To see Jean-Pierre Ferland, Clémence DesRochers, Yvon Deschamps and Louise Latraverse on the same stage is to have in front of you some of the founding elements of modern Quebec culture. Such a reunion is therefore a deeply moving moment, even in an imperfect spectacle. It is especially a moment to say thank you, and to repeat to them how much we love them.
Delayed because of a bad fall from Yvon Deschamps, who had fractured his ribs at the beginning of September, the show When we love we are always 20 years old finally took place on Wednesday evening at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier at Place des Arts. And seeing the venerable comedian in great shape – at one point, he even took a short run from the bottom to the front of the huge stage to join his daughters – was as reassuring as it was gratifying.
The concept of this show was therefore very simple: to bring together four octogenarian artists who left their mark on Quebec for an evening. But with such names on the poster, one would have expected to see them… more. The evening was mostly dedicated to them as a tribute, which in itself isn’t a bad idea, but it’s still a little frustrating to have seen and heard them so little – literally had to make it to halfway through the show. so that Yvon Deschamps and Clémence DesRochers finally address the public, who was just waiting for that to get up and give them a real ovation.
The show was therefore very much a tribute to the quartet’s immense repertoire. A tribute felt and rendered by some of our greatest performers, for example Factorial life by Clémence by Isabelle Boulay or What do you want me to tell you de Ferland by Luce Dufault.
But we also added a tip of the hat to other notable chansonniers of the time, and we must note the masterful interpretations of The legend of the white horse by Claude Léveillée and Manikoutai by Gilles Vigneault by Marie Denise Pelletier. The songs, immense, were entitled to a perfect setting.
PHOTO SARAH MONGEAU-BIRKETT, THE PRESS
Marie Denise Pelletier was one of the performers for the evening.
Punctuated with moments of grace
During the evening was added a surprise guest, Claude Gauthier in person, who was received with all honors by the spectators. The emotional 82-year-old singer stood up straight to sing The most beautiful trip – with Alexandre da Costa on the violin -, and his absolutely unchanged voice became caressing a little later for the so beautiful Marie-Noëlle. Mario Pelchat meanwhile came to make a medley of the great songs of Michel Louvain, which should normally have been part of the evening, in a joyful sequence.
We would have taken more, of course, but there were several moments of grace with the protagonists. Louise Latraverse, suave, who in her interventions goes back through the history of songboxes or who recounts her love affair with Claude Léveillée. Jean-Pierre Ferland, beaming, singing Lucky we have surrounded by his lover Julie-Anne Saumur and the other guests. Yvon Deschamps and Clémence DesRochers, who exchange 60-year-old memories in a moment of great humor – both have lost nothing of their sense of repartee – but also of great tenderness, and who come out of the stage, arm in arm. Or Marie Michèle Desrosiers who interprets I will make a garden under the tender and moved gaze of Clémence. It was for all these little details that the evening was worth it.
But other choices seemed less judicious, such as this virtual duo between Florence K and Claude Léveillée, or the ensemble formed by Judi Richards, his daughters Karine and Sarah-Émilie and a 1977 Yvon Deschamps – when the real one is right at aside, this decision seems more or less appropriate.
“Did you miss us?” », Clémence asked the audience at the end of the still very topical Love each other, sung in chorus by the whole troop. “I missed you anyway. And you, Jean-Pierre, did you miss doing shows? », Added the comedian who has just turned 88, turning to Jean-Pierre Ferland. Short break… “Not tonight. ”
The evening ended in a somewhat disjointed way on the theme song, When we love, and this is probably what we will remember from this show which at times looked like a missed opportunity: the love and affection which circulated during two warm and joyful hours, on the stage, and between the room and the scene.
“I think they like us huh?” “, Also dropped Clémence during the show. Yes.
When we love we are always 20 years old will be available for webcast from December 16 to January 9.
Visit the Place des Arts website