That stars of all kinds take it for granted: Véronique Claveau takes over the necklace to parody singers, hosts and other personalities who have hit the headlines in the show 2021 revised and corrected.
After an absence that will have lasted eight years – and a remarkable participation in five Bye Bye -, the one who wears the triple cap of singer, imitator and actress finds with unfeigned pleasure the boards of the Théâtre du Rideau Vert, where she shone in the year-end review from 2007 to 2013.
“I’m really excited about going back on stage! When I sat in my little lodge, the same one I had prepared myself for for seven years, I realized how much time has passed since I started 14 years ago. I now have two children, more experience, more baggage. But I am no less nervous for all that! ”
Marc St-Martin, who participated in all editions of Reviewed and corrected for 15 years, remembers the inexperienced artist who joined the team in 2007. “She had done Star Academy three years earlier. She was a singer, but an imitator who ignored herself! She was poorly equipped for comic performances. It was all a challenge, but she took the plunge. Véronique is a hard worker, with immense potential! Today, she is a distribution ace. There are few things she cannot do. ”
PHOTO FRANÇOIS LAPLANTE-DELAGRAVE,
PROVIDED BY THE GREEN CURTAIN
Céline Dion, one of the stars most imitated by Véronique Claveau (left), in the company of Julie Snyder, played by Marc St-Martin, during the show 2013 revised and corrected
Another companion of Véronique Claveau in her debut at the Rideau Vert, Benoit Paquette agrees. “I can’t believe how much Véronique has become a formidable imitator. It’s great to find her. She has a great joie de vivre and a lot of humility despite her talent. She’s a gang girl! Considering how it ended in 2014, I didn’t expect to see her again at all. It’s a nice surprise! ”
We will remember that Véronique Claveau left Reviewed and corrected in turmoil when, in 2014, the Bye Bye handed her a pole she couldn’t refuse. His contract having already been initialed, the Rideau Vert gave him a hefty bill of $ 16,000 for breach of contract.
The adventure of Bye Bye having ended in 2019, the theatrical institution of rue Saint-Denis has reestablished the bridges with the imitator by offering her to participate in the 2020 edition of Reviewed and corrected. Edition which did not take place for pandemic reasons.
I did not expect this call. Celine Marcotte [directrice générale du théâtre] and I had a great chat about what happened. It’s all behind us now. It wasn’t long before I said yes!
Veronique claveau
For Denise Filiatrault, artistic director of Rideau Vert, the controversy is dead and buried. “We can’t blame Radio-Canada for coming to get it. Véronique is so good! I don’t understand why they didn’t keep it on the Bye Bye ! Too bad for them, so much the better for us. I knew her at Star Academy, where I was director. You could tell she had a lot of talent, but not at that point! ”
From stage to screen, and vice versa
With 2021 revised and corrected, Véronique Claveau rediscovers a tried and tested formula that she likes, but which has little to do with the gigantic machine of the year-end Canadian radio show. “In the theater, the character evolves with the performances. At Bye Bye, it’s one-shot ! And we have the prostheses, the costumes to support our interpretation. On stage, you have to give more in terms of facial expressions and body, because the audience is further away. There are no close-ups! ”
PHOTO JEAN-FRANÇOIS HAMELIN, PROVIDED BY LE CURTAIN VERT
Véronique Claveau in the skin of Cœur de pirate during the 2011 review at the Rideau Vert
Her imitation work, she did, as always, by drinking YouTube videos. “I spend a lot of time watching and listening to the ones I have to imitate to have the right voice, the right tics. More generic people, like some politicians, give me more difficulty. ”
Who will be its victims this year? Véronique Claveau refuses to say it. But one thing is certain: this great traveler (she has traveled South-East Asia and Central America with her backpack) refuses to be locked in a small box. “When I am asked if I am an imitator, an actress or a singer, I answer that I am a singer who has fun. I am a chameleon who likes to touch everything. I have no training whatsoever, but I am game ! I have instinct. And a good dose of naivety! ”
The show 2021 revised and corrected is presented until December 23 at the Théâtre du Rideau Vert.
Visit the Rideau Vert website