“M’s hands were shaking a little bit as we listened”
(Photo by Martin Girard courtesy of Cirque du Soleil)
Madonna’s 2012 Super Bowl Halftime Show creative director and MDNA Tour director Michel Laprise talks to Washington Blade about his work with Cirque du Soleil and, of course, Madonna.
Before working with Madonna in 2012, I presented my ideas to her manager. He liked them so he took me to her. She appeared in the room. I told her my thoughts and she was smiling as I spoke. Then she asked me to listen to Give Me All Your Luvin’ the first track of her then-new album MDNA. M’s hands were shaking a little bit as we listened. So I thought that if after 30 years she’s still nervous to show new work, then this is somebody who really cares about what they’re doing. I knew then that I wanted to work her. For the first week of rehearsals for MDNA, M hurt her ankle and broke her little finger. I asked to slow down pace. She said, “No Michel.” That’s the job. It’s like going to war with her. She thinks like an acrobat. Her work ethic is incredible. She’s also very demanding but it’s nothing I wouldn’t expect from a woman of that level. She never yelled at me. The only time she raised her voice during rehearsal was when the schedule wasn’t allowing her to see her kids. Despite the pressure on her, she was calm and focused with brilliant sense of humor. She teases me about my (French Canadian) accent which is less strong now than it was. I don’t do a lot of pop music shows, but I’d definitely like to work with her again. We stay in touch. She sent me flowers on my birthday.
Read the full interview, including Michel’s recent work as director of Cirque du Soleil’s latest touring show Kurios – Cabinet of Curiosities on washingtonblade.com.
