The show produced by Québec Issime for 20 years at the Théâtre Maisonneuve will not be presented in this room next December. Producer Robert Doré deplores the “cavalier” decision of Place des Arts, which pleads for a renewal of its offer.
Robert Doré still cannot explain the decision of Place des Arts, which informed him of his decision to abandon his holiday show on December 21 (to host a new production), right during the series representations of December.
“I found it cavalier, he confided to The Press. If I had known earlier, I would not have invested half a million to restart production,” he says.
We were restarting after two years of a pandemic. You know, Decemberit’s a show, an audience, but it’s also 200 jobs in the cultural sector that are attached to it.
Robert Doré, producer of December
The blockbuster, conceived “at the request of Place des Arts” 20 years ago, recalls Robert Doré, was inspired by the annual show at Radio City Music Hall in New York, but paying homage to Quebec song.
Place des Arts, a point of pride
“For us, Place des Arts is an extraordinary source of pride,” says Robert Doré. We left Saguenay to create this show in Montreal. A show that is now part of our holiday traditions. Find me another private producer who installed a show in Montreal for 20 years! »
Was the audience still there? “Listen, last December, of course, we were post-pandemic, so there was still insecurity. According to Mr. Doré, to justify the abandonment of Decemberthe programming director of Place des Arts invoked “the renewal of the winter offer” and the “development of the public”.
The director of marketing and communications of Place des Arts, Mylaine Albert, confirmed this information. “After 20 years of performing, we thought it was normal to take a break,” she told The Press. We received a proposal from another producer, for a Quebec creation for the general public, the details of which will be announced in mid-April, and we felt that it was the right time to renew our offer. »
Why did Place des Arts not notify Mr. Doré earlier of its decision? Before he invested $500,000? “We would have liked to have had the discussion with him sooner, especially after 20 years of collaboration, but you know, the arts community is changing very quickly, things have changed with the pandemic, and we have warned Mr. Doré as soon as possible. that we could”, defended Mylaine Albert, who nevertheless admits having received the formal request from the new producer “in 2022”.
Robert Doré does not budge. “I find that unacceptable,” he insists. Even during the pandemic, we produced the show December [en ligne]. We sold 16,000 web links. Nobody else did this. »
There are 100,000 Quebecers who saw the show in their living room during confinement, who experienced two hours of happiness because a producer took a risk and invested money.
Robert Doré, producer of December
The future of December, which brings together on stage about twenty performers (and as many technicians), is now more than uncertain. “They offered us to go to the Maison symphonique or Duceppe, but these are not suitable rooms for this show”, regrets Robert Doré, who also surveyed the Grand Théâtre de Québec, which unfortunately cannot accommodate the production.
The public at the rendezvous
Mylaine Albert admits that the production December filled the Théâtre Maisonneuve. “For 20 years, it was a great success,” she said. We understand people’s disappointment, but our relationship with Mr. Doré is not over. We had a good relationship with him for 20 years, so we will continue to discuss with him, December or its other productions, but not in the public square. »
Robert Doré does not rule out creating a “smaller” version, “but we will still have to invest money, perhaps 1.5 million, to create a new production. I don’t know if we can afford it. We are always listening, looking for solutions, but maybe this adventure is over. »
At the microphone of Paul Arcand, Monday morning, the former mayor of Quebec and columnist at The Press Régis Labeaume criticized the decision of Place des Arts. “Quebec is not just Montreal and it is not just Quebec. It is also the regions […] There should be a bit of Quebec culture in Montreal for a while. I don’t think there’s any left, well, well. »
Mme Albert said she was surprised by this exit from Mr. Labeaume. “We work in collaboration with producers who come from the regions, such as the Petite Vallée song festival, we welcomed Klô Pelgag in residence, honestly, we have a lot of artists who come from the regions. Daniel Boucher, Les Cowboys Fringants, Fred Pellerin… Place des Arts has always encouraged regional artists and has always promoted Quebec culture to a wide audience. »