Top 10 Theatres in France - Théâtre du Châtelet, Vingtième Théâtre, L'Olympia and More!

We go around our Broadway World to feature France as our newest International spotlight. Below is our roundup of the top 10 theatre companies in France.

Check out our list below!

1. Vingtième Théâtre, Paris: The Twentieth Theatre is a theater located in Ménilmontant in the "theater district" of Paris. Built in 1994, it contains 245 seats and hosts more than 70 companies from all over France, as well as associations of the district. Owned by the City of Paris, it hosts more than 60,000 spectators per year. Fore more information, visit: http://www.vingtiemetheatre.com/

2. Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris: Théâtre du Châtelet is a theatre and opera house located in the place du Châtelet in Paris. One of two theatres built on the site of a châtelet, a small castle or fortress, it was designed by Gabriel Davioud between 1860 and 1862. Originally built with 3,000 seats, it was named the Théâtre Impérial du Châtelet, but has undergone remodeling and name changes over the years. Currently it seats 2,500 people.

Check out their latest teaser of their upcoming season below!

For more information, visit: http://chatelet-theatre.com/

3. Folies Bergère, Paris: The Folies Bergère is a cabaret music hall, located in Paris, France. Established in 1869, the house was at the height of its fame and popularity from the 1890s' Belle Époque through the 1920s' Années folles. The institution is still in business, and is always a strong symbol of French and Parisian life. Since 2006, the Folies Bergère has presented some musical productions with Stage Entertainment such as Cabaret (2006-2008) or Zorro the Musical (2009-2010). For more information, visit: https://www.foliesbergere.com/

4. Bal du Moulin Rouge, Paris: Moulin Rouge is a cabaret in Paris, France. The original house, which burned down in 1915, was co-founded in 1889 by Charles Zidler and Joseph Oller, who also owned the Paris Olympia. Close to Montmartre in the Paris district of Pigalle on Boulevard de Clichy, it is marked by the red windmill on its roof. The closest métro station is Blanche. Moulin Rouge is best known as the spiritual birthplace of the modern form of the can-can dance. Originally introduced as a seductive dance by the courtesans who operated from the site, the can-can dance revue evolved into a form of entertainment of its own and led to the introduction of cabarets across Europe. Today, the Moulin Rouge is a tourist attraction, offering musical dance entertainment for visitors from around the world. The club's decor still contains much of the romance of fin de siècle France. For more information, visit: http://www.moulinrouge.fr/

5. Le Village Russe, Paris: Le Village Russe is a show of ancient Russia to Russia Modern, discovering Russian folklore and their most striking modernity. YULIANA Siren of the Black Sea, performs for nearly an hour and a half.

Check out the preview video!

For more information, visit: http://www.villagerusse.com/

6. Le Manoir de Paris, Paris: Le Manoir de Paris is a haunted house, located in the old stores of Choisy-le-Roi of pottery in Paris. At the opening, this tourist attraction staged thirteen Parisian legends of the xvii th century to the xxth century. Covering two floors, 23 pieces are interactively navigated by visitors. A permanent show of le Manoir de Paris since 2011, The Legends of Paris dives into the darkest history of the "City of Lights". Over thirty professional actors perform legendary characters, and will challenge you, in search for a victim. In the dark, you will come across many illustrious figures: the man in the iron mask, the Phantom of the Opera, Quasimodo, the Bloody Baker, and more. Learn more about the stories behind the Legends.

Watch the preview below!

