This opéra-bouffe was added to the repertoire with Daniel Mesguich’s 1997 production; and when it comes to the Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris’ major venue for musical theatre, it hadn’t welcomed this piece by the Frenchest of German composers for the past 45 years.
Naturally, the two houses have decided to come together for this new version, directed by Valérie Lesort, a Comédie-Française regular: with Christian Hecq, she directed the troupe in Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas as well as Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme – performed at the Théâtre de la
Porte Saint-Martin from late January to March. The Orchestre de chambre de Paris, followed by the Frivolités Parisiennes, are conducted by Alexandra Cravero alongside a dozen of dancers, a choir, and the Troupe actors, all gathered to embody the outlandish journey of Raoul de Gardefeu, Bobinet and their shared lover Metella. While Valérie Lesort was enthralled by the music – “it’s nothing but joy and champagne bubbles!” – she found herself wary of the libretto “from another era”. This cautiousness was the very key to her direction, inspired by an animal kingdom fit to highlight human defects, making for a joyful, lively show where imagination knows no bounds.

NEW PRODUCTION

Opéra-bouffe in 4 acts by Jacques Offenbach, with a libretto by Henri Meilhac andLudovic Halévy

A Théâtre du Châtelet-Comédie-Française / Les Chorégies d’Orange co-production

Tickets to be purchased via the Théâtre du Châtelet
chatelet.com
Comédie-Française Passes
comedie-francaise.fr

Conducting: Alexandra Cravero
Direction: Valérie Lesort 

with
Orchestre de chambre de Paris
(until June 24)
Les Frivolités Parisiennes
(from June 27)

and
Choir and dancers