Casino de Paris

The Casino de Paris, located at 16, rue de Clichy, in the 9th arrondissement, is one of the well known music halls of Paris, with a history dating back to the 18th century. Contrary to what the name might suggest, it is a performance venue, not a gambling house. The closest métro/RER stations are Liège, Trinité – d'Estienne d'Orves, and Haussmann – Saint-Lazare.

The first building at this location where shows could be mounted was erected by the Duc de Richelieu around 1730, while after the Revolution the site was renamed Jardin de Tivoli and was the venue for fireworks displays. In 1880 it became the Palace Theatre, which housed shows of different types, including wrestling.

It was at the beginning of the First World War, however, that the modern Casino de Paris began to take shape, when the venue was converted into a cinema and music hall. The bombardments of the First World War caused performances to be interrupted, and it is when they resumed that the revue format which lasted through a good part of the twentieth century was established.

Over the decades, performers who have played the Casino de Paris have included Mistinguett, Maurice Chevalier, Josephine Baker, Micheline Bernardini, Tino Rossi, Line Renaud, Carla Bruni, Violetta Villas, and Zizi Jeanmaire; writers who have contributed work have included Serge Gainsbourg and Jean Ferrat; Yves Saint Laurent designed for the Casino in the 70s, and poster artists have included Erté and Jules Chéret.

References

• Official Site
• http://www.evene.fr/culture/lieux/casino-de-paris-563.php
• http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?_r=1&res=9F05E4DA113BE533A25751C0A9679D94619ED7CF