ON STAGE
What: Piaf! The Show
Where: Royal Theatre, 805 Broughton St.
When: Wednesday March 20, 8 p.m.
Tickets: $63.50-$73.50 from the Royal McPherson box office, by phone at 250-386-6121, or online at rmts.bc.ca
When singer 脡dith Piaf made her Carnegie Hall debut in 1956, her New York City concert drew praise from major media outlets, including The New York Times, which dubbed her the 鈥渉igh priestess of agony.鈥�
She would return to Carnegie Hall for one final concert, in 1957, before her death at the age of 47 in 1963.
Anne Carr猫re, 34, who plays the French icon in Piaf! The Show, found herself on stage as Piaf at Carnegie Hall in 2017, on the 60th anniversary of Piaf鈥檚 last performance at the hallowed hall. The performance elicited similar raves from the newspaper 鈥� 鈥淢s. Carr猫re can miraculously capture Piaf鈥檚 soul and timbre,鈥� it reported.
It has been a rapid rise for Carr猫re, who was a relative unknown when she took on what would become the role of a lifetime in 2015. The touring production conceived and directed by French visionary Gil Marsalla has sold upwards of a million tickets in more than 50 countries, with stops in Canada getting underway this week.
Piaf! The Show arrives in Victoria for a performance Wednesday at The Royal Theatre, one of nearly 100 shows on Carr猫re鈥檚 itinerary as Piaf this year.
鈥淚t is a lot of touring,鈥� Carr猫re said with a laugh from her home in the south of France, with assistance from a translator. 鈥淎nd a lot of singing.鈥�
Piaf 鈥� born 脡dith Giovanna Gassion 鈥� died of cancer more than five decades ago, but her legacy has flourished, thanks to touring productions like Piaf! The Show and films such as 2007鈥檚 La Vie en rose, for which Marion Cotillard won the Academy Award for best actress in the role of Piaf.
Carr猫re said she studied the latter in preparation for her role in the touring production, but she also made contact with several Piaf collaborators and friends, including composer Charles Dumont and singer Germaine Ricord, who compared Carr猫re鈥檚 voice to 鈥渢hat of 脡dith Piaf at the top of her career.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檝e watched a lot of videos and I鈥檝e see the movies,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 also met with people who knew her, friends of 脡dith Piaf, and they told me anecdotes about her life.鈥�
Her biggest hill to climb, however, was mirroring Piaf鈥檚 melancholic, sonorous voice. The 鈥渓ittle sparrow of Paris鈥� inspired legions of chansonni猫res with her music, but her life story is equally well known. Carr猫re was a Piaf newbie prior to her current role, so the learning curve was steep where acting was concerned.
鈥淲hen I was a little girl, I knew of 脡dith Piaf for two songs: La Vie en rose and Hymne 脿 l鈥檃mour. My grandmother listened to these songs at home, but I discovered the life of 脡dith Piaf during my years on this show.鈥�
Raised in a Parisian bordello, Piaf was a street-smart kid with an uncanny knack for pitch-perfect singing. At 14, she was singing on the streets of Paris for money, and though she would encounter much sacrifice and sorrow 鈥� her daughter, Marcelle, died in 1934 at the age of two from meningitis, when Piaf was 19, while her mentor, Louis Leplee, was murdered in 1936 鈥� it sharpened her infamous toughness to a fine point.
Piaf! The Show is split into two 45-minute halves, the first part tackling her days on the streets. In fact, it was the early portion of the performance that initially caught Carr猫re by surprise.
鈥淚 love the first part,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he audience doesn鈥檛 know all the songs, and it鈥檚 a challenge to discover the unknown. It is a lot to sing for two hours, but it is necessary.鈥�
Piaf was one of the first global superstars in music, due to her bilinguality, and a series of performances on The Ed Sullivan Show gave her wide exposure to American audiences.
That aspect of her career is explored during the show鈥檚 second half, Carr猫re said. 鈥淭he first part is the life of 脡dith Piaf on the streets, and the songs are when she was unknown. The second part is 脡dith Piaf when she was a success, so we sing the most famous songs.鈥�
Piaf hits La Vie en rose, Padam Padam, Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien and L鈥橝ccord茅oniste have all become touchstones of contemporary music. Piaf! The Show brought these and others back to life, and with lush sets backed by previously unreleased photographs of Piaf, has succeeded in creating a tribute that stands on its own as a singular piece of entertainment. The production has toured widely during its run, including dates in China, Poland, Czech Republic, Spain, Italy, and Australia, which is a large part of the appeal for Carr猫re.
鈥淓very show is different. Every audience is different. It鈥檚 incredible to meet different people in different cities. It鈥檚 very rich for my heart and my soul to travel around the world.鈥�
