Folies Bergère facts for kids
2013, after renovation of facade (originally created in 1926)
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 Folies Bergère
Location in France
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| Address | 32 Rue Richer Paris France |
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| Coordinates | 48°52′27″N 2°20′42″E / 48.8742°N 2.3449°E |
| Designation | Cabaret music-hall |
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| Opened | 2 May 1869 |
| Architect | Plumeret |
The Folies Bergère is a famous cabaret music hall in Paris, France. It is located at 32 Rue Richer in the 9th Arrondissement. This building was first designed as an opera house by an architect named Plumeret.
It first opened its doors on May 2, 1869. Back then, it was called the Folies Trévise. It offered fun shows like operettas (light operas), comic operas, popular songs, and gymnastics. On September 13, 1872, it changed its name to Folies Bergère. This new name came from a nearby street, Rue Bergère. The Folies Bergère was most famous and popular from the 1890s, during a time called the Belle Époque, all the way through the 1920s.
Its shows, called revues, were known for amazing costumes, detailed sets, and special effects. In 1926, Josephine Baker, a talented African-American singer and dancer, became very famous there. She caused a stir by dancing in a costume made of artificial bananas! Today, the Folies Bergère is still open and is a strong symbol of French and Parisian culture.
History of the Folies Bergère
The Folies Bergère is found at 32 Rue Richer in Paris. It was built as an opera house by the architect Plumeret. You can reach it by taking the Paris Métro to the Cadet or Grands Boulevards stations.
It first opened on May 2, 1869, and was known as the Folies Trévise. It showed light entertainment like operettas, comic operas, popular songs, and gymnastics. On September 13, 1872, it changed its name to Folies Bergère. This name came from a nearby street called Rue Bergère. The word "bergère" means "shepherdess."
In 1882, the famous artist Édouard Manet painted his well-known picture called A Bar at the Folies-Bergère. This painting shows a bar-girl standing in front of a mirror at the Folies Bergère.
In 1886, Édouard Marchand created a new type of show for the Folies Bergère. He called it the music-hall revue. Women were the main focus of Marchand's new shows. In the early 1890s, an American dancer named Loie Fuller became a star at the Folies Bergère. Marchand left in 1902 after 16 years because of illness.
In 1918, Paul Derval (1880–1966) took charge of the revues. His shows were known for their amazing costumes, detailed sets, and special effects. During his 48 years at the Folies, he helped many French stars become famous. These included Maurice Chevalier, Mistinguett, Josephine Baker, and Fernandel.
In 1926, Josephine Baker, an African-American singer and dancer, caused a sensation. She performed in a new show called La Folie du Jour. In one part, she danced a number called Fatou while wearing a skirt made of artificial bananas. The Folies Bergère always tried to give people what they wanted to see. Shows had very fancy costumes. They also showed off the "exotic" side of people and things from other cultures. This was because Parisians in the 1920s were very interested in cultures from other parts of the world.
In 1926, the front of the theater was completely redesigned by the artist Maurice Pico. The new design was in the Art Deco style. Many Parisian theaters used this style during that time.
In 1936, Derval brought Josephine Baker from New York City to star in a show called En Super Folies. Michel Gyarmathy, a young Hungarian artist, designed the poster for this show. This was the start of a long connection between Michel Gyarmathy, Paris, the Folies Bergère, and its audiences. This connection lasted for 56 years.
Paul Derval passed away on May 20, 1966, at 86 years old. He had been in charge of the most famous music hall in the world. His wife, Antonia, took over with the help of Michel Gyarmathy. In August 1974, Antonia Derval passed the management to Hélène Martini. She had been a showgirl in the revues 25 years earlier. Hélène Martini brought back the original style of shows to keep the traditions of the music hall alive.
Since 2006, the Folies Bergère has shown some musical productions with Stage Entertainment. These include Cabaret (from 2006 to 2008) and Zorro (from 2009 to 2010).
Films About the Folies Bergère
Many films have been made about or featuring the Folies Bergère:
- 1935: Folies Bergère de Paris directed by Roy Del Ruth. It starred Maurice Chevalier, Merle Oberon, and Ann Sothern.
- 1935: Folies Bergère de Paris directed by Marcel Achard. This was a French version of the 1935 Hollywood film.
- 1956: Folies-Bergère directed by Henri Decoin. It featured Eddie Constantine and Zizi Jeanmaire.
- 1959: Énigme aux Folies Bergère directed by Jean Mitry.
- 1991: La Totale! directed by Claude Zidi.
Other Similar Shows
The Folies Bergère inspired many other shows around the world. These include the Ziegfeld Follies in the United States. It also inspired the Las Vegas Folies Bergere at the Tropicana Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. The Teatro Follies in Mexico is another example.
In the 1930s and 1940s, a show producer named Clifford C. Fischer put on several Folies Bergere productions in the United States. These included the Folies Bergère of 1939 in New York and the Folies Bergère of 1944 in San Francisco.
The Las Vegas Folies Bergere, which opened in 1959, closed in March 2009. It had been running for almost 50 years. A more recent show that is similar is Faceboyz Folliez. This is a monthly burlesque and variety show in New York City.
See also
In Spanish: Folies Bergère para niños
- Absinthe
- Cabaret Red Light
- Casino de Paris
- Crazy Horse (cabaret)
- Folies Bergere at The Tropicana Hotel Las Vegas
- Jubilee!
- Le Lido
- Moulin Rouge
- Paradis Latin
- Sirens of TI
- Tropicana Club
