Do you know how to tell if you’re a real diva or not? If you’ve never been dropped on stage by a helicopter, you’re probably not a diva. Unlike Memphis treasure, Marie-Stéphane Bernard, whom you can see airdropped in the video below.
Visit April in Paris with Marie-Stéphane Bernard
From The Merry Widow, Opéra Comique, Paris.
Bernard’s a native Parisian, who began her violin and voice studies in France and pursued her passions at the Conservatorio di Santa Cecilia in Rome. She’s played the great opera halls of Europe but lives just a stone’s throw from the Mississippi River. She is currently appearing at Playhouse on the Square in L’heure espagnole, for Opera Memphis’ Midtown Opera Festival, and tonight (Wed., April, 6) she’ll perform a concert titled “April in Paris,” which takes audiences on a tour of France in the 1950s via the music of Édith Piaf, Josephine Baker, and Charles Trenet. “The idea came from my presence here in Memphis and from being French,” she says, describing the street singers she enjoyed so much as a little girl. “We threw pennies from the windows, and they were happy,” she recalls.
To sample some romantic melodies gorgeously performed, you might consider throwing some pennies in Opera Memphis’ general direction.
Visit April in Paris with Marie-Stéphane Bernard (2)
Visit April in Paris with Marie-Stéphane Bernard (3)
Visit April in Paris with Marie-Stéphane Bernard (4)