La Fabuleuse histoire de l’Opéra-Comique

Founded by Catherine Vondrebeck at the end of Louis XIV's reign, the Opéra-Comique was a traveling company until its official establishment in 1762. During its early seasons, restrictions imposed by the two royal theaters, the Opéra and the Comédie-Française, forced the troupe to constantly reinvent its shows, much to the delight of enthusiastic audiences. Opéra-Comique thus became the emblematic genre of the Enlightenment, evolving from farce to sentimental comedy, from the recycling of popular songs to original scores, before producing, in the 19th century, the masterpieces of Bizet, Offenbach, Massenet, and so many others. The Opéra-Comique has invited Léo Cohen-Paperman and Émilien Diard-Detœuf to recount this three-hundred-year theatrical epic in comedy and music. Through inventive staging and a constantly shifting set, this sweeping narrative draws on the richness of the past to illuminate contemporary creation. A festive show that plays with our collective memory in order to celebrate creation and popular music (from Dauvergne, Grétry, Bizet, Offenbach, Delibes or even French variety songs).

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