Véronique Claveau was starting to get tired of imitating Céline Dion. “I felt like I had walked around the garden,” she pleads. But that was before she was offered to play Charlemagne’s diva in the Quebec version of the musical Titanic. An offer which “gave a second wind” to the singer.
Véronique Claveau did not necessarily intend to stop imitating Céline Dion, but rather to greatly reduce the occasions where she would do so. Not that his love for the singer had faded, far from it. She simply craved more.
“I like to sing, I like to do imitations, I like to touch everything. But I found that it was starting to be redundant. With Titanic, not only am I exploring the full potential of Céline Dion, but I am speaking to an English-speaking audience who does not know me, so the surprise effect is much stronger than in front of French-speakers,” says Véronique Claveau.
Popular and critical success off-Broadway, Titanic humorously revisits the plot of James Cameron’s film. And it is a crazy Céline Dion who narrates this story, retracing the famous – and fictionalized – story of Jack and Rose which moved people in cinemas across the planet in 1997. This takes place to the sound of the greatest hits of the diva’s repertoire, ranging from Because You Loved Me has I’m Alivepassing through If You Asked Me Toand others My Heart Will Go On (obviously!).
Véronique Claveau surrounded by Seth Zosky (Jack) and Mariah Campos (Rose) during rehearsals for the musical “Titanique”.
Photo MARIO BEAUREGARD, AGENCE QMI
A challenge… titanic
Véronique Claveau knows these titles. She has lent them her voice, and that of Céline Dion, many times for almost 20 years. Nonetheless, the classy singer Titanic among the biggest challenges of his career. For what? Because the entire show is performed in English on the stage of the Segal Center, in the Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough.
“I never thought I would play in English! And imitating Celine Dion for a song or a sketch is one thing. But playing this role for 100 minutes, without an intermission, is another. Fortunately, Céline speaks with a Quebec accent, so I was able to keep mine,” she says, laughing.
Sessions were organized throughout the summer with an English-speaking coach, both to enable him to put words into his mouth in the language of Shakespeare and to understand the ins and outs of the story.
His efforts were also praised by Tye Blue, the director of the Quebec version of the show and co-creator of the original work. Met by The Journal during rehearsals, the American admits that he didn’t know Véronique Claveau at all when he met her for the very first time, a year ago.
“Obviously, it had to be a French-speaking Quebecer who embodies Céline Dion in Quebec. But I didn’t expect to meet a singer who imitates her to perfection like Véronique! She completely blew me away. People will really have the impression of attending a Celine Dion show,” he says.
Tye Blue, director and co-creator of the musical “Titanic”.
Photo MARIO BEAUREGARD, AGENCE QMI
“With respect”
And that is mainly thanks to the approach that Véronique Claveau recommends. Because if the story is itself a parody of the film Titanic, the singer prefers to “get closer to the truth” to embody an authentic and realistic Céline Dion, rather than making a vulgar pastiche.
“For me, it’s important to do it with the greatest respect in the world! Céline, I love her. I admire him. So, I want to honor him. And we don’t laugh at her in the show, we laugh with her and without the slightest malice. This is an important nuance. Because Céline is naturally funny and she likes to laugh. I don’t need to exaggerate too much,” she says.
- The musical Titanic is presented at the Segal Center from October 27 to November 24 before hitting the stage in Toronto the following month. Please note that all performances are in English.
