La Cravate Bleue - a good stretch for non-Francophones!

Does the name Jean-Francois evoke a charming, graceful speaker of French who moves elegantly and lithely across the stage as he acts, sings, and dances? A stereotype, yes, but it is true here. This one-man musical gains an immense degree of its charm from its lead actor, playwright, and composer Jean-Francois Plante-Tan.

I was assigned to review La cravate bleue, and I was immediately hesitant. My understanding of French is quite limited. I love hearing Charles Aznavour, Edith Piaf, Fatoumata Diawara, and many other Francophone singers, but I don't understand their songs, at least the first time around. Still, I had seen theatre in Tzotzil (an indigenous Mayan language), and I had seen seen Italian operas, so surely I could take on this challenge too. As globalization continues apace, cultural providers realize they must adapt if they want wider audiences. Hence, many theatre companies are starting to focus on creating productions that do not rely on the audience having knowledge of any specific language. Plante-Tan wrote this musical in French in part because it can be easier to get a slot for a French-language play than an English-language play at Fringe festivals, but he also wanted the experience of writing a musical in French. 

With my poor comprehension of French, I definitely missed out on some of the jokes that made the audience laugh frequently. Plante-Tan does a good job of setting up the one-sided phone conversations with his boss (I could understand "Oui, monsieur"), his girlfriend (I could understand "Je t'aime"), and his best friend Buddy, and with distinguishing these conversations. I appreciated the English-language synopsis that was handed out on entry, and there is an English-language synopsis on the website. In retrospect, I would have benefitted from reading that synopsis in advance, as the storyline does not really have any spoilers. For people like me who can read French, a side-by-side English translation with the French script might actually work. With a non-Fringe-size budget, surtitles might be a possibility. In a similar vein, Fringe production budgets and travel requirements typically mean a limited set, and although Plante-Tan does an excellent job with a relatively spare stage, the musical could likely be enhanced with an improved set. 

Nonetheless, the musical is easy to follow, in part because its storyline is quite simple. With a highly taxing office job, the character finds life to be boring and difficult, and it is hard to maintain relationships. Quitting the office job, and throwing off his blue tie, gives a sense of euphoria and freedom, and he begins to re-explore and rediscover music. But taking up music instead of corporate life does not solve either boring administrivia or relationship difficulties. Nor does taking up music mean that you can give up on blue ties.

It might seem odd how focused this play is on Broadway-style music and Broadway-style success, although there is a strong element of poking fun at the Broadway concept. The songs are well-done, and I particularly liked one minor-key contemplative song. The character dreams of Broadway success, and the songs do sound like Broadway showtunes, but none are catchy in the Broadway showtune style (think of "Phantom of the Opera" or "Hakuna Matata"). Plante-Tan has the potential to produce that type of catchy song, but he has not achieved that here. Neither the storyline nor the songs are breathtakingly original, although both are enjoyable and fun. 

Plante-Tan is engaging and it is a treat to watch and listen to him. The Fringe concept is about stretching beyond your comfort zone, and seeing a French-language production is a good way for non-francophones to do that. Plante-Tan has the capability to provide both improved storylines and improved music, and I look forward to seeing productions where he has more time to create them.