HATS MOULIN ROUGE

AOFF TO THE

very special anniversary is being celebrated in Paris this year for the Moulin Rouge, the great cabaret known throughout the world, is feting its 130th birthday. The legendary stage has played host to myriad talented performers since it opened way back on October 6th in 1889. It was here that the legendary dancer and muse to Toulouse-lautrec, La Goulue, along with her side kick Valentin le Désossé revolutionized the famous French Cancan. It was here that the effervescent French actress and singer Mistinguett would pioneer a new genre that of big-scale and spectacular cabaret shows : the MusicHall. And a bevy of some of the greatest stars in the world have performed there amongst them Edith Piaf, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Charles Trenet, Charles Aznavour, Liza Minnelli, Elton John, Ray Charles and Ella Fitzgerald.

But the Moulin Rouge, too, has been immortalized on the silver screen as well with Jean Renoir’s French Cancan in 1954, John Huston’s Moulin Rouge in 1952 and most recently the award-winning mythical movie by Baz Luhrmann brought out in 2001.

And after 130 marvelous years, the Moulin Rouge is still mesmerizing audiences from all over the world. The current show Féerie is playing twice nightly with 60 performers on stage, sumptuous sets handmade by superb craftsmen, original scores and of course the French Cancan. And for a special sparkle and glow a dreamy array of 1,000 feather costumes with rhinestones and sequins made in house come to life on the stage. Top of the line cuisine is on hand as well and with the arrival of chef David Le Quellec, the Moulin Rouge is the first cabaret to feature in the Gault & Millau gastronomic guide.