Le Point-Virgule, a comedy theater in the Marais district, the historical quarter of the capital, features comics all year, and in particular during its renowned Humor Festival in late summer. One-man-shows, sketches, impressions, improvisation, musical shows, the program here is rich and varied, the setting, a pleasant and typical one. Every summer, a humorous festival is organized with more than 80 artists.
Founded in 1889, this legendary cabaret is known to the world over for being the birthplace of the famous French form of dance, can-can, forever immortalized in the paintings of French artist Toulouse-Lautrec. This landmark red windmill near Montmartre attracted the free spirits and artistic souls of Paris' Belle Epoque with its extravagant and risque performances. Although during World War I popularity dropped off, it rebounded greatly with the advent of the glitzy dancer Mistinguette, perhaps the cabaret's most iconic performer, in the 1920s. Today, the red lights of the Moulin Rouge still glow in Pigalle, where visitors can get a taste of Paris' Golden Age.
Still extremely well preserved thanks to numerous renovations, the Grand Rex (1936) is the last of the grand old movie houses in Paris. Étoiles du Rex (Stars of the Rex) guided tours are a must for all cinephiles. A definite must-visit theater. The theater is designed with art deco style of architecture with intricate detailing, leaving every visitor in awe. It is well-equipped with light and acoustic facilities making sure each show hosted here is a phenomenal one.
Palais Garnier, named after the architect who designed it in 1862, was immortalized by writer Gaston Leroux in his book Phantom of the Opera. The architecture is a mixture of baroque, classical, Greek and Napoléonic styles. Adorned with mosaics, the foyer has a cupola decorated by painter Marc Chagall and an impressive Rococo staircase, which leads to the theater's magnificent reception rooms. Outside, four stone statues represent allegories of Music, Lyric Poetry, Lyric Theater, and Dance. Since the opening of the Opéra Bastille, the Palais Garnier has concentrated on dance.
The enduring classics of European and French theater (including, always, a little Moliere), are presented here by France's most prestigious troupe of actors (founded in 1680). At the Comédie Française, established in the Palais-Royal in 1790, theatergoers needn't worry about the quality of the production or the grandeur of the setting. The theater's interiors are both intimate and bombastic, and what's more, you can see Moliere's own chair in the foyer during the intermission.
Théâtre Mogador is an important theater on the Parisian scene since World War I. Performances of extreme high quality is presented to a sophisticated public. Inaugurated in 1913, it is located in a district better known for shopping than for theater. This place is next door to the Galeries Lafayette and Printemps department stores. An audience of arty connoisseurs attend the events in a grandiose ambiance. Visit the website for schedules and further details.
Sarah Bernhardt's name seems to be plastered everywhere around this theater - except on the theater itself, since she no longer owns it. The city is now in charge of this theater built in 1862, and the performances slated here are usually of the modern dance or music variety, in contrast to the more traditional program of the Théâtre du Châtelet, just across the square.
Dating back to 1912, it was among Paris's premier silent cinemas during that era. After a long closure during the World War II, it reopened as an auteur cinema hall. Over the many decades of its existence, Luminor Hôtel de Ville may have changed its name a few times, but its heart remained the same as an independent movie house. Showcasing independent films from all across the world wherein even catering to children, this cinema theater is among the best in the neighborhood.
The Théâtre du Châtelet, with its beautiful 19th-century decor, is in fact a wonderful time machine, thanks to both its well-preserved aesthetic features and its ambiance. Classical music is the mainstay here, opera and ballet especially; the audience consists of many of those refreshing music lovers who have still not forgotten that one dresses for the theater and who firmly believe that good music has no need for modernity. Tickets must be purchased at least two weeks before the show.
This incredible theater was established by Régis Santon and five other actors in 1975. It is situated within an ancient medieval cave beneath the city streets of Paris. The plush red seats and modern lighting equipment are framed by the old stone walls, creating an enticing temporal dissonance that epitomizes modern France - the past and presents united as a vessel for French culture. Essaïon Théâtre offers a variety of productions including cabaret, theatrical productions, and tragedy as well as comedy shows.
Access to this star of the Paris theater scene is through a charming little-paved courtyard, right in the heart of the Marais quarter. The theater is there, even if the station disappeared a long time ago. Great actors have trod the boards here (Depardieu, Miou-Miou), appearing in comic and often bizarre plays. Today, although café-théâtre is a bit passé, humor and delirium play a strong part in French theater.