C5

Eric Kennedy

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The second show in the Série Rido, Saint John's only French-language show and concert series, will be coming to town on Oct. 24 as one of the first stops on a cross-Canada tour by Jean-François Breau and Marie-Ève Janvier. Together Breau and Janvier constitute the hottest duo on the French-Canadian music scene and they will be here in the Port City, on the stage of the Théâtre Louis Vermeersch offering up songs taken from their respective albums, favorite Broadway-style hits, as well as several duets.

The show promises to be both simple and rather intimate as the duo weaves together a tapestry of tender moments, fond memories and lighthearted fun. It will not be the first time they have performed together on stage. Breau and Janvier have shared the lights on numerous occasions over the years, notably on the sets of musicals such as Notre-Dame-de-Paris and Don Juan. Marie-Ève was also part of the cast for Dix Commandements, but that time without Breau. In the case of Don Juan, the duo were part of a production whose astounding success is evidenced by the more than 300,000 albums sold worldwide, hundreds of shows sought out by more than 350,000 fans in Canada, France and South Korea.

So it's with a solid background in performance and with high energy that they kick of this Coup de Coeur Francophone tour. The Coup de Coeur Francophone model began in 1995 with the intent to showcase francophone talent in some 30 cities across the country; each one a French-speaking community related to the others by the same heart, soul and passion. In fact, the theme this year is les fruits de la passion!

Breau, a native of Ontario who was raised in Tracadie-Sheila, has launched two solo albums since 2001; the first simply entitled Jean-François Breau and the second Exposé, which came out in 2006. Janviere launched her first album in 2007 on the Mercury label (Universal, France).

Tickets are already on sale. For information on this event, contact the information centreat the Centre Samuel-de-Champlain at 658-4600.

Upcoming events

Franco Buzz. Each Friday, you're invited at Le Faubourg to end the work week and start the weekend on the right foot and amongst friends in a laid-back French-speaking environment. Entrance is free and doors open at 3:30pm. Information: 658-4600.

Oct. 24, 6:30 p.m.: Launch of an art exhibit by Acadian painter Marcel Boudreau at Centre Samuel-de-Champlain's Salon Irène Grant-Guérette. Free admission. Infoformation: 658-4600.

Eric Kennedy is the director of communications for the Regional Association of Francophone Communities for Saint John. His column appears in both English and French every Monday.