The Little-Known Walloon Origins of New York City Revealed in Fictionalized Musical Comedy

What if New York was Walloon? This question has long animated the Gerpin author Michel Robert who, after much research and reading, decided to put down on paper an original and fictionalized scenario, inspired by the little-known story of the origins of the “Big Apple”.

In May 1624, the first Walloon pioneers arrived aboard the Niew Nederlandt near the island of Manhattes (Manhattan). On this boat we find Catherine Tricot, originally from Pry-lez-Walcourt, who will have many descendants and who is still considered the mother of all New Yorkers. It is this story that is told in New Belgiumthe musical comedy in Walloon produced by El Môjo from Walons (Maison carolorégienne des traditions) and which will be performed from January 18 to 21 at the Moustier-sur-Sambre cultural center Then February 24 and 25 at the Couillet cultural center avant Fosses-la-Ville on April 6.

This show is by Michel Robert for the booklet and song lyrics, Marc Keizer for the music and Pascal Heringer for the direction. “It’s a project that I had in mind since 1999, explains Michel Robert. The idea evolved over time. I read a lot, particularly about Pierre Minuit who is mentioned in the show. In 2010, I went to Canada and a cousin showed me New York. It was during this period that the wreck of a schooner was found in the foundations of Ground Zero and I decided to make it the starting point of my story.”explains Michel Robert.

Twenty paintings and 22 songs can be discovered in these performances.

A regional collaboration

A bit like Titanic by Jeames Cameron, she is a descendant of the heroine Catherine Tricot who will take tourists in the footsteps of her ancestor, in the extra-temporal adventure of these Walloons who participated in the founding of the city.

The show troupe is made up of 40 actors and actresses, but also three musicians and a corps de ballet in 17th century costumes. “I had already collaborated with the Viroinval dance school on a previous show. The dancers are there as well as actors from different theater circles in Gerpinnes, Couillet and Gilly.”, adds Michel Robert. Video inserts support the staging and the public will be able to discover many talents such as the young Lohan Gillard de Chatelineau or Julie Mus in the role of Catherine Tricot.

We can wonder about the great discretion surrounding the birth of New York, absent from school textbooks. The author offers an explanation: “This oversight can be explained in different ways. Here is one that seems plausible: the founders of New York were Protestant Walloons and Flemings who were expelled. Education in Belgium having for a very long time been influenced by the Church Catholic, we can assume that it has deliberately obscured this period of our history”.

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2024-01-07 16:49:00
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