For a year now, Manon Denimal-Cubero’s artistic life has come to a standstill. Deprived of stage, of public, the singer, intermittent of the spectacle, dreams of the return of the live spectacle.
For almost a year Manon Denimal-Cubero has been living in slow motion. Singer, installed in Saverdun, with her companion also intermittent of the show, the young woman of 31 years, has not returned to the scene since last March with the exception of a return course on the casino scene Barrière, in Toulouse, last fall.
How do you live this period?
For me and as for all the intermittents of the show everything came to an abrupt end in March. I had a pretty good experience with the first confinement because there were reopening dates, but the second was much more difficult because we all understood at that moment that there were no prospects. A year ago, I had a succession of cancellations. I stopped counting after 80 dates for 2020.
How long has it been since you’ve been on stage?
In September and October, I went back on stage for rehearsals at the Barrière casino where I was hired in 2019 with a contract running until 2022, to put on a new show. We did 4 dates and everything stopped again. And during last summer and during the last two months of 2020, where I concentrate most of my activity and my turnover, I did nothing. 2020 has almost been a blank year. Last summer, for example, with my companion who plays in our orchestra, we had 30 dates scheduled, we could only do one. We experienced all the cancellations of the holiday committees that did not want to take any risks.
Do you still receive unemployment benefit?
Yes, since April. If the rights of intermittent workers have been extended, they will not be so forever. Normally the device should stop on August 31. But that date is tomorrow. The government has certainly made a move, but we are still not allowed to work.
What facet do you see in the future?
I try to project myself, to be optimistic. But there are ups and downs. We all hope that the shows will resume this summer but if this is not the case, I wonder. What else can I do? I do not know ! I have the impression of being completely empty and of not knowing how to do anything else. I fell into music very young. My father had a large orchestra and I accompanied him on some of these tours. I have always had this in me, even if to reassure my parents, I had a BTS in management and management.
Besides your contract with the Barrière casino, are you working on other projects?
Currently I am writing a musical tale for children around the theme of Mary Poppins. I sing every day to maintain my voice. I make little videos that I post on social networks (Facebook, Instagram or its You Tube channel) to try to keep in touch.
Despite everything, you remain optimistic …
We all hope. All the intermittents of the show, whether they are artists, technicians, engineers are all in the same state of mind. We hope for the reopening of culture because we still do not understand that we can crowd into shopping centers or transport. We must all stand together in this ordeal. We also need to be ready when the curtains go up. It’s difficult but you have to believe it. Everyone needs culture. I, who am an actress of culture, need to go see the artists on stage. Children who grow up need to go to the show, to the museum. It is essential for evolution. It’s not just the metro, work, sleep!
You yourself have been deprived of concert?
I had to go see Lara Fabian and the concert was postponed twice. And a new date is scheduled for June. It will be the 4th, but the Barrière casino has just informed me that the performances could resume that day. I had planned a small Parisian weekend to go to the Moulin Rouge in April 2020.
You say you are empty and useless …
Necessarily. When I go to bed at night I wonder what I have done useful with my day. What have I done that is productive other than social media videos. It sure makes me feel the moment, but it doesn’t move the thing forward.
Paradoxically, the world of culture has rarely taken to the streets.
It is true ! In November there was a movement in Toulosue for non-essentials. Booksellers, small businesses, sports halls were invited for a sort of flash mob, there were a thousand of us. And out of the 1,000 people, I must have seen 20 intermittents from the show. That’s all ! I did not understand then that we are all considered non-essential, we should stick together. that revolts me !
And when is the return to the public?
I have a date in March in an EHPAD. I have to do a PCR test and I should sing with a mask. The conditions are not very funny but I tell myself that if these are the conditions for working, then we have to do it. Today, we must take what comes.
Is that the only date?
There were others, but again everything was canceled. It only takes one positive case for the establishments to cancel everything.
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