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 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?
 |
| 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 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.”
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.
Follow this link to an additional article about Natalie
Choquette, called "Natalie Choquette - Opera Comedienne".
Further information and bookings can be obtained from Maurice
Velenosi at Caline Artists International.
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