L'Opera de la Bastille (Bastille Opera) is a modern opera house in Paris, France. It is the home base of the Opera National de Paris and was designed to replace the Palais Garnier, but that did not happen and operas are still given in that house, which is also used for ballet performances.
Located at the Place de la Bastille, in the 12th arrondissement, the house was designed with 2,723 seats, every one of which has an unrestricted view of the stage. The theatre, was "surmounted by the opaque cube of the stage building and wrapped in gridded walls of glass...... the Opera stands sociably open to the world outside, whereas the foyers, with their broad overview of the city, have the slick, impersonal look of an airport lounge". Beauvert also describes the theatre's backstage facilities as being extremely modern, allowing for nine times the volume of the stage and the ability to roll entire sets off and on intact. However, compared to other world-class opera houses, the acoustics have been described as disappointing at best.
Construction began in 1984 with the demolition of Paris Bastille train station, which was opened in 1859 and closed on December 14, 1969, and where art expositions were held thereafter until its demolition.
The building was inaugurated on July 14, 1989, on the 200th anniversary of the storming of the Bastille, with a gala concert conducted by Georges Pretre and featuring singers such as Teresa Berganza and Placido Domingo. However, it did not see its first opera performance until March 17, 1990, with Berlioz's Les Troyens.
Palais Garnier
The Palais Garnier, also known as the Opera de Paris or Opera Garnier or Grand Opera House, but more commonly as the Paris Opera, is a 2,200 seat opera house in Paris, France. A grand landmark designed by Charles Garnier in the Neo-Baroque style, it is regarded as one of the architectural masterpieces of its time.
Upon its inauguration in 1875, the opera house was officially named the Academie Nationale de Musique - Theatre de l'Opera. It retained this title until 1978 when it was re-named the Theatre National de l'Opera de Paris. After the opera company chose the Opera Bastille as their principal theatre upon its completion in 1989, the theatre was re-named as the Palais Garnier, though its more official name, the Acad?mie Nationale de Musique, is still sprawled above the columns of its front facade. In spite of the change of names and the Opera company's relocation to the Opera Bastille, the Palais Garnier is still known by many people as the Paris Opera, as have all of the many theatres which have served as the principal venues of the Parisian Opera and Ballet since its founding.
Bobino
Bobino at 20 rue de la gaite, in the Montparnasse Quarter of Paris, France is a legendary music hall theatre that has seen most of the biggest names of 20th Century French music perform there.
Bobino began as a dance hall in 1800, became a theatre in 1873, and was converted back to a music hall in 1926. After one hundred and eighty-three years, Bobino closed its doors but reopened in 1991.
Although still a very popular venue today, Bobino was one of the most popular entertainment spots in France during the 1920s and 1930s. On April 8, 1975 Josephine Baker, the African American superstar of France who had appeared at Bobino beginning in the 1920s, gave her last performance there at the age of sixty-eight.
Gerard Louvin and Stephane Cherki transformed in 2007 the theater Bobino in Cabaret. The Cabaret is called now Bobin'o.
Theatre Mogador
Theatre Mogador founded in 1913 and designed by Bertie Crewe, is a Parisian music hall theatre located in the 9th district. It can accommodate 1,800 people on three stages.
In 1913 financier Sir Alfred Butt rented an area in Paris. Built to English music hall principles and style during World War I, the original name of the "Palace Theatre" to appeal to the British soldiers is changed to "Theatre Mogador", the old name of the town of Essaouira in Morocco. The inauguration guests include President Wilson, in France to negotiate the Treaty of Versailles.
From 1920 it was a Cine-variety, and gained fame with the performances of Sergei Diaghilev "Ballets Russes", and with the Thes Mogador - performances of operettas and plays in the afternoon. Until the seventies the Theatre Mogador was mainly used for performances of operettas, including Mistinguett. The theatre hosted the nineteenth Moliere (French theatre awards) on May 9, 2005.
