There are some names that resonate within us, even without us really knowing the details of the lives of these legendary figures. That was somewhat the case for me with Maria Callas.
This is also one of the reasons that pushed me to want to discover the play, currently running at the Théâtre Déjazet, about the life of the illustrious opera singer.
The True Story of Maria Callas, written by Jean-Yves Rogale and directed by Raymond Acquaviva, is a comedy-drama about the life and death of the most famous opera singer in history, which offers, in my opinion, a fresh look at the woman behind the artist.
“From her adolescence to her life as a diva that resembles something out of a fashion shoot, Maria Callas proves to us that if fate had intended her to be heavy, she herself conquered fate. But fate would never be kinder to her after that metamorphosis.
The author brings us into the presence of ‘monsters’ of modern mythology: there is Evangelia, Callas’s abusive mother; and Battista Meneghini, her husband, who becomes her mentor and impresario, but neglects to give her the child she desires so much; then Aristotle Onassis, with whom she falls madly in love. But Callas would soon realize that the kingdom of Ulysses is scattered with yachts, private jets, and endless processions of faithless and lawless affairs. Finally, there is Jackie Kennedy, the widow haloed and sanctified by tragedy, her rival. Aristotle Onassis could not resist her and married her in 1968. That was the decline of Callas. She would lose her voice and her life there.”
The play itself is very well constructed and the actors are impeccable. Obviously, to enjoy this show, I think it’s better to have an interest in the legendary figures whose intimacy is exposed here, or at least for this era and this world of glitz and glamour.
I did, however, have one fear when going to the theater: how to make a play about Maria Callas without an actress/singer to play this role?
In the end, the production chose to bypass this problem by playing opera excerpts sung by La Callas herself, and after seeing the result and hearing the magical voice of the singer again, an obvious thought came to mind: no one could have sung with enough talent on stage without appearing ridiculous next to this legendary voice.
The True Story of Maria Callas at the Théâtre Déjazet with Andréa Ferréol, Pierre Santini, Sophie Carrier, Lola Dewaere, Raymond Acquaviva, and Cécile Pallas Tuesday to Saturday at 8:30 PM / Sunday at 3:00 PM
