Got to Be a Waif |  | | Living in the Cinema |  |
Revision |
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 | Formerly titled: La Vie Ennui.
Although it is not on the current cast recording, the song "C'est la Vie" which replaces the original title song, is available
Target Audiences: adults, seniors, college and high schools and all speakers of French! But nonspeakers will love it too, since no knowledge of French is presumed. |
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| High School | College and Adult | | College Theatre | Senior Theatre | Community Theatre | Stock & Lort | | Comedy |
| 1583422390 |
| 06/09/2005 |
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 |  | Gregg Opelka has written music and lyrics for nine musicals, including The Beverly Hillbillies, The Musical??!!, which will have its Chicagoland world premiere in summer 2014 at Theatre at the Center, Munster, Ind. Based on the popular TV comedy, The Beverly Hillbillies, The Musical??!! is written by two-time Tony Awards nominee and veteran TV comedy writer David Rogers. Additionally, ...More |
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This title can be licensed/sold throughout the world
* Please note that royalties quoted in our catalog are intended for K-12 schools with a standard curriculum only. All other producing groups must submit a completed
application.
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