Moliere in Sneakers: French Musical at Sava Centar

On the stage of the Blue Hall at Sava Centar on Friday evening, baroque waistcoats, feathered hats and wigs shared the space with sneakers. That clash of eras is also the shortest description of the musical “Moliere, Urban Opera”, a French production that was performed in Belgrade for the first time on October 30. The second and final Belgrade performance is today, October 31.

This is the show’s first visit to Serbia. Its original title is “Molière, l’Opéra Urbain,” and it had its world premiere in autumn 2023 at the Dôme de Paris. That same year it was named best original musical in France. The Belgrade premiere ended with loud applause from the audience.

The company numbers around 30 performers, and most of them have worked together for about three years. The show spent two years touring the biggest halls in France, then traveled to Switzerland, Belgium and China.

Who is behind the show?

The author, artistic and musical director and lead producer is Dove Attia, known for French musical productions that drew audiences in the millions. Direction and the script are credited to Ladislas Chollet. Sources differ on his awards: Danas reports that his productions have been nominated 29 times for the French theater prize “Moliere,” winning it six times, while Tanjug’s report says only that they were nominated several times. Either way, the director of a musical about Moliere has built his reputation on an award named after his hero.

The sets were designed by Emmanuel Favre and the costumes by Jean-Daniel Vuillermoz. The title role is played by Yanis Richard, the Prince de Conti by Abimael Bernadot, and the marquise by Chayna Pronzola. Victor Gandidier is also in the ensemble.

What does “urban opera” mean on stage?

The creators themselves define the genre as “city opera.” In practice, that means 17th-century arias and operatic dialogue are interwoven with contemporary rhythms: beats, rap and slam. The same blend shows up in the visuals. The set reconstructs a theater from Moliere’s day, with boxes, heavy curtains and antique chandeliers, but elements of modern architecture are built into it. What stands on that stage, then, is a theater pretending to be a theater, and the costumes that fill it wear sneakers under baroque tailoring.

What do the performers say?

Richard told Tanjug before the Belgrade premiere what it means to him to present Moliere here:

“We are very excited to present Moliere here because he is very important to French culture, our language is called the language of Moliere”

The title role, as he explained, demands singing, dancing and acting all at once, which shows in what he says it costs him:

“My body sometimes aches, I make jumps, it is physically demanding, but I love to give everything I have to this musical. I am in a beautiful team, and the characters around Moliere make him what he is”

Bernadot says his character, the Prince de Conti, is “a villain you come to love because he became that way because of everything he has lived through.” That character, he explained, goes through hard moments in life:

“He goes through hard moments in life and believes religion saved him, which is why he turns against Moliere and tries to stop him from moving forward”

On how the production fits together, Bernadot said:

“One cogwheel drives another. The production is at the head of all of it, but it does not work without the artists, and the artists do not work without all the technical crews”

Pronzola describes her marquise as a strong woman ahead of her time:

“She is a feminist, a very powerful woman, but at the same time emotional. I am very happy and proud to portray such a character”

Gandidier spoke about the audiences from earlier tour stops, whose reactions differ from country to country:

“As time goes by, the show draws you further into the story. It is very strong and it stirs emotions. In the end the audience is mostly delighted and sends us enormous energy”

To Serbian audiences he said a show with lavish costumes, dance and acting is waiting for them, and concluded: “Moliere offers a bit of all of that.”

What do the two acts tell?

The show follows the life of Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, known as Moliere. The first act begins with his decision to leave a comfortable life at court and found a theater troupe with the woman he loves, and continues with wandering across France in search of fame and patrons. The second act brings his greatest success under the protection of the young King Louis XIV, but also clashes with rivals and church circles. Richard said the show is about the freedom to create, love of art, and determination in the face of opposition from those around you.