The famous
music hall L'Oympia opened in 1889 (created by the man who also created Moulin
Rouge). The first star performer was actually “La Goulue’, considered as the
first (Moulin Rouge) cancan dancer and often portrayed by Toulouse-Lautrec (I wrote about her several
times, e.g. here). I’m not going to tell the whole story of the Olympia here, but… After
some decline, the Olympia became a movie theatre in 1929. The music hall we know today
actually got started in 1954 under the leadership of Bruno Coquatrix. The
economy was often bad and some artists, like Edith Piaf, sometimes performed
for free to help. When Coquatrix died in 1979, the Olympia was again seriously
threatened for years (to be transformed into a parking lot…), but on a ministry order in
1993 it was saved, to large extent rebuilt, but keeping its architecture…
Here is a
short list of some of the artists who have appeared here:
Aretha
Franklin, Beatles, Beach Boys, Billie Holiday, Björk, Bob Dylan, Celine Dion,
Charles Aznavour, Charles Trenet, David Bowie, Diana Ross, Edith Piaf, Elton
John, Frank Sinatra, Georges Brassens, Gilbert Bécaud, Ginger Rogers, Iggy Pop,
Jacques Brel, James Brown, Janis Joplin, Jeff Buckley, Jimi Hendrix, Josephine
Baker, Lady Gaga, Led Zeppelin, Leonard Cohen, Liza Minelli, Louis Armstrong, Madonna,,
Maurice Chevalier, Miles Davis, Mireille Mathieu, Amalia Rodrigues, Ray Charles,
Rolling Stones, Serge Gainsbourg, Tina Turner, Yves Montand…
I have of course been to concerts here, but then photography is complicated, not allowed… At present
(until June 15) there is an exhibition which allows you to see part of the
interior, get some history of the place…
In the
large vestibule different items are exposed, e.g. the scene costumes worn by
Edith Piaf, Maurice Chevalier and others.
You can
visit the so-called billiard room, wonderfully decorated. It was obviously once
used as a place for rehearsals. During the exhibition you can watch excerpts of
different artists' performances.
Normally
you are not admitted into the concert hall during these visits, but I was lucky
– a member of the team preparing the coming night’s performance let me in.
When you
see where the back stage entrance is situated, you realise the size of the installations.
To
conclude, shall we listen to Jacques Brel and Edith Piaf performing at the Olympia?
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