"For the role of Mrs. Lovett, I wore out several coaches over the course of a year!": How Nathalie Dessay prepared for the musical "Sweeney Todd"
Interview by Philippe Cassard
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Natalie Dessay, in “Sweeney Todd”. KLARA BECK
Testimony The former soprano discusses her transition to musical comedy. For "Sweeney Todd," she had to master the East London Cockney accent.
“Ever since I was little, I have always loved musicals. I passionately watched films with Julie Andrews, Gene Kelly, Cyd Charisse and Fred Astaire at the “Midnight Movie Theater”. I loved “West Side Story” and films with Barbra Streisand. When the opportunity arose in 2016 to sing in Stephen Sondheim’s “Passion”, directed by Fanny Ardant, I knew it was the right time. I had left the opera world three years earlier and I was ready to forget everything I had learned up to that point, vocally speaking, to create another voice, this one that would pass through a microphone. I also sang in “The Umbrellas of Cherbourg”, by, and with, Michel Legrand, a great memory for me, and more recently in “Gipsy”, the musical comedy by Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim in which I played the role of Rose.
With “Sweeney Todd,” we cross several levels in terms of difficulty, rhythm, and virtuosity. Stephen Sondheim composed an unparalleled masterpiece, recognized as such by all lovers of the American musical. He was a highly cultivated artist, Hugh Wheeler's libretto is top-notch, rich in sophisticated vocabulary, full of wordplay, refined expressions, discoveries, and even linguistic inventions. The role of Mrs. Lovett is overwhelming, 120 pages of texts and songs to learn by heart, not only in English, which is a language I mastered late in my professional life, but also with that very particular Cockney accent, which you hear in East London. For that, I wore out several coaches for a year! The spoken text is formidable, there are a lot of words that you have to deliver at full speed, and in the songs, the rhythm and intonation also pose great difficulties.
I've watched absolutely every Mrs. Lovett since the creation of "Sweeney Todd" in 1979. Primus inter pares, Angela Lansbury (whom we know better, in France, for her role as Miss Marple) is absolutely extraordinary. She played Mrs. Lovett for fourteen months! I could also mention Patti LuPone who took over the role in 2005. And last year, also on Broadway, I really liked Annaleigh Ashford, who played a juvenile Mrs. Lovett, which encouraged me to use my body more, as if I were an elf.
Also read
Review: Natalie Dessay in "Sweeney Todd," a performance as sharp as it is colorful
In this revival of Barrie Kosky's production, I am wonderfully surrounded by: Scott Hendricks, a formidable American baritone who sings the title role; Marie Oppert, from the Comédie Française, with whom I worked on “The Umbrellas of Cherbourg” in 2016; Jasmine Roy, one of my Cockney English coaches, who plays the beggar; and Cormac Diamond, a very promising young British singer. And I haven't forgotten our conductor Bassem Akiki, who leads the superb Orchestre National de Strasbourg, a rare luxury in the world of musicals where we are more accustomed to instrumental ensembles reduced to a minimum. This leads me to salute the work of Alain Perroux, director of the Strasbourg Opera, who has always made room for musicals in his seasons. I will also be returning to Strasbourg next year for Sondheim's “Follies,” with a production by my dear Laurent Pelly. Another challenge to take on!”
Interview by Philippe Cassard
