Daniel Lavoie: “The character of Claude Frollo inhabits my life”
What does the return of the show have in store for us, twenty-five years later? Make our mouths water…
The musical show is brighter and more colorful than in the past. And then, this quarter of a century playing Father Frollo allowed me to enrich and thicken the interpretation of the character. I have matured in my own life and brought this richness into my interpretation.
What is your ideal place to create?
I draw my inspiration from the street and books. I am not one of those artists whose creativity comes from the buzzing of bees or the singing of birds.
What object crosses generations in your family?
My grandfather, a merchant, had a nice little metal hammer, with a lever end, which he used to open crates. He left it to my father who passed it on to me. I used it for a long time to tinker. I in turn gave it to my son, at his request, a few years ago.
Do you have a hidden talent?
The kitchen. I love entertaining and cooking small dishes for others, and I am very curious about all gastronomy. Not so long ago, I discovered the secret to making pasta as well as the Italians!
A quality that you would be proud to pass on to your children?
The desire to know, to cultivate and to constantly inform oneself.
You have three days and a backpack. Where are you leaving?
This is already almost how I live. I am always on the road, on foot, by train or by bus, with a backpack, discovering the world.
What cause would you march for?
I always tend to place myself on the side of the widow and the orphan.
But today there is so much excessive bias! Rather than seeing things in black or white, I favor shades of gray that convey understanding and humanity.
An inspired place where you like to take refuge?
The cemetery of my village, where my grandparents grew up, in Manitoba (Canada). It is a place of breathtaking beauty. Several of mine are buried there. Every time I have the opportunity to return there, I have the feeling of coming into contact with Eternity.
