Paris is a city of world attractions and theatres. Concerts, ballets, theatrical performances and dance shows are constantly held in the capital. The buildings of both ancient and modern theaters amaze with their luxury, size and interesting history.
House of Molière
Comédie-Française is one of the few state-owned theaters in France. The theater is part of the Palais Royal complex (former royal palace in the 1st arrondissement of Paris) and is located on 2nd rue de Richelieu on Place André-Malraux.
The theater is also known as the Theater of the Republic and Maison Molière. The Comédie-Française was founded by Louis XIV in 1860, when the entire repertoire consisted of plays by the famous Molière. In the 18th century, only the French nobility could visit the theater, as the price of tickets was very high.
Today, the Comedie-Française Theater has more than 3,000 performances in its repertoire and consists of three buildings:
- Richelieu Room (next to the Royal Palace).
- Théâtre du Vieux-Colombier (6th arrondissement of Paris).
- Studiotheatre.
The names of almost all the great actors and playwrights of France were once associated with the "Comédie-Française".
Bastille Opera
Opéra Bastille is a contemporary opera house in Paris, located on Place de la Bastille in the 11th arrondissement. After the destruction of the railway station, in 1989 a theater was opened on this site, consisting of four large halls:
- Large hall with a capacity of 2703 people.
- Amphitheater for 450 spectators.
- Studio room.
- The hall where the orchestra rehearses.
Due to its shape and size, the auditorium is said to have poor acoustics compared to other world-class opera houses. Therefore, the orchestra pit was adapted to improve the sound quality. Its floor can be raised and lowered, which makes the orchestra sound louder and quieter.
The huge backstage area is equipped with modern technical equipment, which allows you to set up entire sets of scenery.
Great Theater
The Grand Opera in Paris, or Palais Garnier, is a 1979-seat opera house located on the Boulevard des Capuchins. It is also often referred to as the Opéra Garnier. After the construction of the Bastille Opera, the theater stage of Garnier became often used for ballet performances.
About a hundred sculptors, more than a dozen artists participated in the creation of the main facade of the theater. The façade is decorated with gilded figurative groups: "Harmony", "Poetry", "Dance" and "Lyrical Drama". Busts of great composers were placed between the columns; Rossini, Beethoven,Mozart.
The interior of the Opera Garnier building is even more impressive than the exterior: the marble staircase, huge crystal chandeliers and mosaic ceiling are so luxurious that the room is often compared to Versailles.
Palais Garnier is the largest theater in Paris and the most majestic in the world.
Tour performances of artists often take place here. Artists of the Moscow Theater in recent years often performed on the stage of the Paris Opera and delighted the French public. In 2011, the Bolshoi Theater's ballet The Flames of Paris, based on the era of the French Revolution, was included in the tour programs.
Champs Elysees
Théâtre des Champs-Élysées is a theater on Avenue Montaigne in Paris. It was opened in 1913 to stage modern musical productions, unlike the capital's conservative theaters.
The building was the first example of Art Deco architecture in Paris, the building houses two small stages, a comedy theater and a studio.
Three productions are staged on its stage every year and the concert season passes. Two orchestras rehearse here: the Orchester National de France and the Orchester Lamouret.
The Champs Elysées is one of the most beautiful concert halls in Paris.
Choreography in Paris
Théâtre de la Ville, which means "City Theater", is considered one of the most prestigious halls in Paris. Now on the stage, dance performances are mainly staged. The theater received its final name in 1968, from that time under the direction ofJean Merkur and then Gerard Violetta were put on high-quality dance shows. Théâtre de la Ville introduced to the world the names of such famous choreographers as Jan Fabre, Pina Bausch, Caroline Carlson.
Neoclassic of the capital
Théâtre de l'Odéon - located on 2nd rue Corneille in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, next to the Luxembourg Gardens. This is a neoclassical theater built for the Comédie-Française. The building burned down in 1807 but has been completely restored.
Italian style
Théâtre du Châtelet - built on the site of a small fortress at the request of Baron Haussmann. The theater looks like a twin theater - De la Ville, although the interior is different. In the 20th century, the Théâtre du Châtelet was used for staging operettas, ballets, classical music concerts. Currently, opera performances and concerts are staged on its stage.
Modern theater
Théâtre du Rond-Point is a theater in Paris, located in the 8th arrondissement, near the Champs Elysées. From 1894 to 1980 there was the Ice Palace. In our time, modern theatrical performances are staged on the stage: "Exemplary love", "George's Paradox". Banquet.
Plays and screenings
Theatre National de Chaillot is a theater located in the Palais de Chaillot on Place du Trocadero in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, next to the Eiffel Tower. The Théâtre de Chaillot is one of the largest concert halls in Paris. The French Ministry of Culture announcedits National Theater of France.
The National Theater of Chaillot was built by the brothers Jean and Edouard Nickerman for the Paris Exhibition in 1937. Nowadays, the building houses three halls for performances and a theater school. It often hosts fashion shows by famous French fashion designers Giorgio Armani, Elie Saab and Claude Montana.
Teatro Marigny
Théâtre Marigny is a theater in Paris, located near the Champs Elysées and Avenue Marigny, in the 8th arrondissement. In 1894, Eduard Niermans turned the stage of the theater into a stage for summer musical performances. Later, the hall was expanded and modernized, which made it possible to stage opera productions. Now the theater is owned by the famous collector and billionaire Francois Pinault.
Exclusive places in Paris
Opéra Comique - located near the Palais Garnier, in the 2nd arrondissement of Paris. Currently, about a dozen operas, concerts and exhibitions are being staged. In the summer of 2015, the theater was closed for a long reconstruction, but in 2017 it already started its work.
Cafe de la Gare is located in the 4th arrondissement of Paris, on the square between Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral and the historic Marais district. The Café de la Garde was called a "lunch theater" when it was founded, yet it was never a coffee shop and had no tables or chairs, only benches surrounding a small stage.
From the very beginning, the stage began to put comedies on the verge of farce. The Experimental Theater is a great place for culturalevenings in Paris.
Reviews
There are a lot of theaters in Paris with a variety of repertoires. Small and large stages, pompous and modest - the theatergoer will always find something to see, which institution is better to visit. People say that every theater is good in its own way. The only drawback that visitors noted was the overpriced tickets. To get to good places, you need to pay a few hundred euros per person. But even for a budget theater lover, there is always a free chair at a price of 5 euros. Judging by the reviews, tickets for some productions are booked in advance, especially if international troupes are touring in the theater.
