Finding my voice, or how to adapt a show for the tourist market
The Trigger: the Olympic Games are coming to Paris!
This is a rare event. Some dread it, others await it eagerly. Some choose to leave the capital to escape the chaos, and others think instead that there are opportunities to seize.
I belong to this second category: the Olympics will attract a large number of tourists, potentially English-speaking, who will be happy to come see a show in English after a day spent watching the competitions. The opportunity is all the more beautiful since there are very few shows in English in Paris and the market is far from saturated.
I am American, expatriated in Paris. Adapting my show into English for this audience is therefore obvious and an exciting challenge.
The Show in the French version
This show, Ma Voix-e, is my "baby." It is a highly autobiographical project close to my heart that I have been developing for years; when I started writing it in 2019, it had already been on my mind for some time. After a first performance that went very well in June 2019, I nevertheless procrastinated a bit too much, and I was finally caught off guard by COVID.
Four years later (time flies!), I decided to stage a new version of my show through Eat the Cake Studio, to add even more interactivity, multimedia elements, and immersion.
In this show, I talk about how I found my path as an actress, and my voice as an opera singer, from my beginnings in Northern California to my arrival in France where I settled more or less permanently. Through humor, singing, dancing, and even drawing, I share my life with the audience and invite them to join me on stage or participate in my adventures in an interactive and surprising way.
My goal and hope is that spectators not only have a good time but also question themselves – their life, their path, their vocation – and have a more inspired and optimistic vision of their future when leaving the show.
Do you want to see the show in French in Paris?
There are still 3 dates left in June, book your tickets now !
First step: Adapt the show
I say “adapt,” because it goes beyond simply translating the text.
As mentioned earlier, my show includes several songs, some written by myself, whose lyrics are an integral part of the show's story. Here lies the challenge: what solution to choose to be sure the English-speaking audience loses nothing in the show?
Translate the songs into English, with all the difficulty that entails?
Project subtitles on a screen?
Or choose (and compose) new songs?
Each solution has its pros and cons; subtitles are by far the quickest solution to implement but risk breaking immersion; translation would be ideal but requires some time, even a considerable amount of time.
Besides music, there are also multimedia supports: new videos, new voice-over recordings, new visual materials need to be created.
And of course, not to underestimate the rehearsals to learn and perfect this new version.
Second step: Adapt the marketing
With roughly 130 theaters and 300 to 450 shows per week in Paris, it is complicated to sell tickets for a show in French. The supply is simply greater than the demand.
On the other hand, in June 2024, there are only 9 shows in English in Paris; the difference speaks for itself... but you still have to be able to reach the target audience, that is, the English speakers in Paris, especially tourists.
Here too, it’s not just a question of translation.
The marketing materials need to be localized, that is adapted to this new target - emphasizing language, my American origins, the vision of France by an expatriate, and all aspects of the show likely to appeal to English-speaking tourists.
The show booking platforms are not the same. They need to be studied, the best selected, and contacted.
There are multiple promotion possibilities: partnerships with tourism agencies and hotels; distributing flyers in tourist spots; creating content for social media...
There is a lot to do in a very short time. But the magic with theater is that everything is always ready on time, whatever happens!
Third step: Embrace uncertainty
We have enough experience to know that nothing is certain. Will we reach our target and fill the house? We will only know in July.
The most important thing for me remains to perform this show and share my story with as many spectators as possible. The adaptation into English is part of a long-term desire to tour with Ma Voix, whether in France, England, or the United States.
Whether in English or French, Ma Voix is now available for booking for all kinds of venues: theaters, community halls, MJCs, retirement homes, festivals, restaurants...
Are you interested? Let’s talk !