Marie Michèle Desrosiers, Marie-Élaine Thibert and Annie Blanchard brought Nicole Martin back to life on Wednesday evening during a tribute show to the late singer.
This magnificent, gentle – and nostalgic – show retraces the repertoire of the illustrious Nicole Martin who, during her 50-year career, has sold more than four million albums, in addition to accumulating distinctions in Quebec and internationally.
Presented at the Théâtre Maisonneuve of Place des Arts, the show “Nicole – les chansons d’une vie” brought out some forty songs popularized by Ms. Martin, most of which have been at the top of the charts or appear on an album. certified gold or platinum.
Marie Michèle Desrosiers and the two former academicians notably united their voices during four medleys among which reasoned “Hearts have no windows”, “Jimmy Jimmy”, “Let me go” and “I will forget you”, as well as “The first night of love”, “Ode to love” and “It’s so good”, to name only these titles.
The female trio also shared the interpretation of other pieces. The singer of the Beau Dommage group has, among other things, covered “Your eyes”, “Tant pis” and “Que reste-t-il”. Marie-Élaine Thibert, she sang “Vivre d’amour”, “On the other side of the wall” – the favorite song of Nicole and her husband Lee Abbott -, and “I will tell him”, for which she was standing ovation. Finally, Annie Blanchard lent her voice to “Oui parait-il”, “In the name of love” and “C’est l’amour”.
On the boards of the Théâtre Maisonneuve, a giant screen at the back of the stage projected photos of Nicole Martin throughout the evening, as well as a dozen violinists and a few brass who joined the musicians in person, under the direction of Charles Barbel.
The audience seemed a little shy when it came time to sing along to the late singer’s hits, but were quite vocal during and between songs.
The artistic direction of this long show, split with an intermission, which was to take the poster before the pandemic, was provided by the director Pierre Séguin as well as by Lee Abbott.
Deceased on February 19, 2019, Nicole Martin was discovered in an amateur competition in Quebec in the 1960s, but saw her career really take off with the publication of the titles “A photo of you”, “Your eyes” and “I you will forget”, in the early 1970s. Multiplying styles, pop, dancing, jazz and R&B, Nicole Martin approached her songs in a theatrical way to bring out the images of her texts. An aspect on which Marie Michèle Desrosiers, Marie-Élaine Thibert and Annie Blanchard supported to honor him.
The show “Nicole – the songs of a life” will be presented at the Albert-Rousseau hall in Quebec City on June 7 and 8, then throughout the province until 2023.