Théâtre Marigny
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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The Théâtre Marigny is a theatre in Paris, situated near the junction of the Champs-Élysées and the Avenue Marigny, in the 8th arrondissement.
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History
Salle Lacaze
The first recorded entertainment use of the site dates to 1835, when a showman set up attractions at the Marigny junction. After the French Revolution of 1848 a small theatre, called the Château d'Enfer, run by a M Lacaze and also called the Salle Lacaze, presented a variety of shows. When this closed down, composer Jacques Offenbach decided that the position of this modest wooden theatre was perfectly situated to catch overspill traffic from the Universal Exposition of 1855; after some modifications to the site he opened the Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens, on 5 July 1855, on the site. This theatre was soon renamed Bouffes d'Été, as during the winter Offenbach directed the 'Bouffes d'Hiver' in the Salle Choiseul on the rue Monsigny. Les deux aveugles and Le violoneux, among ten Offenbach pieces, premiered at the Bouffes Parisiens-Salle Lacase.
In 1858, when Offenbach's lease ran out, the hall became the Théâtre Debureau, taking its name from its director, son of the mime Jean-Gaspard Deburau. After him, Céleste Mogador took over, then in 1865 it became the Folies Marigny under Louis Hesnard.
Théâtre Marigny
The Salle Lacaze was demolished in 1881, giving way to a panorama built by Charles Garnier. In 1885, dioramas on Paris through the ages by Theodor Josef Hubert Hoffbauer (1839-1922), and on Jerusalem on the day of the death of Christ, by Olivier Pichat, were displayed.
In 1894, Édouard Niermans converted the venue into a theatre-in-the-round for summer musical spectacles. The hall was enlarged and modernised in 1925 by Volterra, and in that form opened with Monsieur Beaucaire (operetta) by André Messager. This success led the management to devote the venue mainly to musical theatre until the 1930s. Thereafter the Marigny mounted boulevard shows, and revivals (such as La Créole by Offenbach in 1936).
In 1946 the Théâtre Marigny welcomed a troupe from the Comédie-Française to form the Renaud-Barrault company, and in 1954, Barrault opened a smaller 'Petit Marigny'. The Grenier-Hussenot troupe followed and later the hall became a cinema. From 1965-1978 the direction passed to Elvira Popescu. In 1978 John Bodson succeeded her as director and the current director is Robert Hossein.
Musical theatre repertory
- J'te veux (12 February 1923)
- Monsieur Beaucaire (20 November 1925)
- Venise by Tiarko Richepin (25 June 1927)
- Le Diable à Paris by Marcel Lattes (27 October 1927) (with Raimu, Edmée Favart)
- Coups de roulis by Messager (29 September 1928)
- Boulard et ses filles by Charles Cuvillier (8 November 1929)
- Madame de Pompadour by Leo Fall (16 May 1930) (with Réné Herent, Robert Burnier)
- Moineau by Louis Beydts (13 March 1931)
- La Belle saison by Jean Delettre (29 June 1937) (with Lucienne Boyer)
- Mes amours by Oscar Strauss (2 May 1940)
