This is the true story of Gypsy Rose Lee, a famous American burlesque performer known for her stripteases. Her memoirs were adapted into a musical in 1959 by Jule Styne, Stephen Sondheim and Arthur Laurents. A huge hit across the Atlantic, “Gypsy” is now touring Europe in a production directed by theatre and opera director Laurent Pelly. The role of the mother, Rose, is played by the well-known soprano Natalie Dessay. After a great success at the Opéra de Nancy and the Philharmonie de Paris, this “musical fable” is being presented at the Grand Théâtre de Luxembourg. Dessay sat down with Paperjam on the occasion.
Céline Coubray: How did the role of Madame Rose come to you?
Natalie Dessay: Thanks to Laurent Pelly, the director. We’ve known each other for a long time and we’ve already done several productions together, both for theatre and opera. Like me, he’s a fan of musicals and offered me this extraordinary role of Rose.
What appealed to you about this role?
Absolutely everything! First of all, it’s a character who really existed, which is quite rare. And she’s a “bigger-than-life” character, as they say. She is both monstrous and extraordinary, consumed with ambition for her daughters and living out her own frustrations through them. The play is set against the backdrop of the Great Depression in America, and Rose’s family is very modest, even poor. She decides to bring up her children alone and make them stars in order to support the family. Is this an excessive attitude? You might think so, but her main aim is to give her children a better future, even if it means forcing them to follow the path she thinks is right for them.
Is this a role in which you recognised yourself?
Not really. I’m certainly a mother, but I’ve never forced my children to follow a career that I would have imposed on them. Whatever they chose, I supported and encouraged them to go as far as they could in their respective fields. There was just one thing I imposed: going to school and learning music.
What were the challenges you faced in playing this role?
Voice work, of course. You don’t sing in a musical with a classical voice. Here, I have to sing with a chest voice, carried high. So I had to relearn all the technique. I’ve been learning these techniques for almost four years now. It’s a lot of work and a whole new profession for me.
Is it easy to allow yourself to do musical theatre after your career as a soprano?
Yes, I allow myself to do that, because the way others look at me has never mattered. But you still have to work hard enough to achieve it. It took me a long time to achieve a good result. But I think deep down I’ve always wanted to do this, and now I can finally play characters my own age. As a soprano, the roles I could play were either young leads or soubrettes. At 60, that’s no longer credible... Here, it’s an interpretive role. I can sing, but also speak and even have a few choreographed moments. Acting is more important and I really enjoy doing it. When I started my career, musical comedy was virtually non-existent in France. I think that if I were starting out today, that’s the segment I would have naturally turned to.
You perform alongside your daughter, Neïma Naouri, who plays the role of one of Madame Rose’s two daughters. How do you feel about this experience?
This isn’t the first time we’ve worked together, and I’m a great admirer of Neïma’s exceptional voice. It’s a great pleasure to perform with her.
And how does she feel about it?
I think it amuses her, especially when she sees me struggling! We share a lot of things. This experience forges an extra bond, even though we didn’t really need it, as we’re naturally very close.
“Gypsy” is very popular in the US, but much less so in Europe. What would you say to our readers to make them want to discover this show?
Be curious! To prepare for this role, I read Rose Lee’s memoirs. She really is an incredible character, both funny and picturesque. She tells the story of an America we don’t know very well and has such a thirst for life, despite the harshness and weight of her circumstances. What’s more, the direction is fantastic. We are lucky enough to have a symphony orchestra on stage, not just two or three musicians. And the music by Jule Styne is absolutely fabulous. This really is a musical to discover!
at the Grand Théâtre de la Ville de Luxembourg.
This article was originally published in .