Brief reminder of Part 1 (without mistake ).
L ' Olympia, the Parisian music-hall theatre, opened in 1893 with a 2000-seat, auditorium, incorporating all the performances of the day. The fairground attractions gave way to songs and musical revues with Mistinguett and Yvonne Printemps in 1913-1914.
The theatre closed after the First World War. By the 1920s, the shows had loosed their former enthousiasm and the venue was deserted and converted into a cinema, a time when the 7th art was much apreciated by the public.
This change lasted until 1954, when Bruno Cocatrix, the artistic director, gave the Olympia a new inpulse of life by returning the building to its original purpose : music. He invited emerging artists and international celebrityes to perform there. This venue has seen the carrers of many artists take off. All the world ' s biggest stars have performed on this legendary stage, and it has quikly gained worldwide renown.
The building has been modernised several times to bring it up to date with the latest technology, most recently in 1997, when it underwent one of the most extensive refurbihments ever, with new sound and lighting systems, new woodwork, frescoed murals, etc, all of which necessitated a 6-month closure.
The Olympia remains a prestigioux theatre. Despite being 130 years old, it has witnessed such moving and historic moments as Jacques Brel ' s farewell concert in 1966 and Edith Piaf ' s rescue from bankrupcy in 1961. |
