Les Folies Bergeres

Where is it?

Les Folies Bergère is at 32 Rue Richer, where Rue Richer and Rue de Trévise intersect.

Potted History

It was originally built as an opera house and was modelled on the Alhambra Music Hall in London.  Les Folies opened in 1869, with a programme of operettas, comic opera, popular Music Hall songs and gymnasts.  The French word ‘folies’(which means ‘madness’)was joined with the name of the adjacent street – the Rue de Trévise, but the Duc de Trévise objected to his name being associated with a bawdy Music Hall and so it was renamed the Folies Bergère after the other nearby street, Rue Bergère.

Les Folies Bergère played to the popular tastes of the times, so the women’s costumes were often very scanty and erotic.  Parisiens were fascinated with ‘exotic’ people and other cultures which is why African-American Josephine Baker became an overnight star there, when she performed a very suggestive dance in a skirt made solely of bananas.

There was also a Folies Bergere in Las Vegas, which opened in 1959 and closed in March 2009, after nearly 50 years.

Famous People who have performed there

  • Josephine Baker
  • Loie Fuller
  • Mistinguett
  • Maurice Chevalier
  • Louisa Baileche
  • Cantinflas
  • The American Ziefgeld Follies were inspired by the Folies Bergère
  • Manet’s famous painting of 1882 – ‘A Bar at the Folies-Bergère’  ‘A Bar at the Folies-Bergere shows a bar girl standing in front of a mirror.

bar-at-the-folies-bergere-by-edouard-manetWhat can you see there now?

The current show is Cabaret produced by Sam Mendes, husband of Kate Winslett.  In November, the new revue ‘Zorro’ takes over – you can book for it here.

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