Post by davidhr on May 17, 2011 10:09:30 GMT -5
Another quiet week for Lara publicly. Some more information has surfaced about her next scheduled appearance, '1939', Lara's upcoming play. In an article in 'Musical Avenue.fr', the following (translated) appears...
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The AICOM play '1939' at the Theatre of Gymnase with Lara Fabian
Soon '1939' will be given at the Theatre of Gymnase by students of AICOM.
It is no longer only the International Academy of Musical Comedy (AICOM), a famous school in Paris, where artists have come out who presently exist on stage, such as Vanessa Cailhol (Mamma Mia!), Julien Salvia (Lightning; Exodus 47) or Julien Husser (Sauna, Hairspray). Students will present '1939', their show at the end of the school year June 29 and 30 on the theater stage of the Gymnase in Paris, with the participation of the sponsor of the school, who is none other than singer Lara Fabian.
As its name indicates, '1939' is set against the backdrop of the Second World War. The story takes us into a peaceful little French village between Paris and the Normandy coast, which the war will upset. And we follow the path of the inhabitants of this village as they face the horror of the scourge.
It's a show 100% AICOM since it was written and composed by the teachers in this school: Stephane Metro, Franck Varnava, Sandrine Borie and Christophe Borie. As for the staging, it is done by Pierre-Yves Duchesne who, besides his duties as Director of AICOM, is a vocal coach and friend of the singer Lara Fabian.
In fact, during her last TV broadcasts, Lara Fabian has often invited the director of the academy at her side, talking about his work as a coach and their friendship. The artist is also the patron of the school in which she invests regularly, since she participates in juries at the end of the year and gives a master-class to contest winners.
This is not the first time the singer has brushed against the world of musical comedy. Indeed, early in her career, she had covered, for the purposes of a television program in Quebec, the main theme from Phantom of the Opera, "The Music of the Night". Then a few years ago, she said she wanted to write a musical. We remember also that she reprised during her tour 'Un Regard Neuf', two songs from the movie musical Yentl, "Papa, Can You Hear Me " and "A Piece of Sky" originally sung by Barbra Streisand, her idol. Finally, Lara had for a project on stage to embody the role inhabited by Julie Andrews in the film Victor / Victoria. Unfortunately, it has since been announced that this project has not been able to come to pass...
Fans of Lara Fabian are already asking her which character she is going to play. The Production reassures them: "It will not be the main role but Gisele, who is an important figure in history".
Moreover, students of AICOM presented in preview an excerpt from the show, during the last edition of Life is a Musical, the 100% musical comedy tea-dance, Sunday, April 3, 2011 in the Tango in Paris .
The poster of the show on the official website announces three presentations 'in preview. This therefore lets one predict that the show could be resumed at the 'return' [after the summer]. In the meantime, we wish the students of AICOM, much courage and good performances.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The original article, with several pictures, is available at:
www.musicalavenue.fr/Actualite/France/20110511/Laicom-jouera-1939-au-theatre-du-Gymnase-avec-Lara-Fabian
Despite Alan Badoev's comment that he was bringing the 'Mlle. Zhivago' film to Cannes, it has not been seen there. There are rumors, however, that the film will be sold in Cannes for international exhibit, and it has now been stated that it will be shown in Russia beginning in September, in time for Lara's Russian tour (opening September 20). Lara is still keeping in the news in that country - the TV show of her Moscow concerts is scheduled to be repeated for the Russian audience on May 20th. It has also been reported that Lara is in negotiations to perform at the 'Charity Ball' in Almaty, Khazakstan, in 2012, hence with the apparent intention of maintaining her presence in the 'countries to the east'.
This new emphasis of Lara's has resulted in some degree of upset to the French fans on her official forum (which also is becoming much less utilized). And their reaction has been noted by the Russian fans, who feel the French 'angels' are jealous of Lara's new affections! Combined with the ending of the 'Farfallina' productions, it has raised various questions in Francophile minds about Lara's continued interest in them. However, the AICOM report above suggests one should not go overboard about all this; indeed, Lara has recently suggested that her next album will be in French, although with the caveat that it has not yet crystallized in her mind.
The latest installment from the Biography of Lara covers pages 117-122, and discusses what it calls Lara's "return to herself".
**In June, 2002, with her recent difficult period still in mind, Lara gave a private concert organized by Cherie FM at the Hotel Bristol in Paris. It was a small, acoustic affair, and Lara was so taken by the warm ambiance and intimacy, allowing more rapport with the audience, that the idea for "En tout intimite" was born.
