Karaoke with Michel Laroque: Is there really a French Karaoke Championship?

Karaoke with Michel Laroque: Is there really a French Karaoke Championship?

What is it about? After an evening of excess, Benedict, a famous opera singer, sees his career collapse. Fatu, a karaoke lover, is the only one who makes it. He comes up with an idea: to convince Benedict to participate in the Grand National Karaoke. The sheer vocal prowess of one and the tenacity of the other can light sparks and take them very far.

Documentation works

Karaoke was born from Stefan Ben Lahchen’s dual desire to make a funny film in a competition setting and to combine two worlds that have nothing to do with each other. “Especially popular where I come from and more privileged that I’ve known since I started working in film”. Before filming, the filmmaker conducted extensive documentation, spending a lot of time in karaoke rooms:

“Yes, there is the French Championship and the World Cup, but they have been suspended since the Covid pandemic. They will be updated this year. So I wrote and filmed it, mixing existing sources and film wishes with what I could. A smaller competition than actually when we are at the regional level (for more comedy), then a bigger one when we go to the world finals (for more emotion).

“But for the candidates, in reality or in my film, there is the same desire to put on a show. I also added elements in my own way. The popcorn duet, where the members of the duet have to sing the word for two – Benedict and Fatu pass this test with Strome’s “Parso on danse” – exists, but not In official competitions. I was allowed to add, but I have to admit that it was technically one of the most difficult scenes.”

play?

Michelle LaRocque and Claudia Tagbo actually sing in the film. First, as a member of the army scumbagsHe has already given his voice on the stage, and the other has taken part in the musical a ghost Also the comedy Yo Mama. The songs were recorded before filming, but the actors actually sang them on set.

Claudia Tagbo and Michel LaRocque

A privileged relationship with Michel Laroque

Stephane Ben Lassen had already filmed Michel Laroque in his previous and first feature film, Premier de la classe. He also wrote two of his own plays, All at Home and So We Dance: “I imagined that he could play this great artist like Benedict. So I never thought of anyone but him. And when I sent the story to him, he was immediately ready.”The director recalls.

The actor explains what were the most difficult moments on the set of the song: The Popcorn Duet (two singers taking turns singing every other word or every other syllable in a set of lyrics) was difficult, but we found a solution. For Casta Diva, I worked a lot on Maria Callas’ video. This is an aria. An almost insurmountable trap that some great opera singers don’t even face.

“I conveyed it as an actor. It was a meeting with Kala, Adeline, and this is the great charm of our profession, the opportunity to meet people who are different from us, very competent in their field. , to take the essence of what it is to copy, to convey through a character. It’s a special adventure we’re going to have.”

Coach of Star Ac

Michelle Larocque was accompanied by Carolyn Fevre, a teacher of lyrical singing. He and Claudia Tagbo also worked with Adeline Toniuti, the singing teacher of the Star Academy, who replaced Armande Altai in October 2022 and who appears on the screen in the jury of the World Cup in Japan.

Tandem

Stefan Ben Lahsen has never worked with Claudia Tagbo, but he had her in mind while writing. While he was starting the karaoke script, he received a message from Michelle LaRoque with a selfie with Claudia that was taken at the festival. During this meeting, the former announced to the latter that they were going to participate in the film in the coming months. Therefore, through Michel Laroque, Claudia Tagbo learned that Ben Lahsen was writing the role for her.

“They hit it off really well right away, especially because they wanted to work together, and the connection was instant. The planets matched perfectly. During the reading we did, including the whole cast, I saw it was a perfect match.”– says the director.

Source: Allocine

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