From the magazine Napoleon No. 108
The musical "Napoleon" by Serge Lama was created in September 1984, nearly forty years after its tremendous success - including one thousand five hundred performances worldwide - the singer was awarded a special prize at the Club de l'Étoile in Paris on Sunday, February 5, 2023, during the Napoleon Festival. This recognition was followed by the presentation of an honorary award at the Victoires de la Musique the following week. In this exclusive interview, he reflects on his career, particularly the place occupied by his historical show.
Interview conducted by David Chanteranne / Editor-in-chief
What impression do you have, receiving this special prize from the Napoleon Festival almost forty years after the show's creation at the Théâtre de Marigny?
I was shocked to be called so long after. For several years, Napoleon had been out of my mind. Our current era is not favorable to this epic: Napoleon is seen as a warrior through and through when he only continued the Revolution, defending its achievements. It's a bit like what Robespierre could have done, but differently. Today, with war at our doorstep, it's not very well received by some public. So, for several years, I've talked less about Napoleon.
This musical had the favor of the audience...
This monstrous success settled in against all odds. Already, nobody was convinced at that time. I had a hard time defending the project. Initially, my idea was more of a singing tour. Coming out of the Châtelet, during a discussion with the director, he admitted that it seemed impossible, especially since during those years, I did three months at the Palais des Congrès, and he couldn't guarantee such a long time. So I just thought of doing a few dates at the Châtelet to find this stage I love. At that time, I had considered adapting the life of Casanova into songs. But the little shoes, with my leg and character, didn't lend themselves to it. And coming out of the theater, in the square, seeing the Egyptian column, I thought of Napoleon.
Had your resemblance to the Emperor already been pointed out to you?
The evidence made the role easier, but not more than that. Newspaper articles often mentioned that I took the stage as Bonaparte took the bridge at Arcole. I didn't think about it for a second. It all started with that revelation, coming out of the Châtelet, with my impresario. We immediately launched the project.
The recent release of your album "Rouge" has been acclaimed by critics. Compared to your career, all your albums, your shows, where do the songs dedicated to Napoleon fit in?
It's undoubtedly my most beautiful record. Everything was wonderfully arranged based on the music by Yves Gilbert. The paradox is that these songs almost need to be hidden today. The end of the Emperor's career is often mentioned, blaming him for inevitable mistakes. He indeed made them, but at the same time, he couldn't have done otherwise. He fought against England his whole life. A country that, surprisingly, considers him a hero nowadays. This is also the case in Asia. While in France, he is often hated.
Did your interest and passion for this historical period come from your parents, who were musicians themselves?
Not at all. I assure you that once the decision was made, I hurried to seek advice from a historian friend who pointed me to the works of Georges Bordonove, then Bainville, and Jean Tulard. I did a lot of research. After going through hundreds of books to find anecdotes, I illuminated the show's second part with nods. The end of Napoleon's career, which is very dark, had to be embellished with lighter elements.
This show was revived a few years ago in Orange, in a symphonic version, by the producer Fabien Ramade. Several excerpts were also performed at La Madeleine for the Napoleonian Memorial in 2019, on the occasion of the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of Napoleon's birth, with Amaclio. Would it be possible nowadays to stage the entire show again?
The way this musical was staged doesn't seem too outdated to me. However, today, it would need to include more singing sections as the audience's tastes have changed. But the show itself hasn't aged in terms of conception.
Do you think it's possible to find a cast as enthusiastic as you were back then?
I'm unsure about anything, so I haven't done anything in that regard. The impact here in France is not guaranteed. Elsewhere, it would be possible, for example, among the Anglo-Saxons, especially in the United States. The result would have a chance to be brilliant.
Did you find it difficult to shake off the role, to leave the uniform behind, as they say?
On that occasion, I gained a different audience and became more intellectual. Even though some of my fans left, I found them again afterward. I then returned with a new singing tour, accompanied by a large orchestra, and my audience never left me again. That's why I never attempted to revive "Napoleon." I couldn't play it anymore because it was such a success – much like "La Cage aux Folles" – that I could have gotten lost. Imagine: tourists would visit the Eiffel Tower, see the Arc de Triomphe, and hear "Napoleon." I realized I couldn't get out of the bicorne anymore. Napoleon is a devilish character: he gets inside you and wins you over. Even today, I still feel it. I decided to leave him behind and do different things, especially comedy.
Were you afraid of getting trapped in the role?
Yes, after several months, I understood that I had to stop. This man, it's as if he were still alive. He grabs hold of you deep inside; you don't know how to get rid of him. I had enough strength and struggled to get out of the character, to "bounce back" – if I may put it that way. Besides, if I had let it happen, I could have played it for eight years, and that would have been it.
Was preparing for the role complicated? How did you get yourself psychologically ready each evening?
I had a good director, Jacques Rosny, with whom we wrote the script. He gave me indispensable confidence, the "weapons" to play Napoleon. He showed me the pitfalls to avoid. Napoleon can sometimes carry you away and make you overact emotions. It would be best if you weren't over the top every time but kept a certain coolness. I wasn't an actor, so I had to sing and deliver lines simultaneously. There's a recording from the back of the Marigny Theater. It's unlike the one from Quebec, which is good but lacks something. You always see better from a little further away.
Was there a risk of identifying too much with the character?
It was a risk every day. Like England nibbled at his legs incessantly, he did the same with his actors when you played him. Many actors who portrayed him went mad. Several cases are known, like Albert Dieudonné, the most famous. Guitry, who made an admirable Napoleon, found a solution by sometimes having Bonaparte and Napoleon played by two different people in his films. Financially, I couldn't afford that, but I would have liked to bring another singer on stage for the first part. I already had the role of the narrator, telling Napoleon's life story in the style of Balzac. This would have allowed Napoleon to see a young Bonaparte appear in the show's second part, coming to whisper in his ear, "Remember your oaths!" Like a fly buzzing around you to tease you.
Compared to your other songs – "Les Ballons rouges," "Je suis malade," "Femmes, femmes, femmes" – what place does "Napoleon" hold in your career?
It is a significant place. Day after day, I detached myself from the character but realized I had things in common with him. At every moment of his life, he watched himself act, saw himself think. I may have something in common with him: knowing how to step back. I manage to maintain a distance, a perspective, even when I'm in action. Thanks to all this, I've had a wonderful life. I regret nothing.
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