A week after Karl Tremblay’s death, the members of the Cowboys Fringants received another touching dose of love at the musical’s media premiere Royal PubThursday evening, at the Grand Théâtre.
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The singer’s partners, Marie-Annick Lépine, Jean-François Pauzé and Jérôme Dupras, gathered on the balcony, received a warm ovation before the show began. The three musicians soberly greeted the audience who came in large numbers to see this production inspired by the songs of the Cowboys Fringants.
“We love you,” shouted one spectator, surely speaking on behalf of all the admirers in the mourning group, some of whom could not hold back their tears.
Under these circumstances, the performance of Pub Royal seemed like a homage to Karl Tremblay.
The performance ended with the song “The Shooting Stars” and a touching salute to the crowd, who stood to thank the actors and the Cowboys Fringants. Marcel Tremblay / QMI Agency
The musical “Pub Royal”, dressed in the work of the cowboys Fringants, tells the adventure of Jonathan Doyer, played by Richard Charest, an insurance broker who breaks down his vehicle and asks the people in the Pub Royal for help.
Tears flowed from the very first notes of the song “Bienvenue chez nous,” which Kevin Houle performed with impressive precision in his role as Siriso.
The members of the Les 7 Fingers collective delivered a solid performance. Marcel Tremblay / QMI Agency
Of cruel beauty
The song La fin du show, which was unreleased before the presentation of this show, was the highlight of the evening.
The lyrics Jean-François Pauzé wrote while his best friend was battling cancer were cruelly beautiful; Everyone watching knew that the song was written in the final moments of Karl Tremblay’s life.
Martin Giroux’s voice, alone in the spotlight and surrounded by dancers in the dark, made everything even more emotional.
Jean-François Pauzé sat in the front row. Marcel Tremblay / QMI Agency
Unity is strength
Karl Tremblay’s song is impossible to recreate and is etched in the collective memory. Still, the cast of “Pub Royal” managed to capture his voice and enthusiasm, particularly in the song “Shooters,” a festive piece that perfectly suited the tavern setting.
Although the members of the “Les 7 Doigts” troupe gave their best during their solo moments on stage, many of the songs played remained truer to the originals when sung in choir.
Yvan Pedneault’s rendition of “America is Crying” in his role as Normand was a good example; With a powerful performance, his voice alone was not enough to appreciate this success on stage.
This show is worth seeing and provides some balm for Karl Tremblay’s departure, but you shouldn’t go there hoping to see a copy of the Cowboys Fringants on stage.
Pub Royal will be presented at the Grand Théâtre de Québec until November 26th and will then be at the Place des Arts in Montréal from December 6th.