The Academicians are subjected to a heavy workload to deliver, each week, the Variety of “Star Académie”, with multiple different numbers and guests. The teachers are also engaged in the same marathon, especially Gregory Charles who works with them on all the songs for the production numbers and the endangerments.
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Because there is nothing older than the show of the day before, as he likes to remind, Gregory Charles quickly moves on to something else. The proof, a few hours after rehearsing a medley with the Academicians, we reached him on the phone in Florida, where he left to do two shows before returning for Variety on Sunday.
If it is still too early to take stock of the season, the singing teacher of the Academy is pleased to see that all the Academicians have worked hard since the beginning.
“They all still need learning, because they don’t do that on a daily basis in their lives. There are several, like Camélia, Eloi or Olivier, who have magnificent voices, but they still need time to clarify what they are going to do later. The remaining seven have made a lot of progress.”
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A colossal job
Having to put on a Variety show every week pushes them not only to work, but above all to go quickly in their learning.
“The public does not know it, but the chain of decisions is long in a program like this. I can sometimes come up with 13 or 14 versions of an issue, which means that things change at all stages and, at the end of the day, Academicians have to learn fast and turn around quickly.
The entire production team deploys a colossal amount of work for each issue. Even if they have established well in advance that such an Academician will sing such a song with such a guest, they are not immune to a change due to an unforeseen event, a voice that stands out during road or otherwise.
“It’s a bit like a ‘Columbo’ investigation,” Gregory quipped. We know what the result should be, but we don’t know with whom. You have to put faces to assignments, but you can be foiled by a vocal timbre and that turns things upside down.
Choices discussed
The faculty has been subject to several questions from the public this season, especially after the hasty departure of Audrey-Louise. Gregory Charles welcomes this lack of consensus.
“It proves that we do not play sports. It’s art, and I find it healthy that not everyone agrees with our choices. We sometimes don’t agree with each other.”
On the other hand, the teachers have complete trust in each other. They may have different visions, but they will always come to an agreement in the end.
“The difference with the public is that we meet the Academicians every day, he insisted. We work with them, and we necessarily know them differently from the public.
As for the reproaches according to which the teachers would have favorites that they would push more than others, Gregory Charles has fun. “Quite honestly, I don’t have a favorite or favourites. My mission is to find a way to join them and help them progress, I think I’m doing the “job”. Our most important appreciations come from the Academicians themselves. The level of trust is high between them and me. I work with them on their song choice and they see that I always try to find what is going to be best for them.