7. L'Olympia, Paris: Olympia is a music hall located in Paris. Inaugurated by the biggest star in France at the time, singer/dancer La Goulue, the venue has showcased a wide variety of performers, including French acts such as Dalida, Alan Stivell, Nolwenn Leroy, Édith Piaf, Léo Ferré,Charles Aznavour, Grégory Lemarchal, Joe Dassin, Chimène Badi, Julie Pietri, Adamo, Gilbert Bécaud, Jacques Brel, Yves Montand, Johnny Hallyday, Mireille Mathieu, Barbara, Véronique Sanson, Charles Trenet, Yvonne Printemps, Michel Polnareff, and the singer Alizée in a concert in 2004. International stars have included The Beatles, Judy Garland, Miles Davis, Jimi Hendrix, Umm Kulthum, Nancy Ajram, Tina Turner, Madonna, Ray Charles, Janet Jackson, Björk, Abdel Halim Hafez, The Jackson 5, Jorge Ben, Maysa, Liza Minnelli, Lara Fabian, Lluís Llach, Amália Rodrigues, Josephine Baker, Celine Dion, Cher, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Nelly Furtado, Evanescence, Arctic Monkeys, Lana Del Rey, James Brown & Ahlam among many others. For more information, visit: http://en.olympiahall.com/

8. Opéra National de Paris Bastille, Paris: The Paris Opera is the primary opera company of France. It was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV as the Académie d'Opéra, and shortly thereafter was placed under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Lully. It was officially renamed the Académie Royale de Musique, but continued to be known more simply as the Opéra. Classical ballet as we know it today arose within the Paris Opera as the Paris Opera Ballet and has remained an integral and important part of the company. Currently called the Opéra National de Paris, it mainly produces operas at its modern 2700-seat theatre Opéra Bastille which opened in 1989, and ballets and some classical operas at the older 1970-seat Palais Garnier which opened in 1875. Small scale and contemporary works are also staged in the 500-seat Amphitheatre under the Opéra Bastille.

The company runs the two houses and supports a large permanent staff, which includes an orchestra of 170, a chorus of 110 and the corps de ballet of 150.

Each year, the Opéra presents about 380 performances of opera, ballet and other concerts, to a total audience of about 800,000 people (of whom 17% come from abroad).

Giuseppe Verdi's Il trovatore is currently playing through March 15. Watch the trailer below!

For more information, visit: https://www.operadeparis.fr/en

9. Comédie Française - Salle Richelieu, Paris: The Comédie-Française is one of the few state theatres in France. It is the only state theatre to have its own troupe of actors. The company's primary venue is the Salle Richelieu. The theatre is part of the Palais-Royal complex and located in Paris. The theatre has also been known as the Théâtre de la République and La maison de Molière (English: House of Molière). It inherited the latter name from the troupe of the best-known playwright associated with the Comédie-Française, Molière. He was considered the patron of French actors. He died seven years before "La maison de Molière" was rechristened the "Comédie-Française," and the company continued to be known by the former name even after the official change of name. For more information, visit: http://www.comedie-francaise.fr/

10. Théâtre du Rond Point, Paris: The theatre began with an 1838 project of architect Jacques Ignace Hittorff for a rotunda in the Champs Elysees. Inaugurated in 1839, this structure was integrated with other Hittorff buildings for the Exposition Universelle (1855) and destroyed the following year. A new replacement panorama, Le Panorama National, was designed by architect Gabriel Davioud at the corner of the Avenue d'Antin (now Avenue Franklin D. Roosevelt) and the Champs-Élysées. In December 1893, the rotunda became the Palais des Glaces (Ice Palace), one of the most popular attractions of Belle Epoque Paris. In the post-war years, the Theatre du Rond-Point was one of the principal venues-along with the Theatre Marigny and the Theatre de l'Odeon, where the Madeleine Renaud-Jean-Louis Barrault Company introduced the world to many of the plays of Jean Giraudoux, Eugène Ionesco, Jean Anouilh, and Samuel Beckett. The theatre was managed by Jean-Louis Barrault from 1958 to 1968, when he was dismissed from the Gare d'Orsay during the student uprising in the spring of that year. The theatre was renovated in 1981. Further renovations in were done in 2002 under the directorship of Jean-Michel Ribes. The theatre is now devoted to the work of living authors.

For more information, visit: http://www.theatredurondpoint.fr/

----------------

Are you a theatre critic, writer or blogger in France who is interested in writing for us? We cover all productions, big or small! Contact christina@broadwayworld.com for more information!

To post a comment, you must register and login.