She's b-a-a-ck.

Yes, Natalie Choquette, a.k.a. La Diva, is back in town for a return engagement with the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra this Saturday.

"I had a blast last time," said the Montreal-based Choquette about her HPO Pops show back in February of last year.

If you've never seen Choquette, she's a musical comedienne who blends opera and sketch humour with her over-the-top characterizations of divas such as La Fettuccini (a Maria Callas-like diva), Nadia Comanechaikovskaya (a gymnastic diva), and about 98 other divas she's created.

This time around, Choquette will be appearing first in the guise of Marie-Antoinette. "This whole thing started with a fantasy that my costume dresser had," said Choquette of Rossignol, her Parisian-born, Montreal-based designer. "She loves Baroque stuff and everything. She said, 'I see you in Marie-Antoinette.' So she created a costume which is unbelievable."

Choquette's sketch, which takes about half an hour, is titled Marie-Antoinette's Striptease. Rest easy. It won't be a Gypsy Rose Lee or Salome's Dance of the Seven Veils type act.

"It's like an incredible study of Baroque costumes," reassured Choquette. "I try to give a little glimpse of Marie Antoinette in just a few words, from her childhood to her death, to a bit of text and song. She'll talk about her mother, her not-so-romantic husband (Louis-Auguste, later Louis XVI), and how disappointing he is in matters of love, her love for balls and parties, and also her anguish in front of the (French) Revolution."

The music for this sketch includes the Overture Marie-Antoinette written by Choquette's former husband, Eric Lagace, plus La Chanson de Marie-Antoinette, a song supposedly written by Marie-Antoinette, who, incidentally, played the harp and was acquainted with composer Christoph Willibald Gluck.

In her sketch, Choquette will have Marie-Antoinette go to her death while singing the aria J'ai perdu mon Euridice from the opera Orphee et Euridice, a work Gluck had dedicated to the Queen consort.

Following that sketch, Choquette will appear as a Carmen diva. Not the young, brazen vixen of Bizet's opera, but an elderly Carmen who's been around for 95 years. "When you look at old women in the street, they might have been Carmens in their time," said Choquette. "She (the elderly Carmen) just wants to prove that love is ageless."

Also, expect to see Choquette's madcap Circus diva, and her Feminist diva. Choquette promises that the latter won't be a Gloria Steinem wannabe, but a funny character singing baritone and tenor arias such as Largo al factotum, and Nessun dorma.

"I love tenor arias," said Choquette. "I find it unfair that these composers wrote all these beautiful arias for men, and not for women."

Choquette's HPO appearance will take on an added personal significance. She's hitting the big 5-0 tomorrow. "This is a beautiful birthday present," said a contented Choquette of her Hamilton Place show.

Leonard Turnevicius writes on classical music for The Spectator.

leonardturnevicius@hotmail.com

Showtime

Who: Natalie Choquette

With: Jamie Sommerville and the HPO

When: Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

Where: Hamilton Place

Cost: $36, $49, $59, senior $32, $45, $54, student $10, high school or younger $5

Call: 905-526-7756