Natalie Choquette –
La Diva
An interview article by Rosemary Phillips,
February 2003
World-renowned opera comedienne Natalie Choquette was preparing
for a journey to the Bahamas when she took time out for this interview
which led into her concert with the Vancouver Island Symphony in
Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada. Natalie is a woman of great insight
and many talents - for Natalie is not only an opera singer, performer,
and comedienne, she is a wife and a mother. It was a joy to talk
with her and while we chatted her children could be heard playing
in the background.
Who said opera was boring?
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| Natalie Choquette |
So what is fabulous, famous, opera comedienne Natalie Choquette
doing coming to Nanaimo – La Diva who has performed before
crowds of up to 18,000 in Europe in arena-size venues? "I’m
really honoured to have been invited by the symphony there,"
said Choquette from her home in Montreal. "It’s such
a beautiful part of the world. When I visited the Island a few years
ago its beauty just blew me away!”
Choquette who, with her many comic diva characters, has brought
laughter to audiences of all ages and cultures on four continents
will be performing "Who Ever Said Opera Was Boring?" with
the Vancouver Island Symphony and Maestro Marlin Wolfe at the Port
Theatre on Saturday, Feb. 15.
"It’s so important to laugh," said Choquette, who
was born in Tokyo during a Typhoon and can converse, sing and joke
in at least six different languages. "In olden days people
laughed for a good 17 minutes a day. Now we are reduced to two."
Opera is definitely not boring for the fans of La Diva. Audiences
everywhere have been known to break into applause and laugh uproariously
at Choquette whether she’s singing a “Turandot”
aria while decked out in hair curlers and slurping spaghetti, breaking
out into a Neaopolitan while hanging laundry on stage, filing her
fingernails while giving a superb rendition of “Summertime”,
or when she sings Puccini’s "Nessun Dorma" refrain
while gargling a mouthful of red wine… without missing a note!
And the costumes by Rossignol are outrageous.
"No matter where in the world we come from we have a vibration
that’s common. We are all human beings, and people laugh at
the same silly jokes. Africans are very jolly, and Indians have
spontaneous laughter. In Egypt they have less material things but
they sure know how to have fun. In Japan people are so discreet
about their emotions. Latinos are very expressive. The French in
France analyze. You have to be very sensitive and open to the personality
of the audience."
When asked what it was like singing in front of 60,000 people for
the Danube Music Festival in 2000 she replied, “The first
few seconds – after feeling the personality of the audience
you settle down and deliver your stuff and make sure that everybody
feels included in what you do. It’s harder to sing for one
person than 60,000. You can feel shy. But it’s fun too. You
just have to take that minute to feel the audience and then you’re
OK. That’s normal. When you master the stage fright it’s
adrenaline, and it’s so important to have that when you walk
on stage. It’s like when you vacuum, you need a special kind
of energy.”
In 1999 Choquette swept across Europe for the “Night of the
Proms” tour, a rock and classical music extravaganza. For
the 37 concerts she was accompanied by the Il Novencento Symphony
Orchestra, a choir of 40 young singers, Italian singing star Zucchero,
Britain’s famous Status Quo, and Tina Turner’s musical
director, John Miles. That was the same year she won the Grand Prize
for the International Humour Festival in Haguenau, France.
“I realize that I get the same comments all over the world
from people who don’t normally go to the opera and think it’s
for people with fur coats and diamonds,” she continued. “The
comments that come out are - ‘Thank you for making opera accessible
to the people.’
“Everybody loves the music, through movies and films. What
scares people away from the music is not so much the music itself,
but they feel awkward when thy go into a concert hall - maybe someone
has said, ‘Shhh,’ if they applauded in the wrong place.
Bringing an entertaining side to the art brings an ease, it brings
laughter. I’ve even had comments from punks and bikers and
teenagers who were dragged to a concert – that they were glad
they went. One seven-year-old girl said to me, ‘When I grow
up I want to be an operator just like you.’”
As Choquette talked away enthusiastically her two daughters, age
five and three could be heard in the background. “Whenever
I’m on the phone that’s when they ask for things.”
Yes, La Diva is also a mother and wife. And how do her children
feel about what she does? “The children love coming to the
shows – they love the dresses I wear - like fairy tale clothes.
They have even come on stage with me. It’s important that
they feel a part of what I’m doing.”
Her husband, Eric Lagacé is also part of the family business.
“He composed all the Diva’s themes that announce the
colour of who is coming on stage next. While I go off and change
the orchestra plays the theme preparing the audience for the next
character.”
That’s one thing Choquette definitely aims for – a balanced
family life. “This is how we do it – our way of living
our life, together.” That also includes oldest daughter Florence,
now 20, who has toured with and without Choquette as a pianist and
singer.
January was a time to spend at home with family. But once February
comes into full swing she’s off to sing in Bermuda, then after
her performance in Nanaimo she takes the family to San Domingo.
Laughter is one of the best medicines and Choquette delivers it.
“Even people who are grieving, they have come to me and said
that for the first time they were able to laugh, that they hadn’t
laughed in so long. And there’s the beauty of the music. The
whole thing put together unblocks things that we can’t express
in words that gives you the strength to go on – like flowers,
and a smile.”
What better way to celebrate Valentine’s with family and friends
in Nanaimo than with a musical bouquet of flowers, a smile and a
laugh for the heart? Your heart will thank you.
Further information and bookings can be obtained on Natalie's
website.
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