On Friday, February 17, during the Grand Evening of the 20th anniversary of the Cannes Game Festival, Nice-Première met the elite of show business.
Ps: At the end of the interview, you will discover a message from Mr. Jacques Chirac whom we met backstage at the Palace. Were we deceived? It’s for you to guess!
Nice-Première: Tonight, you are assisting Patrice Laffont in celebrating the 20th anniversary of the international Game Festival. How were you invited?
Michel Villano: Quite simply. The programming directors of this beautiful festival palace, Bernard Oheix and Nadine Seul, called me 15 days ago. And since I was available and on the French Riviera during this period, I responded.
N-P: What role will you play?
M.V.: A mime and one of the two people who will introduce the words in the game “Time’s up”, voted Golden Ace of the year 2006.
N-P: What was your favorite game when you were a child?
M.V.: My favorite game? Oh dear… I wasn’t much into games, unfortunately. However, since I’ve had two children, I’ve become very interested because they are keen on games. But for me personally, no. I was in the artistic field. I was more on the road working. Well, I played Monopoly, soldier battles, like everyone, but I wasn’t keen on games like my children are.
N-P: And today?
M.V.: With my 2 children! A bit more. About 15-20 years ago, I met a great friend, Christophe Boelinger who created the game “Dungeon Twister” in 2004. He introduced my son to this game. And it has become a real addiction for him. He has all the expansions, the figures. He recently competed against a ranked French player, beat him, and he’s only 10 and a half. He’s completely crazy about this game. But I must say that this game is exceptionally good. Otherwise, I play Trivial Pursuit, games that touch on cinema, shows…
N-P: You started in 1978 following a training as a show technician, and ten years later, you turned to the profession of an impersonator. What triggered this change?
M.V.: The trigger came when I saw Freddie Mercury at Wembley (1986) who became my idol the day I saw him onstage. I wanted to imitate him. Then, I imitated Michael Jackson. I had, like my father, a lyrical training at the Paris Conservatory and that gave me a good vocal technique. I didn’t continue because singing is a very difficult art and I’m slightly lazy at that level. It required 5 to 6 hours of daily training and I was not passionate enough to fully commit. I used this minimum of vocal technique to imitate others. “Sung” imitation is just vocal technique. It’s not at all like “spoken” imitation, there, it’s more about phrasing, acting, gesturing. If you want to imitate Celine Dion, Pavarotti… It’s vocal technique that you must use.
N-P: Can you imitate all singers?
M.V.: All. Yes. Singers or singers. However, regarding spoken voices, I am not good at all.
N-P: Are you currently preparing a new show?
M.V.: Yes, indeed. I am setting it up in Paris. It is to “celebrate” the 15th anniversary of “Mr. Mercury’s” death. Recently, I recorded a song in Toulouse that will soon be released and will be called “Freedie”. I’ve written a lot, shows, but it’s true that this is my first solo show in Paris.
N-P: What theme will you address?
M.V.: It’s a tribute I will give to my idol. There will be lots of people coming to pay tribute to Freddie Mercury. There will be virtual duos between Freddie and Celine Dion for example and all the great artists from the French and international scene will be present to pay him tribute through imitation. There will be sketches, parodies, flash-backs, emotional moments, a cappella passages. I am working on it. I have written about half of the show and I hope to finish it within a month and a half.
N-P: After that, do you plan to go on tour?
M.V.: Yes, I would like to. But first, I present it in Paris and then, if it goes well, I go on tour.
N-P: Who is the impersonator you appreciate the most?
M.V.: Patrick Sébastien, he’s a good friend. He got me my first TV appearance and he invites me every year to his shows. He is a man of his word, he is as he appears on TV, himself. Well, it’s true, he is less of an impersonator now, as currently, he is more into production, hosting, presenting.
You know, I didn’t have the chance to meet Thierry Le Luron on stage, but I saw Sébastien on stage in 82, 83, 84, and 85. He’s a whirlwind onstage. He is unique and before being an impersonator, he’s a born performer.
N-P: And the one you appreciate the least?
M.V.: The profession of an impersonator is a very individualistic profession. Everyone loves each other but… everyone loves each other. So, we’re not going to speak ill (laughs)! I’m with the Ruquier gang right now on your favorite imitations but we get along well so I’m not going to say anything bad. There are affinities, but there’s no need to hurt feelings!
N-P: Which persons do you prefer to impersonate?
M.V.: Freddie Mercury first, Celine Dion, Michael Jackson, Pavarotti, Michel Jonasz, Louis de Funès.
N-P: And Johnny?
M.V.: Laurent Gerra does it so perfectly ha that… it’s hard to match and do better, it’s impossible. He is so excellent as Johnny. Each impersonator really has a dozen voices to themselves. An impersonator masters about 10 to 15 voices perfectly. These 15 voices are going to align with his voice timbre. Some larynx effects, palate openings, resonance will make the voice slightly changed, but the timbre, to be really perfect, has to be in the range of the impersonator’s voice timbre. After that, the rest is caricature even if it may seem very similar, it remains caricature.
N-P: When you imitate the voice of a personality who is in front of you, does she have a special reaction?
M.V.: No special reaction. I imitated Al Jarreau in front of him, Fabrice Lucchini on a Ruquier show, it was very nice. Phil Collins, Lionel Ricci.
N-P: Are there any who react badly?
M.V.: No, no. During a Patrick Sébastien show, I imitated Jamiroquai in front of Jamiroquai, he left offended but came back very quickly saying that it was very good and that he was
