Gérard Depardieu, a woman who sings

«I am a woman who sings,» says Gérard Depardieu - or Barbara - in his show. Depardieu sings Barbara, which we saw at Lausanne's Salle Métropole on March 13. The intimate concert proves that the famous actor has a special ability to erase himself while asserting himself. From expose yourself at imposing. Barbara would be so proud: she has never been as present on stage as she is now.

Indeed, this is the primary motivation behind this little singing tour, which began a year ago at the Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord in the French capital. Depardieu interprets Barbara to perpetuate the singer's magic, and somehow keep her performing for her public. The lady in black is no more, of course, but in a way, what could be more alive, more important, than her phenomenal songs, which Depardieu makes us rediscover?

Always where you least expect him, Gérard. It's a fascinating experience to watch this half-sung, half-spoken performance, in which full voice and head voice mingle. It seems that everything is pure, that everything is true, even though the artist himself announces that prompters are available in case of memory lapses. We feel the man so close to his Barbara, that «more-than-a-friend» with whom he played in the show Lily Passion in 1986. This show was an obvious choice.

From Mimosa Island to Nantes via Drouot, Depardieu succeeds in captivating us and making us even more aware of the incomparable quality of Barbara's lyrics. And then, hearing the piano of arranger Gérard Daguerre, who accompanied the singer for sixteen years, leaves us speechless and confirms the historic nature of this creation. We breathe this air apart from French chanson, we let ourselves be moved by Depardieu's tenderness, we weep at the beauty of The black eagle and, in the end, all we want to do is tell Gérard Depardieu: «Say, when are you coming back?»

Write to the author: jonas.follonier@leregardlibre.com

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