Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens

The Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens (French: [teɑtʁ de buf paʁizjɛ̃]) is a Parisian theatre founded in 1855 by the composer Jacques Offenbach for the performance of opéra bouffe and operetta.The inaugural performance was on 5 July with Offenbach conducting four of his own works: a prologue called Entrez, messieurs, mesdames, a one-act pièce d'occasion written by Joseph Méry and "Jules Servières" (a pen name of Ludovic Halévy, who worked as a government official and needed to protect his reputation); Une nuit blanche, a one-act opéra-comique on a pastoral theme; Arlequin barbier, a pantomime utilizing themes from Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia arranged by "Alfred Lange" (Offenbach); and Les deux aveugles, a one-act bouffonerie musicale about two swindling "blind" Parisian beggars.The latter was almost cut, since the invited audience who attended the dress rehearsal failed to laugh, but Offenbach decided to retain it, and it was the hit of the opening night.The first performance of the merged company was on 29 December 1855 at the Salle Choiseul and included the premiere of Offenbach's Ba-ta-clan, a one-act chinoiserie musicale with a libretto by Halévy.In addition to Offenbach's own operettas, the theatre has seen the premieres of musical works by Hervé, Emmanuel Chabrier and Claude Terrasse, and plays by writers such as Robert de Flers, Albert Willemetz, Sacha Guitry and Henri Bernstein.
Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens in 2010
The Salle Choiseul during a performance of Offenbach's Un mari à la porte (1859)
Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens (c. 1867)
The public at the Bouffes-Parisiens (c. 1860)
ParisiancomposerJacques Offenbachopéra bouffeoperetta2nd arrondissementSalle LacazeCarré MarignyExposition UniverselleJoseph Mérypen nameLudovic HalévyIl barbiere di SivigliaLes deux aveuglesTolstoyThackerayThéâtre FrançaisUn mari à la porteThéâtre ComteBa-ta-clanHalévyOrphée aux enfersHervéEmmanuel ChabrierClaude TerrasseRobert de FlersAlbert WillemetzSacha GuitryHenri BernsteinJean-Claude BrialyNiels ArestrupFrançois BerléandSophie MarceauA Streetcar Named DesireAuguste PilatiLéo DelibesCharles LecocqGeorges BizetLe docteur miracleGeneviève de BrabantDelphine UgaldeGaston SerpetteL'étoileEdmond AudranLes noces d'OlivetteLouis VarneyLes mousquetaires au couventLa mascotteGillette de NarbonneJoseph O'KellyVictor RogerRaoul PugnoAndré MessagerLe mari de la reinePaul VidalÉmile PessardLes p'tites MichuVéroniqueHenri ChristinéPhi-PhiDédéMaurice YvainRaoul MorettiJoseph SzulcArthur HoneggerLes aventures du roi PausoleMoisés SimonsToi c'est moiAlphonse VarneyAuguste LefrancJules NoriacFranco-Prussian WarOscar de LagoanèreGeorges GrisierGustave QuinsonWayback MachineJean-Charles DeburauLe FigaroTommaso SalviniDickens, CharlesGoogle BooksFaris, AlexanderSadie, StanleyThe New Grove Dictionary of OperaYon, Jean-Claude