“Étoile,” the French word for “star,” is Amy Sherman-Palladino and her husband Daniel Palladino’s new series.
A follow-up to their popular, award-winning “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “Étoile” pivots on two world-class ballet companies – one in New York, the other in Paris – deciding to dramatically switch their starry soloists to see what happens creatively, financially and personally.
Among the large ensemble, France’s Charlotte Gainsbourg, 53, leads the pan-oceanic way as Genevieve La Vie.
“She is the director of the Paris Opera and the Paris Ballet. In Paris you have two different people for that. But in in the show, Amy and Dan wanted just one director. So, my name is Genevieve La Vie, and I’m the head of the French ballet house.”
Scenes, capturing the magnificent, historic settings, were filmed in the real deals: Manhattan’s Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center and the legendary “Phantom of the Opera” French Opera House.
It’s rare for a series to focus on ballet and to have two wildly divergent dancing styles collaborate, how fanciful or realistic is this?
“She knows,” Gainsbourg said in her softly inflected English accent, “that both ballet companies are in difficulty. So she comes up with this idea of a swap which might make the audience more excited and renew something.
“She’s aware a lot of problems are going to arise, but the idea is a good one. And this series is a dive into that world of ballet. For me, that was completely new.
“I learned many things about ballet but I find what is very exciting is to see the behind the stage, the whole craft of making it happen.”
Gainsbourg was born into showbiz, the daughter of one of France’s most celebrated, esteemed and notorious couples, singer-songwriter Serge Gainsbourg and English actress and singer Jane Birkin (yes, THAT bag is named after her mother).
Charlotte has acted and sung since her teens. Dance, however, was never a focus.
“In my background, there were no dancers,” she said in a Zoom interview. “We did one year of ballet class, my sister and I. I was four, she was eight and I was a real tomboy, completely! Not feminine at all.
“So I wasn’t really attracted by that world. But I regretted it later on, not having explored my body at all.
“Because I was so self-conscious. Even with performing, music and acting, I wasn’t comfortable with it. It was as if my head was separated from my body.
“And it took me a long, long time to get to where I am. Now I feel that I’m young again! I’m sure that ballet, or modern dance, anything with the physical effort, would have helped.”
All 8 episodes of “Étoile” premiere April 24 exclusively on Prime Video.
