Gad Elmaleh’s great “American project” is in full swing.
The best-known comedian in France and the Francophonie will perform at Carnegie Hall on Feb. 11, 2017, performing on the same stage previously graced by many musical and artistic legends.
Elmaleh was born in Morocco, but lived in Montreal for several years as an adolescent. He got his first opportunity to appear on stage in that city.
He will be a special guest July 25 to 29 at Théâtre Gesù at Montreal’s Just for Laughs festival, where he will perform his show Oh my Gad! in English, based on his observation of daily life in the United States and the American social and political scene. On Sept. 3, he brings his show to the Danforth Music Hall in Toronto, before touring in the United States.
He was interviewed in French.
To perform at Carnegie Hall is quite a tour de force for an artist.
It’s the big announcement! I will be the first non-English comedian to perform in English at Carnegie Hall. This show at this prestigious American showbiz centre is a sign of my success. I never imagined that I could one day play where the superstars of music and humour have performed. When my American producer, Christian Bernhardt, announced the marvellous news, I felt the same sense of joy as when I was told that I was going to do the Olympia in Paris for the first time.
Has it been a longtime dream for you to perform in America in English?
Yes. Today, my American project is my priority. I have been doing shows entirely in English for about a year at Joe’s Pub and the Comedy Cellar, two popular standup clubs in New York. At the Comedy Cellar, I am one of seven or eight comedians who perform every night on that leading New York stage. Sometimes, I do three or four 15-minute shows the same night. It’s a demanding onstage experience, but amazing.
Tell us about your ties with noted American humorist Jerry Seinfeld, who recently asked you to open for his new show.
For me, Jerry Seinfeld is the king of English humour. When he suggested that I open for him in New York and Montreal, I answered jokingly: “Then you will open for my show in New York.” He said yes without hesitating for one second. One night, he showed up at Joe’s Pub to open for me. His appearance had not been announced beforehand. The audience thought they were dreaming when they saw him on the stage. Some even thought it was just a look-alike.
You also have a project in the works with renowned filmmaker and humorist Woody Allen.
I have great admiration for Woody Allen, whom I consider one of the great masters of American humour. I had the immense privilege of acting in one of his films, Midnight in Paris. I have a good relationship with him. We’re working together on a TV series. I cross my fingers and touch wood. You know how superstitious we Moroccans are! As soon as this project, which is very important to me, is further ahead, I will tell you more about it.
Your “American project” is certainly a bold and stimulating adventure.
American standup humour is based on its efficiency. The big challenge for a francophone comic who switches to English is to translate his humour into English. To be able to do improvisation in English, you must have enough vocabulary to express your ideas on the spot. It’s not an easy exercise for a French comedian. Sometimes I make fun of myself onstage by reminding my American audience of my awkwardness when I express myself in English. Then I ask my audience: “How do you said in good English?” They are generous in helping me find the right word or expression, and it often leads to hilarious scenes!
Is your relationship with the English language complex?
Every time someone tells me, “You speak English well for a Frenchman,” I answer, “I don’t have a French accent when I gabble in English because I am Moroccan!” I have been taking intensive English courses for two hours every day for a year. My goal is not to imitate an American. I simply want to achieve an acceptable level of English and have a good accent.
Do you write your own shows in English?
Yes, I write my own scripts in English, paying special attention to each word. Some American comedian friends help me by reading what I write. Then I have to memorize, perform and improvise. My English shows are much more scripted than my shows in French. In French, I can let myself play around with a word or a phrase onstage. I can’t permit myself that luxury in English. It’s fortunate that I have help, because in English the “wording,” as the English call it, and the pace of a phrase, are not as funny if you use one word instead of another.
Are your English performances influenced by your experiences in the United States?
The outlines of my English shows are fuelled by my observations of daily life in the United States and my perspective of Americans and America. I have never been very well-versed in politics. In the United States, the political debates are so entertaining that it’s hard to imagine an American humorist not making the most of this abundant source of inspiration. Donald Trump’s expressions and the animated political debates currently taking place in America inspire me too. I talk about them in my shows. It’s a comfortable, selfish position. I am not an American citizen, I don’t vote, I only recently arrived in the United States. I am stunned when I watch the great show that’s American politics and I use it from time to time in my performances.
Do you consider yourself a Sephardi humorist?
Absolutely. I consider myself a 1,000-per cent Moroccan-Sephardi humorist! I thought that by performing my shows entirely in English, I would lose some of my Sephardi and Moroccan identity. On the contrary, my Moroccan Sephardism and Jewish identity have resurfaced with force.
You often perform in Israel, where you have many fans.
I am very attached to Israel. In Tel Aviv, I have lots of Israeli friends, especially artists and comedians whose sense of self-mocking astonishes me. I hope to one day return there and perform in the Israeli comedy clubs, this time in English. There are several standup clubs in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem where American comedians perform.
You have always been proud of your role as a bridge between the Jewish and Muslim communities.
In Paris and when I tour the country, when the lights go up at the end of my shows, I see kippot and Muslim veils. It’s not caricature, it’s reality. Despite the many pitfalls and clashes involved in Jewish-Muslim dialogue, seeing Jews and Muslims all laughing out loud together is a great privilege for me, a very promising sign for the future.
Translated by Carolan Halpern.
This interview has been edited and condensed for style and clarity.