Exclusive – soprano Natalie Dessay will star in Sondheim’s Passion at Theatre du Chatelet

Natalie Dessay will play Fosca in Passion at the Theatre du Chatelet, Paris in spring 2016

The Theatre du Chatelet in Paris has pulled off quite a coup in signing the world-acclaimed French coloratura soprano Natalie Dessay to sing Fosca in their fifth Stephen Sondheim production, Passion, next spring.

There was no Sondheim this year after A Little Night Music (2011), Sweeney Todd (2012), Sunday in the Park With George (2013) and Into the Woods (2014), but fears there would be no more were allayed when Sondheim himself encouraged Chatelet supremo Jean-Luc Choplin to stage Passion, which will run from 16–24 March 2016.

Dessay won an Olivier Award in 2008 for Outstanding Achievement in Opera for La Fille du Regiment at Covent Garden. She is taking a sabbatical from opera to concentrate on acting and directing.

Passion will be directed by another of France’s biggest names, the legendary actress Fanny Ardant, who won a Cesar (their Oscar) for Pedale Douce in 1997 and has starred in more than 80 films. She did the voice of the Giant for Chatelet’s production of Into the Woods last year.

Passion won the 1994 Tony for Best New Musical and it was the 1981 Italian film Passione d’Amore, about a plain woman who clings to a cavalry captain far from his beautiful lover, which inspired Sondheim and librettist James Lapine to write it.

Sondheim chose to set his version “between the familiar theatricality of a musical and the extravagant flamboyance of an opera”. Andy Einhorn, an American conductor well known in the opera world, will be leading the Philharmonic Orchestra of Radio France during the short run which will be in English with French surtitles.

Before then, the Chatelet is showcasing two more English-language musicals: Singin’ in the Rain (reviewed for Musical Theatre Review in March) returns for the Christmas season with virtually the same personnel from 27 November to 15 January. Dan Burton, currently in High Society at the Old Vic, repeats the Gene Kelly role he played there in March. Canadian Robert Carsen again directs.

And in February it’s Kiss Me, Kate with Lee Blakeley directing the 1948 Cole Porter musical inspired by Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew in a ten-performance run from 3–11. David Charles Abell conducts.

Jeremy Chapman