Bataclan (theatre)
Encyclopedia
The Bataclan is a "salle de spectacle" at 50 boulevard Voltaire in the 11th arrondissement of Paris
. It was built in 1864 by the architect Charles Duval. Its name refers to Ba-Ta-Clan
, an operetta by Offenbach
. The nearest métro stations are Oberkampf
on Line 5
and Line 9
and Filles du Calvaire
on Line 8
.
style, inspired by Chinese architecture, with the cafe and theatre on the ground-floor, and a large dance hall at first floor level. It put on the vaudeville
s of Scribe
, Bayard
, Mélesville, and Dumersan
, as well as giving concerts.
The establishment headed by Monsieur Paris opened its doors on 3 February 1865. It was bought by the singer Paulus in 1892. In the course of the following years, the building saw good and bad luck alike, due to many changes of owner, with the new fashion after 1910, thanks to a restoration of the auditorium and a programme dedicated solely to revue
s, especially those put on by José de Bérys. It was here that Maurice Chevalier
saw his first successes. Intoxicated by this success, the Bataclan's troupe toured big shows abroad to South America, which proved financially disastrous.
In 1926 the auditorium was sold and transformed into a cinema, only to be the victim of a fire in 1933. The original building was partially destroyed in 1950 to conform it to the new security measures then in force. In 1969, the cinema closed and the auditorium again became a "salle de spectacle".
The Bataclan is known today for a very eclectic programme of events, including rock and pop concerts, "spectacles", stand-up comedy, disco
s and café-théâtre
. Its façade was repainted in its long-lost original colours in 2006, though its original pagoda
roof no longer exists.
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. It was built in 1864 by the architect Charles Duval. Its name refers to Ba-Ta-Clan
Ba-ta-clan
Ba-ta-clan is a "chinoiserie musicale", or operetta, in one act by Jacques Offenbach to an original French libretto by Ludovic Halévy. It was first performed at Théâtre des Bouffes Parisiens, Paris, on 29 December 1855. The operetta uses set numbers and spoken dialogue and runs about one...
, an operetta by Offenbach
Jacques Offenbach
Jacques Offenbach was a Prussian-born French composer, cellist and impresario. He is remembered for his nearly 100 operettas of the 1850s–1870s and his uncompleted opera The Tales of Hoffmann. He was a powerful influence on later composers of the operetta genre, particularly Johann Strauss, Jr....
. The nearest métro stations are Oberkampf
Oberkampf (Paris Metro)
Oberkampf is a station of the Paris Métro, serving Line 5 and Line 9.The station was opened on 15 January 1907, a month after the opening of the extension of line 5 from Quai de la Rapée to Lancry on 17 December 1906...
on Line 5
Paris Metro Line 5
Paris Métro Line 5 is one of the 16 metro lines built in Paris, France. It crosses the east of Paris from Bobigny to Place d'Italie. It is the eighth busiest line on the network....
and Line 9
Paris Metro Line 9
Paris Métro Line 9 is one of 16 lines of the Paris Métro. The line links Pont de Sèvres in Boulogne in the west with Montreuil in the east. It is the fourth busiest line on the network....
and Filles du Calvaire
Filles du Calvaire (Paris Metro)
Filles du Calvaire is a station on line 8 of the Paris Métro, named after the Boulevard des Filles du Calvaire.The station opened on 5 May 1931 with the extension of the line from Richelieu - Drouot to Porte de Charenton. The boulevard was named after the Calvairiennes or Filles du Calvaire who...
on Line 8
Paris Metro Line 8
Paris Métro Line 8 is one of 16 metro lines in Paris, France. It connects the Balard station in southwestern Paris, to Créteil – Préfecture station in Créteil, a town south-east of the French capital, following a parabolic route on the right bank of Seine River...
.
History
The Bataclan originated as a large café-concert in the ChinoiserieChinoiserie
Chinoiserie, a French term, signifying "Chinese-esque", and pronounced ) refers to a recurring theme in European artistic styles since the seventeenth century, which reflect Chinese artistic influences...
style, inspired by Chinese architecture, with the cafe and theatre on the ground-floor, and a large dance hall at first floor level. It put on the vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
s of Scribe
Eugène Scribe
Augustin Eugène Scribe , was a French dramatist and librettist. He is best known for the perfection of the so-called "well-made play" . This dramatic formula was a mainstay of popular theater for over 100 years.-Biography:...
, Bayard
Jean-François Bayard
Jean-François Alfred Bayard was a French playwright.-Life:As a law student and a lawyer's clerk, Bayard wrote with passion for the theatre and, after several attempts, had a great success at the Gymnase theatre, with la Reine de seize ans...
, Mélesville, and Dumersan
Théophile Marion Dumersan
Théophile Marion Dumersan was a French writer of plays, vaudevilles, poetry, novels, chanson collections, librettos, and novels, as well as a numismatist and curator attached to the Cabinet des médailles et antiques of the Bibliothèque royale.-Life:The family's real surname was Marion but – to...
, as well as giving concerts.
The establishment headed by Monsieur Paris opened its doors on 3 February 1865. It was bought by the singer Paulus in 1892. In the course of the following years, the building saw good and bad luck alike, due to many changes of owner, with the new fashion after 1910, thanks to a restoration of the auditorium and a programme dedicated solely to revue
Revue
A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century American popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own during its golden years from 1916 to 1932...
s, especially those put on by José de Bérys. It was here that Maurice Chevalier
Maurice Chevalier
Maurice Auguste Chevalier was a French actor, singer, entertainer and a noted Sprechgesang performer. He is perhaps best known for his signature songs, including Louise, Mimi, Valentine, and Thank Heaven for Little Girls and for his films including The Love Parade and The Big Pond...
saw his first successes. Intoxicated by this success, the Bataclan's troupe toured big shows abroad to South America, which proved financially disastrous.
In 1926 the auditorium was sold and transformed into a cinema, only to be the victim of a fire in 1933. The original building was partially destroyed in 1950 to conform it to the new security measures then in force. In 1969, the cinema closed and the auditorium again became a "salle de spectacle".
The Bataclan is known today for a very eclectic programme of events, including rock and pop concerts, "spectacles", stand-up comedy, disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
s and café-théâtre
Café-théâtre
Originally, a café-théâtre was a small room in a café or a cabaret, or even the café or cabaret itself, where people would put on spectacles. These spectacles were mostly unconventional or of limited means, and could range from ordinary theatrical presentations to singing tours, and even...
. Its façade was repainted in its long-lost original colours in 2006, though its original pagoda
Pagoda
A pagoda is the general term in the English language for a tiered tower with multiple eaves common in Nepal, India, China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam and other parts of Asia. Some pagodas are used as Taoist houses of worship. Most pagodas were built to have a religious function, most commonly Buddhist,...
roof no longer exists.
Source
- This page is a translation of its French equivalent.
- Official Website http://www.bataclan.fr/