**As we know, the show included simply a cello, a piano (Pierre Grimard, pianist), some strings and Lara - up to 4 people on stage, with Lara mixing monologs in with the singing, but in this case the speeches were text prepared ahead of time, hence part of the official show.
**The Quebecois director Lewis Furrey helped her set it up, including the lush red velvet drapes, the candles, bouquet of roses, and subdued light from chandeliers. And of course Lara appearing for the second half of the show in a black negligee (her idea), so as to "entrain the audience into her night, into her dreams".
**It was very emotional for Lara - she often cried during the performance - and she viewed it as putting emotion before power. It allowed her to show off her vocal prowess without "excess".
**It was originally supposed to be just two evenings at the Olympia, but it got such good 'word-of-mouth', that it was expanded to four months duration at the Casino de Paris. The schedule was also quite unique - performances only (every) Monday, off-days for the musical comedy of Richard Cocciante (of 'Le petit Prince').
**A regular occurrence was that invitees would show up - Mark Lavoine, Daniel Lavoie, Patrick Bruel, but Lara's fondest memory is of being able to sing "Syracuse" with Henri Salvador - the public so enthused that the two ended up singing it again.
**Lara would do one of her own songs, then cover a song from somebody else. Perhaps the biggest surprise for the audience was her singing "Pour que to m'aimes encore" from Celine Dion, which, the book notes, "took courage!"
**The rest of this section is devoted to the documentary that Lara allowed to be made of her activities, "Intime". It is clearly the author's favorite of all material about Lara - he feels it shows her human, humble, funny, and fragile side more clearly than anything done before (or since). It was first shown on France 6 in 2002, then distributed on DVD. One sees Lara working on songs, practicing singing with her teacher (Lucette Tremblay) [my favorite scene, as she occasionally looks like an apprehensive school girl!], and the warmth of Lara's interactions with her Sicilian family.
Both the ETI performances, and "Intime" did help calm Lara's critics, who actually liked what they saw of her - in effect, it showed that the stereotype they had built up of her 'arrogance' was not (all of) who she really was. And Lara enjoyed no longer being their target. Of course the price was sacrificing the power of her voice, a choice that in recent interviews she seems to regret. This was therefore one approach to getting off of the firing range - her recent turn to the 'countries of the east' may be looked upon as the latest attempt, now that she's convinced being a "singer of voice" is who she really is and wants to continue to be.
Yet another quiet upcoming week on tap, at least publicly, for Lara. Hopefully she is really getting the rest she said she so badly needs.
David
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The AICOM play '1939' at the Theatre of Gymnase with Lara Fabian
Soon '1939' will be given at the Theatre of Gymnase by students of AICOM.
It is no longer only the International Academy of Musical Comedy (AICOM), a famous school in Paris, where artists have come out who presently exist on stage, such as Vanessa Cailhol (Mamma Mia!), Julien Salvia (Lightning; Exodus 47) or Julien Husser (Sauna, Hairspray). Students will present '1939', their show at the end of the school year June 29 and 30 on the theater stage of the Gymnase in Paris, with the participation of the sponsor of the school, who is none other than singer Lara Fabian.
As its name indicates, '1939' is set against the backdrop of the Second World War. The story takes us into a peaceful little French village between Paris and the Normandy coast, which the war will upset. And we follow the path of the inhabitants of this village as they face the horror of the scourge.
It's a show 100% AICOM since it was written and composed by the teachers in this school: Stephane Metro, Franck Varnava, Sandrine Borie and Christophe Borie. As for the staging, it is done by Pierre-Yves Duchesne who, besides his duties as Director of AICOM, is a vocal coach and friend of the singer Lara Fabian.
In fact, during her last TV broadcasts, Lara Fabian has often invited the director of the academy at her side, talking about his work as a coach and their friendship. The artist is also the patron of the school in which she invests regularly, since she participates in juries at the end of the year and gives a master-class to contest winners.
This is not the first time the singer has brushed against the world of musical comedy. Indeed, early in her career, she had covered, for the purposes of a television program in Quebec, the main theme from Phantom of the Opera, "The Music of the Night". Then a few years ago, she said she wanted to write a musical. We remember also that she reprised during her tour 'Un Regard Neuf', two songs from the movie musical Yentl, "Papa, Can You Hear Me " and "A Piece of Sky" originally sung by Barbra Streisand, her idol. Finally, Lara had for a project on stage to embody the role inhabited by Julie Andrews in the film Victor / Victoria. Unfortunately, it has since been announced that this project has not been able to come to pass...
Fans of Lara Fabian are already asking her which character she is going to play. The Production reassures them: "It will not be the main role but Gisele, who is an important figure in history".
