Cabaret & Opera in Paris this January

2 December 2016

Delve into Paris’s Contemporary Cabaret & Classical Opera during a Stay at Amarante-Champs-Élysées

The City of Light hasn’t thrown the old out with the new, but rather lets the two co-exist in harmony. This January a cabaret tells the story of 21^st century Paris, whilst Mozart’s most famous opera gives us fresh insight into his musical brilliance.

Paris Merveilles Cabaret

Le Lido
Until 31st March 2017

Set on the most famous avenue in the world booked-ended by the Arc de Triomphe, the glamorous Le Lido, a mere three-minute stroll from our four-star hotel in Paris, is a spectacular affair. As you turn into the passageway off the Champs Elysees, a gentleman in a bow tie will welcome you into Le Lido. The respectfully preserved, 1940s clubhouse closed its doors in 2014 for a four-month renovation and the preparation for a new show: Paris Merveilles. Inspired by his experience with the Cirque du Soleil and shows in Las Vegas, Italian director Franco Dragone has succeeded in blending together a sophisticated, vibrant ode to the City of Lights, exploding with colour and joy. The Lido dancers, the “Bluebells,” show off this joy as proudly as their flamboyant, feather-clad costumes. Oozing glamour, the dancers are unbelievably talented; they seem to have entered the stage from another era, effortlessly high-kicking their way around the room in feather crowns one moment, sauntering down a staircase embellished with a scattering of Swarovski crystals the next.

The show opens with the seductive voice of the Lido singer, Manon, as she sings a series of original songs throughout the evening. The sounds of swing and pop transport you into the streets of Paris. Inspired by 19^th century cabarets, the show presents a retro mime artist, a renowned comedian, and an exotic sword swallower. For the first time ever, the Blue Bells dance the iconic Cancan, their red flounced dresses rising and falling in euphoric tribute to the traditional Parisian cabarets. You will be amazed as one of the acrobats slide across a great slab of ice, fearlessly leaping with his partner, hurling her into the air, just metres away. An optional light gourmet dinner is served throughout and finished off with scrumptious macarons. Strolling along the boulevard the extraordinary spectacle of the evening will stay with you as you return to our hotel.

Mozart: The Magic Flute

Opéra Bastille
23^rd January - 23rd February 2017

This season, Robert Carsen will be presenting Mozart’s last opera The Magic Flute at the Opéra Bastille, as its one and only premier in Paris. Step inside its prestigious doors and you’ll not only be met with a grand, contemporary interior, but also the atmospheric sound of Mozart’s overture. After twenty years, Carson renews his relationship with Mozart’s operatic works to present a new perspective on the tale, performed in original German.   

The Magic Flute is the story of two young people, striving to survive but hopeful. A prince from a far-off land searches for a suicidal princess before rubbing shoulders with a host of fantastical creatures. The characters spend much of their existence in fear stimulated by erotic dreams, with an ancient forest as the backdrop. The libretto is about growing up and facing pain; the passage from adolescence to maturity. We follow the two young people on the cusp of leaving childhood, as they overcome a series of trials. The opera has an incredible darkness to it, but everything has two sides. The piece unveils an oxymoron throughout; death is life, man is woman, light and dark, the spoken word and the sung text. Carsen says of The Magic Flute, “it is so fragmented, incredibly complex but really simple.” The piece has Mozart’s score worked in minute detail that holds it altogether, insightful, yet dramatic. It is an opera that would be called modern rather than traditional; in fact Carsen is inspired by the present day but always stays true to the text. Directing The Magic Flute for the second time, he has found new things such as the presence of death mentioned more than sixty times and two suicide attempts, several murder attempts, and the characters are always in fear of not fulfilling their dreams. The play succeeds in displaying Mozart’s theory that the real trial in life is to understand that death is part of it. In tune with this idea, we know that the elegant and refined performance will eventually end along with the fading sounds of the flute.

Take a peek at the new production here: