Claudine Mercier
Claudine Mercier is a Canadian humorist and comedian, born on March 11, 1961, in Quebec. She began her performing career in the early 1980s singing with Artishows and also performed with Norman Iceberg. Mercier graduated from UQAM with a Drama Major in 1989 and attended the École nationale de l'humour at age 28. She is known as a Québécoise comedian, singer, actress, and impressionist, and became one of Quebec's most prominent comedians after graduating. Throughout her career, she has sold over 750,000 tickets. Mercier’s comedy style incorporates stand-up routines, characters, and imitations. She is celebrated for impressions of celebrities, including Sinéad O'Connor, Madonna, Lise Watier, Céline Dion, Lara Fabian, Diane Dufresne, Claire Lamarche, and Sonia Benezra. Her most popular impersonation is of businesswoman Lise Watier, for which she won an Olivier Award; however, she stopped performing it shortly after a request from Lise Watier. Her first One Woman Show was released in 1993, gaining her widespread recognition, followed by a third One Woman Show in 2003. She has appeared on Bye Bye in 1990 and 2013, and co-hosted the 2001 Gala des Olivier with Mario Jean. In 2005, Mercier made her film debut in Idole Instantanée , directed by Yves Desgagnés and produced by Denise Robert, where she played four different characters. She received critical acclaim in Europe and won a Felix award in 1998 and three Olivier awards in 1999. After performing for 25 years, she retired from performing around the time of the pandemic (around 2020), enjoying painting and singing during her retirement. She has always dreamed of performing in a musical, stemming from childhood admiration for Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. Now, she is returning to the stage and will be part of the cast of the Quebec adaptation of the musical parody 'Ménopause,' portraying Mother Nature, starting in 2025. The show, directed by Danièle Lorain and Alexis Pitkevicht, will tour Quebec, including performances in Montreal and Quebec City, and addresses themes like menopause with humor and sincerity.