Cover to cast recordingLa Cocarde de Mimi Pinson

(The Mimi-Pinson Rosette)

Operette in 3 Acts by Henri Goublier

Synopsis

Act 1

1915. After a lively, military and sentimental overture, the curtain rises on the sewing studio of Monsieur Robichon and Madame Frivolet. We get to know the assistants who, at the moments are making tricolour rosettes to help the WW2 soldiers: Zoe, the cheeky one and Marie-Louise, the well behaved one but also with the boss, a good fellow, his associate, a lady who is an awkward customer, Sophie, the outspoken cook, and Monsieur de la Mazette, an old boyfriend who is mad about Zoe.

Then Jean, a handsome lieutenant and the boss’s son, and Bourriche, his batman, arrive on the scene. The latter engages Sophie in conversation but she rebuffs him with a resounding slap. Mme Frivolet does not hide her attachment to Jean, while Marie Louise, who is madly in love, slips a gold medallion into the young man’s rosette.

Act 2

Monsieur de la Mazette has transformed his country house into a convalescent home for the wounded. He is the manager and has taken on the sewing girls as voluntary nurses. Jean is there, slightly wounded, and the medallion sewn into his rosette has miraculously deflected the bullet which should have killed him. If he finds the woman who has concealed the medallion, he will marry her. Visiting the country house, Mme Frivolet lets him believe that she is that woman. Thanks to the mascot which he has lent to the lieutenant, Bourriche wins the heart of Sophie (after the war, they will run a bistro) but, just as he is setting off for the Front with Jean, he notices with horror that he has lost the rosette.

Act 3

The whole team from the château meets at the Front to run a country ambulance. Jean is brought there, seriously wounded. Bourriche is so angry about his absent mindedness which could have cost the lieutenant his life, that he punishes himself by breaking things off with Sophie, but she gives back to him the lost rosette. They patch things up at once. Marie-Louise gets the rosette back and slips it into Jean’s wallet. Mme Frigolet gives up her plans and everything ends in the most joyous and unrealistically military way with three weddings: Marie-Louise and Jean, Sophie and Bourriche, Zoe and La Mazette, while Mme Frigolet and Monsieur Robichon give up their shares in the fashion house as a dowry for Marie-Louise.

Cast

  • Jean Robichon
  • La Mazette
  • Bourriche
  • Robichon
  • Marie-Louise
  • Sophie
  • Zoé
  • Madame Frivolet

Musical Numbers

  1. C'est le sourire de Paris - Marie-Louise
  2. Si le poilu a fait de soi le sacrifice - Jean
  3. Vielle sur ton amoureux - Marie-Louise
  4. La cocarde de la victoire - Marie-Louise, Jean and chorus
  5. Le jus! le jus! - Zoé and chorus
  6. Pour trente sous - La Mazette
  7. Quelle est cette inconnue - Jean
  8. Celle qui me sauva la vie - Jean, Marie-Louise
  9. Un petit compttoir en étain - Sophie, Bourriche
  10. Adieu, puisqu'il faut partir - Marie-Louise, Jean and Chorus
  11. Prenez, mes amis - Marie-Louise, Jean and Chorus
  12. Nous défendons le France - Marie-Louise, Jean and Chorus
  13. Nous défendons le France - Orchestra
  14. Je suis de bon conseil - La Mazette, Zoé
  15. C'est toi seul que j'aime - Jean, Marie-Louise
  16. Finale - Vive la cocarde de Mimi-Pinson