Glitter is in the spotlight at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier these days, in 7 – From Broadway to Hollywood, a new interactive production by Gregory Charles. With 6 singers, 10 musicians, 4 dancers and around a hundred backing singers, this one spares no expense in celebrating the cream of musical comedy soundtracks. And he offered a vibrant tribute to Karl Tremblay on Thursday evening.
Gregory Charles fully embraces his taste for excess in this immense, generous, ambitious medley, enhanced with a touch of kitsch that fans of sung frescoes generally do not disdain. “It’s like the Oscars,” says the host, welcoming his people dressed in their Sunday best for the cause, in the opening.
Sparkling gala outfits, orchestra spread across the width of the stage behind lecterns marked with luminous white “7s”, well-heated and wild choreographies by DM Nation, coordinated lighting, choir revealed halfway draped in white: Gregory effectively breathes life into its creation has a (small) resemblance to Broadway.
Before sitting down, spectators fill out a form regarding their preferences in musical cinema, including biographical films. Gregory Charles and his troops are prepared for any eventuality; a pool of some 600 pieces has been prepared to satisfy as many people as possible and cover a bit of all periods and genres. The content will therefore vary from one performance to another, like what the instigator offered more than 20 years ago with his event show Noir et blanc (2002).
In light of what we have seen, however, we must admit that the public remains rather conservative in its choices. The first part included titles from Moulin Rouge, Chicago, Cats, The Phantom of the Opera, Cabaret, Fiddler on the Roof, The Melody of Happiness and other Misérables of Circumstance. It was refined in the second portion, while we focused on the biographical films. We then move from Tina Turner to Amadeus via Elton John, Édith Piaf and the eternal Bohemian Rhapsody, in a symphonic format that rarely serves the songs. The erudite Gregory intersperses the paintings with historical references or personal anecdotes about his parents and him.
A sign of the economically shaky period, the most prestigious venue at Place des Arts was absolutely not filled for 7, Thursday, the evening of the media premiere. A half-full floor, many empty baskets: it was a shame to admire Gregory Charles and his beautiful gang shouting in front of such a hungry audience.
Because there is a huge amount of raw talent among his young colleagues. Among them, mezzo-soprano Klara Martel-Laroche stands out. Performing with Gregory on The Phantom of the Opera, then as a sovereign on the Queen of the Night from The Magic Flute (which “less than 1% of 1% of people can sing”, specified the master of ceremonies), the young woman sparkled and did not steal her standing ovation felt.
The power of Audrey-Louise Beauséjour also amazed the spectators. After her pastiche of Misery by Barbra Streisand from Cats, and that of Whitney Houston from Bodyguard on – obviously – I Will Always Love You, her receptions were also noisy. We still do not understand why the young woman did not win during her participation in Star Académie in 2022.
Even little Julia, 11-year-old daughter of Gregory Charles, is part of the adventure, pushing the note, rather correctly, on the world of Oliver Twist or on La vie en rose.
It was inevitable: Gregory Charles agreed, on Thursday, to deviate from his (more or less) established program to pay tribute to Karl Tremblay, of the Cowboys Fringants, who had passed away the day before. To somewhat soften our collective sorrow, he merged, with his Julia, a few verses from On my shoulder to Can You Feel The Love Tonight, by Elton John, Mon Dieu by Édith Piaf and A musician among many others, of Harmonium. Approval of emotion was spontaneous at his feet. Gregory Charles even predicted that the Cowboys’ repertoire will before long become the subject of a musical with “dramatic resonance.” (Remember that the musical Pub Royal opens in Quebec next Wednesday evening.)
The final, celebratory vignette interweaves Mamma Mia!, Fame, Saturday Night Fever, Kinky Boots and other franchises, with the moves unleashed on Dancing Queen and I Will Survive, with a nod to drag queens by both men of the group, Marc-Antoine Gauthier and Mathieu-Philippe Perras. Sure values, again. But we come out with a smile!