Moreover, students of AICOM presented in preview an excerpt from the show, during the last edition of Life is a Musical, the 100% musical comedy tea-dance, Sunday, April 3, 2011 in the Tango in Paris .
The poster of the show on the official website announces three presentations 'in preview. This therefore lets one predict that the show could be resumed at the 'return' [after the summer]. In the meantime, we wish the students of AICOM, much courage and good performances.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The original article, with several pictures, is available at:
www.musicalavenue.fr/Actualite/France/20110511/Laicom-jouera-1939-au-theatre-du-Gymnase-avec-Lara-Fabian
Despite Alan Badoev's comment that he was bringing the 'Mlle. Zhivago' film to Cannes, it has not been seen there. There are rumors, however, that the film will be sold in Cannes for international exhibit, and it has now been stated that it will be shown in Russia beginning in September, in time for Lara's Russian tour (opening September 20). Lara is still keeping in the news in that country - the TV show of her Moscow concerts is scheduled to be repeated for the Russian audience on May 20th. It has also been reported that Lara is in negotiations to perform at the 'Charity Ball' in Almaty, Khazakstan, in 2012, hence with the apparent intention of maintaining her presence in the 'countries to the east'.
This new emphasis of Lara's has resulted in some degree of upset to the French fans on her official forum (which also is becoming much less utilized). And their reaction has been noted by the Russian fans, who feel the French 'angels' are jealous of Lara's new affections! Combined with the ending of the 'Farfallina' productions, it has raised various questions in Francophile minds about Lara's continued interest in them. However, the AICOM report above suggests one should not go overboard about all this; indeed, Lara has recently suggested that her next album will be in French, although with the caveat that it has not yet crystallized in her mind.
The latest installment from the Biography of Lara covers pages 117-122, and discusses what it calls Lara's "return to herself".
**In June, 2002, with her recent difficult period still in mind, Lara gave a private concert organized by Cherie FM at the Hotel Bristol in Paris. It was a small, acoustic affair, and Lara was so taken by the warm ambiance and intimacy, allowing more rapport with the audience, that the idea for "En tout intimite" was born.
**As we know, the show included simply a cello, a piano (Pierre Grimard, pianist), some strings and Lara - up to 4 people on stage, with Lara mixing monologs in with the singing, but in this case the speeches were text prepared ahead of time, hence part of the official show.
**The Quebecois director Lewis Furrey helped her set it up, including the lush red velvet drapes, the candles, bouquet of roses, and subdued light from chandeliers. And of course Lara appearing for the second half of the show in a black negligee (her idea), so as to "entrain the audience into her night, into her dreams".
**It was very emotional for Lara - she often cried during the performance - and she viewed it as putting emotion before power. It allowed her to show off her vocal prowess without "excess".
**It was originally supposed to be just two evenings at the Olympia, but it got such good 'word-of-mouth', that it was expanded to four months duration at the Casino de Paris. The schedule was also quite unique - performances only (every) Monday, off-days for the musical comedy of Richard Cocciante (of 'Le petit Prince').
**A regular occurrence was that invitees would show up - Mark Lavoine, Daniel Lavoie, Patrick Bruel, but Lara's fondest memory is of being able to sing "Syracuse" with Henri Salvador - the public so enthused that the two ended up singing it again.
**Lara would do one of her own songs, then cover a song from somebody else. Perhaps the biggest surprise for the audience was her singing "Pour que to m'aimes encore" from Celine Dion, which, the book notes, "took courage!"
**The rest of this section is devoted to the documentary that Lara allowed to be made of her activities, "Intime". It is clearly the author's favorite of all material about Lara - he feels it shows her human, humble, funny, and fragile side more clearly than anything done before (or since). It was first shown on France 6 in 2002, then distributed on DVD. One sees Lara working on songs, practicing singing with her teacher (Lucette Tremblay) [my favorite scene, as she occasionally looks like an apprehensive school girl!], and the warmth of Lara's interactions with her Sicilian family.
Both the ETI performances, and "Intime" did help calm Lara's critics, who actually liked what they saw of her - in effect, it showed that the stereotype they had built up of her 'arrogance' was not (all of) who she really was. And Lara enjoyed no longer being their target. Of course the price was sacrificing the power of her voice, a choice that in recent interviews she seems to regret. This was therefore one approach to getting off of the firing range - her recent turn to the 'countries of the east' may be looked upon as the latest attempt, now that she's convinced being a "singer of voice" is who she really is and wants to continue to be.
Yet another quiet upcoming week on tap, at least publicly, for Lara. Hopefully she is really getting the rest she said she so badly needs.
David
