Interview: Matthew Rosenstein on MAKE ME FRENCH at the Beechman

After a sold-out performance last year, Matthew Rosenstein brings Make Me French back to the Laurie Beechman Theatre for Bastille Day, July 14th. The show follows Rosenstein, “a bagel who dreamed of being a croissant,” on his journey to become as French as possible, including moving to Paris, through stories and song! Recently, we had the chance to speak with Rosenstein about bringing the show back to the Laurie Beechman Theatre. We discussed the creative process for a cabaret show like Make Me French, what audiences can expect from the show, and even some of the cultural differences he’s noticed between the French and Americans!

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How did you first get started in the world of theatre? 

I acted as a kid in community theater, and I was the star at Temple Shalom of Aberdeen, New Jersey for many, many years! But then I stepped away from the spotlight to pursue a corporate career. I work in a television event space. But I've traveled the world and have been based in New York and then Paris. Later in life, after I went through a divorce, I had a second awakening and wanted to come back to being an artist. I started doing some intensive vocal training, worked with a vocal coach for a while, started making friends in the theatre world, and then started getting the question, “When are you going to do your show?” So, I did my first one man show in 2023 at The Green Room 42. It was a great success. I went from there, and I'm continuing and growing as an artist.

And what made you want to create Make Me French?

Ever since I was a little kid, I've always been obsessed with France and the French language. When I was a teenager, there was no internet yet in my parents house. I wanted to practice with a real live French person, so I would go to payphones and call Air France and pretend to reserve a plane ticket, just speak to a real, live French person! And then I would hang up when it was time to pay. They couldn't trace it back to my parents house! 

I eventually moved to France. I made a joke in 2004 that if George Bush got reelected, I didn't want to stay in New York. And they called me on it! My company moved me to France for five years. I had a wonderful time, but also had a lot of misadventures as well. So it was logical to me when I was coming up with my next show. Something that I love talking about is the relationship between the Americans and the French. Right now, with the way the world is, people are calling it into question. A lot of the problems between Americans and French people, it's all a cultural misunderstanding. So I speak to that, but musically and with a lot of humor and kindness, because I feel between those two worlds. I like to say that this show is the story of a bagel who dreamed of being a croissant. There's nothing French about me except that I just became obsessed, moved there, and learned the language.

Can you tell us a bit about what goes into making a solo show like this? 

Sure! First of all, you have to have the confidence that you have a story to tell, that you have something to share with people. Not just something that you want to say, but something relatable that will connect with the audience. And then you have to work with a good team. You have to have a director that can help you shape an arc out of the story and make sure that it's not therapy on stage. That it's actually bringing the audience in and making them a part of it. So I work with a fabulous director, Robbie Rozelle, who is really well-known in the cabaret world. And then musically, it helps to make smart choices, to know your strengths and your weaknesses, and what makes you happy - what you enjoy singing. Because ultimately, if you're having fun with your musical choices, the audience will have fun as well. So having a good team, making the right musical choices, making sure that you're not coming from too self-centered of a place has been key for me. 

What has it been like seeing the audience reaction to Make Me French? 

Oh, it's been great! So this is the second time I'm doing the show. I played at the Laurie Beechman last year and sold out. And, a delegation from the French embassy actually came to see the show! I was so nervous about that, because some of it is very tongue in cheek, and I poke a little bit of fun - lovingly - at French people, but also Americans. They absolutely loved it. And I pointed out things about French people in the French language that they said they didn't even realize about themselves! So that's been really gratifying. And, after the Beechman, I'm doing my first out-of-town show. We're going to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, so I’m looking forward to that!

Have you thought about putting the show on in France?

Absolutely! I do think that it's a show that would lend itself well to being performed in French in France. I would have to adapt some things a little bit, because this is a show that appeals to Americans and appeals to French people as well, but it is in English. Right now, it is geared towards an audience that lives here in the States. So if it were to come to France, I would want to adapt it a little differently. And there are jokes and nuances that I can make in French for a French audience that I can't necessarily do here. 

When you were living in France, did you experience much of the cabaret scene there? 

No, surprisingly! I did see some live theater there, but they don't really do New York style cabaret shows in Paris - it's not a thing. There are concerts in more of a theater setting. And there's certainly a lot of terrific theatre to be seen in France, but there's something quintessentially New York about the storytelling cabaret.

So you're bringing the show back to the Beechman Theatre on Bastille Day for the second time. What is that like?

I think this is becoming tradition! I told Tom and Michael D’Angora that I want to hold this date every year to do something French on Bastille Day. The staff at the Laurie Beechman Theater is just wonderful. Unfortunately, Tom and Michael make them wear berets during the show, so I always say at the end of my show, “Please tip the staff generously. They are wearing berets under duress!”

What are some examples of the things that you talk about in the show?

I talk, for example, about the relationship between the French and food. There's this theory that French people don't get fat, which is not true. A lot of French people struggle with their weight. But I do believe that the French have a healthier relationship with food. So I speak to that a bit and why that is. We have commercials on TV for prescription medicines and that voice comes on that say the side effects may include stroke or death. They don't have that in France. They don't have ads for prescriptions. What they do have is, whenever there's a food commercial, there's a voice that comes on and says, “For your health, avoid snacking between meals.” So they have a healthier relationship to food, and they're much more careful about eating things. I could go on! 

I talk about managing French people, which is very different. I am a people pleaser and that is rewarded in the U.S. In France, they walk all over you with your people-pleasing. But I also give people hacks for getting what you want in difficult customer service situations. I also speak directly to the stereotype that the French are rude. What that distills down to is the French aren't rude - the French have boundaries. I'll expound on that more during, during the show. I speak about the stereotype of the French waiter and the U.S. waiters. We have a very different idea in the US about what is rude and what is polite. If I say, “Hi folks. My name is Matthew. How are you?” Nothing about that is polite in France - it's actually weird for somebody to tell you their first name if they don't know you! And “How are you?” Seems like a very basic question for us, the foundation of any exchange, but in France it's really weird and rude to ask a stranger. 

What kind of songs can people expect from the show? 

Show tunes are my specialties, so you're going to get a lot of Broadway! You're going to get some French disco tunes from my favorite French disco star. You're going to get a little, Jacques Brel, a little bit of everything. Even some Disney to start us off!

What do you hope audiences take away from the show? 

I hope audiences take away that the French and the Americans have a lot to learn from each other, and a lot of what we perceive as rudeness can just be cultural misunderstanding. On this 250th anniversary of French-American friendship, we have a long history with our first ally, and we can get over any forks in the road, any speed bumps, if you will. This is just a moment in our long history of being friends. And I want both French and American people to laugh at our differences, enjoy them, and get over the cultural misunderstandings we may have. 

And finally, how would you describe the show in one word? 

Formidable!

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Follow Matthew Rosenstein on Instagram here.

Matthew Rosenstein in Make Me French runs on 14 July at the Laurie Beechman Theatre. Tickets are available here.

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