Wonder Power: Melissa Mars & Noémie Garcia Talk All-Female Show

By Yinmai O'Connor, August 5, 2025

Two female cast members from the famous French musical Mozart L'Opera Rock, Noémie Garcia and Melissa Mars, are joining forces to bring a special performance to Beijing and Shanghai.

Wonder Power will feature an all-female ensemble with a live band backing Garcia and Mars as they belt out songs from famous French and English musicals.

Both singers have performed to sold-out crowds around the world, and this unique appearance will showcase the power of women on stage.

We caught up with Garcia and Mars ahead of their trip to China to chat about what we can expect from their upcoming performances.

Garcia on stage in China. Image by 阿柴是根柴

How did you guys meet and decide to collaborate?
Garcia: I met Melissa during rehearsals for a show in France. We spent a week working in a big house with other artists and musicians preparing for a group concert – we immediately connected.

Mars: We stayed in touch after that, and when we were invited to perform together in China, it just made perfect sense – we're like ‘stage sisters.’

Noémie had just finished touring in China as Constance Weber [Mozart’s wife], and I had been touring in France as Aloysia Weber.

It was time we finally shared the stage together!

Melissa Mars. Image by Emmanuelle Choussy

Is there connecting theme between the songs you’ve chosen for the performance?
G: The common thread of this concert is the emotional strength and sensitivity of female voices.

With Melissa Mars, our guest Rex, and the all-female band, we’re an all women ensemble united under the theme ‘Wonder Power,’ celebrating the inspirational force of women who sing and tell stories.

Through iconic songs from French musicals, we aim to take the audience on a journey full of energy, elegance, and authenticity – a tribute to heroines both on stage and in life.

M: And beyond voices, there's also a strong theme of identity.

Many of the songs we chose speak to empowerment, embracing who we are as women, claiming space, and transforming struggle into strength.

It’s about stepping fully into our power, not just as performers, but as ‘sheroes.’

How do you find working with all female artists versus other projects you have been involved with?
G: Working with an all-female team brings a very unique energy. There’s a kind of attentiveness, solidarity, and sensitivity that adds a different color to the creative process.

It’s not necessarily better or worse than mixed-gender projects – just different.

What stands out here is the sense of natural support, a circle of women lifting each other up, with a shared desire to amplify the female voice in all its richness and power.

M: Exactly! And I’ll be honest, sometimes being in an all-women group can be intense – like cats with claws ready.

But in this project, what I’ve loved is how respectful, caring, and truly present we are with each other. It’s a close-knit, supportive team, and that really shows behind the scenes, and soon on stage!

Noémie Garcia. Image by 阿柴是根柴

Have you performed in China before?
N: Yes, I’ve had the chance to perform in China thanks to Mozart L’Opera Rock, which has been touring in China since 2018, as well as through solo and duo concerts that I’ve taken part in.

These are incredibly meaningful memories

M: This will be my first time performing in China, and I’m so excited! I’ve always been curious about the culture, the energy, and how audiences in China experience music, especially in a different language.

I’m especially looking forward to that human connection, face-to-face, heart-to-heart. Music is such a powerful bridge.

What can audience members expect from the show? Will the show be more melodic or upbeat?
G: The audience can expect a show that is both powerful and highly sensitive. It's a journey through great songs of musicals, carried exclusively by women's voices and our personalities.

It's a very melodic concert, with intimate, suspended moments, and others that are more explosive.

M: Even rehearsing remotely with Noémie and our guest Rex, I’ve already felt goosebumps!

There are moments when our three voices merge so powerfully – like in 'Take Me or Leave Me' or 'Moi Je Veux,' and there are duets with Noémie that are much more intimate and heartfelt.

Our voices and personalities have different textures, but when we sing together, something truly magical happens.

I’m also really excited to perform 'Et je veux danser,' which is upbeat and joyful. I created a bilingual version that blends French and English for this performance.

Plus, I’ll be presenting two unreleased songs for the first time, which makes this show even more personal.

Melissa Mars. Image by Emmanuelle Choussy

If you each were to choose your favorite song from a musical, what would it be?
G: It’s hard to choose! But if I had to pick one, it would be 'The Carnivore' from Mozart L’Opera Rock.

It embodies everything I love: dramatic tension, vocal power, and melody. It’s a song that moves me and makes me vibrate every time I listen to it.

M: Very hard choice! Like Noémie, I’ll go with the musical I know best, Mozart L'Opera Rock, but I have to mention two songs.

First, 'L’Assasymphonie,' which I had the privilege of hearing it when it was still in development – just a demo with 'yogurt lyrics,' meaning no real words yet, just sounds and fragments of English.

That’s the song that made me fall in love with Mozart L'Opera Rock, before it even became the show we know today.

And the final version? A wonder to my ears, and I think to millions, right?

And I can’t mention 'L’Assasymphonie' without 'Je Dors Dur Les Roses,' which is one I discovered way later on stage when we were rehearsing – it always hits me hard.

The way it’s placed in the show, in the story, the staging, the performance, the voice, the story behind the words – it’s such a powerful moment. It’s brought me to tears more than once.