Several of its songs have passed into mainstream Francophone pop culture, and helped original cast members Daniel Balavoine and Diane Dufresne to rise in popularity in France; it is now considered the most famous rock opera in French history.
In 1992, an English version of the show was created with the release of the album Tycoon, with lyrics by Tim Rice, and starring Kim Carnes, Celine Dion, Nina Hagen, Peter Kingsbery, Cyndi Lauper, Willy Deville, Kevin Robinson and Tom Jones in the principal roles on the recording.
[4] A comeback tour, directed by Thomas Jolly, Nicolas Ghesquière[5] and Victor Le Masne (Housse de Racket), was announced in 2020 and set to premiere in France on November 11, 2021.
In a nebulous future, Monopolis, the capital of the recently united Occident, is terrorized by the Black Stars, a gang headed by Johnny Rockfort.
Above the café stands the Golden Tower, a 121-floor building which serves as the headquarters for Zéro Janvier, a real estate tycoon and billionaire.
Against this background, three parallel relationships play out: Marie-Jeanne's unrequited love for Ziggy, a homisexual record dealer and dreams of fame; the sensational romance of Zéro Janvier and Stella Spotlight, a depressed ex-sex symbol who has just retired from the silver screen; and the passion of Johnny Rockfort and Cristal, the true nexus of the plot.
Ziggy, having abandonned Marie-Jeanne and the underground world, DJs during Janvier's engagement party at the Naziland, a club build on top of the Golden Tower.
In the original studio and stage productions, a final song was delivered by an alien character or Johnny's spirit, pleading with humanity to renounce its sterile obsession with stardom, realize its insignificance and strive for peace.