By
Romaric Larue
Published on
May 25, 2024 at 6:16 a.m.
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His job, Anthea Chauvière could talk about it for hours. Firstly, because she loves what she does but, above all, because she worked hard to get where she is today: performing on Parisian stages and seeing her talent recognized by her peers.
The 24-year-old from Ornaise, now based in Aubervilliers (Seine-Saint-Denis), was nominated in the category “Female revelation” at the 2024 Musical Comedy Trophies, the “Molières” of the community, for his role in Hedwig and the Angry Inch. “I learned the news on the networks, at the same time as everyone else. To think that last year, I was in the audience,” smiles the intermittent performer, who is impatiently awaiting the ceremony, Monday June 10, at the Folies Bergère in Paris. “In one year, everything happened very quickly for me. »
From the Ornes countryside
For her, it all really started seven years ago, Alençon. And, more precisely, at the Navarre-Leclerc high school. After growing up in the heart of the Ornaise countryside, Old Bridgebetween Carrouges and Argentan, with necessarily restricted access to artistic practices, Anthéa Chauvière experienced her high school years as an “incredible cultural opening”.
Music, cinema, visual arts… She devoured the numerous artistic lessons offered by the establishment. Up to eight hours per week, in Terminale. “I often joined workshops, everything interested me,” she remembers.
She also discovered the conservatory, where she had “never set foot”, during a project with the high school. “We had mounted Starmania. I auditioned for the lead role and I got it! » This discovery of musical comedy was, for her, a “revelation”. “The following year, we made Grease. I realized that it was made for me. I found it incredible to be able to do all that on stage. »
The Navarre-Leclerc high school was decisive in his career
Anthéa Chauvière does not hide it: the Navarre-Leclerc high school played a key role in her professional development. However, this is not what was planned. “I joined the high school for artistic practices, but only out of passion. For my parents, it was not possible or realistic to have a career. »
But his time at “Margot”, with an extensive offer of artistic lessons, proved him the opposite. “I discovered a new artistic world there,” summarizes the young woman. “In this school, there are lots of projects set up to motivate us to create. I was among artistically inclined students, with great teachers. This high school made me understand that this passion could be turned into a career. »
“I only lived for that”
Even outside the establishment, in her free time or on vacation, the teenager continued the pleasure. “I practiced, I watched, that’s all I lived for,” she sums up. “I used to go back and forth to Paris to see musicals. » Her summer participation in the Lèches-Vitrines in Alençon, with three weeks of intensive rehearsals and a week of shows, only reinforced her.
Being immersed and doing that all the time, I told myself it would be a dream to make it my job.
However, after her bac L, she did not immediately branch off towards an artistic course. In her eyes, having a career was “too difficult” so she first wanted to ensure a “good diploma” by joining a Hypokhâgne prep school in Nantes. But, far from her passion and with the hellish pace of classes, the Ornaise had a bad time during this period. “I had abandoned theater and music. I no longer had any free time. » After six months, she burned out and stopped everything.
“Golden contract” at Disney
This time, she took the path of what she loved to do and joined, in 2018, the National Institute of Music Hall Arts, at Le Mans. Three years of theater, singing and dancing, alternating classes during the week and learning in a cabaret, in Nogent-le-Rotrou, at the weekend. “For me, it was the most educational. Being on stage is the best school,” recognizes the young woman, who followed this with summer seasons camping, where she multiplied the shows. “For three and a half years, I didn’t have a vacation. »
When she left school, she was hired as a leader by the company Holidays Production. Before signing a “golden contract”, in September 2022, for a musical comedy at… Disney ! For seven months, she was part of the team that performed a 23-minute show, performed five times a day, at Disneyland Paris. “It was fabulous to make children and adults happy! »
A revenge “
During her adventure with the American giant, Anthéa Chauvière auditioned for the role of Yitzhak in Hedwig and the Angry Inch. This is the husband of the main character (Hedwig), an androgynous man with a voice with a wide range, that is to say capable of playing very high to very low notes. “The role was made for me,” explains the artist, who had just released his first drag king video.
I’ve always been a tomboy. I was rightly criticized for being too masculine, that it would prevent me from having a career.
And, as a “revenge”, she landed this role which gave a huge boost to her career. After several weeks of preparation, the piece was presented for the first time during the 2023 Avignon Festival. “We only had standing ovations, it was a big hit! »
Behind, the success has not waned with regular performances, at the Café de la Danse then at La Scala in Paris, until the beginning of May, and six nominationsincluding that of Anthéa Chauvière, at the Musical Comedy Trophies.
While waiting to know if she will win the prize, the rising star already has her mind set on her other projects. And they are many. At the start of the school year, she should leave for a new season ofHedwig and the Angry Inch with a tour planned in Paris and on French-speaking stages.
She writes her own musical
At the same time, the former student of “Margot” develops her character a lot. drag king, with performances in Paris, and is working on the creation of a show. The company Noexus Production, based in Lyon, hired her as artistic director to put on a show mixing drag and live performance. “Auditions are scheduled for June and rehearsals from the fall,” she informs. The show is expected in 2025.
I always wanted to do that, to be on stage but also to create my shows.
On this subject, she has also been writing her own musical comedy for more than five years. But it won’t see the light of day right away. “It’s my baby, I’m waiting for it to be well tied up.” It’s so difficult to get produced. »
“Incredible luck”
Even if there were “moments of doubt”, particularly in relation to her health – she suffers from Ehlers-Danlos syndrome -, and “a lot of work”, the young woman measures the “incredible luck » to make his dream come true. “In this environment, there is a lot of competition for few projects. Here, musical comedy is not as developed as in the United States or London. »
And keeps a special place in his mind for Alençon, “city of heart” and “starting point” of his promising career!
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