Father Frenchie Comes to Lyric June 5, 7:30PM

Father Frenchie, the self-proclaimed Ambassador of Goodwill, will bring his brand of humor and wisdom to the stage with his special “off-Broadway” show at Lyric Music Theater on Friday, June 5^th, at 7:30 PM. 

Father Frenchie is a character created and portrayed by Portland-based singer/actor Louis Philippe, who regularly entertains for private functions, senior groups, nursing homes and health care facilities throughout Southern and Central Maine.    

He is also no stranger to the Lyric stage, having appeared in many productions and special events. 

In his over 30 years of Musical Theater at Lyric, Portland Players, Lewiston-Auburn Community Theater and some theaters in the Clearwater, Florida, area, Louis has been blessed with the opportunity to play leading roles upon leading roles, including:  Emcee in CABARET, Leading Player in PIPPIN, Littlechap in STOP THE WORLD I WANT TO GET OFF, Scarecrow in THE WIZ, Seymour in LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, Cosmo in SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN, Title role in HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN, Noah in TWO BY TWO, Bill in ME AND MY GIRL, and more.  In addition, he has accumulated years of producing, directing and music directing with Reindeer Theatre Company, which he formed in 1993. 

Two years ago, he released a CD,   “Father Frenchie Comes To Lewiston,”  recorded before a sold-out live audience at the Franco-American Heritage Center in Lewiston. 

Complete with broken French-Canadian accent, misused language, double entendres and colorful characters, Father Frenchie shares typical everyday lifetime experiences as a traveling Catholic priest.     

Father Frenchie has grown to be popular with seniors, Philippe reported, especially Franco-Americans who can relate to his background.    

“Twenty years and several cleric shirts later, I am very proud to be keeping Father Frenchie very busy, particularly with senior citizens who comment time and again how he brings them back to a more nourishing and peaceful time.  Somehow, he evokes fond memories of growing up, close relatives and endless loving memories of family. 

“As a performer, Franco-American and a Christian, I must admit that Father Frenchie is my secret missionary weapon.  Portraying the character is like having a comedy ministry. It’s my way of stepping outside the politically-correct box and proclaiming a message of faith with a big dose of humor.” 

“…and I can’t wait to be on the Lyric stage again!”