La Cigale

La Cigale (English: The Cicada) is a theater at 120, boulevard de Rochechouart near Place Pigalle, in the 18th arrondissement of Paris. The theatre is part of a complex that is connected to Le Trabendo and the Boule Noire. The hall can accommodate 1389 people (for concerts where the audience is standing) or 954 people (for shows with entire audience seated). The floor of the orchestra has a scalable platform that can tilt and rise through a system of hydraulics.

This article is about the theatre near Place Pigalle in Paris. For the brasserie in Nantes, see La Cigale (brasserie).
La Cigale
La Cigale in 2008
Address120, boulevard de Rochechouart,
18th. Paris
France
Coordinates48.882359°N 2.340131°E / 48.882359; 2.340131
TypeConcert hall
Capacity954 (everyone seated)
1,389 (some standing)
Construction
Opened1887
Reopened1987
Rebuilt1894

The Inrockuptibles Festival takes place 20 years at La Cigale.[1] La Cigale also hosts the Factory Festival.[2]

History
  • 1887: La Cigale is built on the site of the former cabaret Boule Noire which was demolished to make room for the new theatre. In those days it had room for about 1000 people and featured theatrical reviews.[3]
  • 1894: The theatre is remodeled and enlarged by architect Henry Grandpierre, and ceiling paintings are added by Adolphe Leon Willette. During this period it features performances by Mistinguett, Maurice Chevalier, Yvonne Printemps, Arletty, Raimu, and Max Linder.
  • 1920: The hall is given over to operettas, vaudeville, and avant-garde evenings with Jean Cocteau. A cabaret opens in the basement of the facility in 1924, but only lasts for three years when it is temporarily replaced by a small music hall called La Fourmi [The Ant].
  • 1940: La Cigale is converted to a movie theater specializing in Kung-fu films, and later, X-rated movies.
Interior of La Cigale in 2011
  • 1981: The vestibule and auditorium of the theatre is classified a historical monument on December 8, 1981[4]
  • 1987: La Cigale as a theatre is reopened by Rita Mitsouko along with Jacques Renault and Fabrice Coat, two former junk dealers and cofounders of the famous Paris nightclub Les Bains Douches. The auditorium is modernized and a system of hydraulics is added. The interior is redecorated by Philippe Starck. Corinne Mimram is appointed art and music director.
  • 2007: La Cigale partners with the French telecommunications company, SFR for two years and the name is officially changed to La Cigale SFR.
  • 2011 In January Jean-Louis Menanteau becomes the new director general.

Performers

Entertainers who have performed at La Cigale include:[5]

Concerts and performances recorded at La Cigale

References
  1. Les Inrocks, Official website
  2. Festival Factory 11, The Parisian, May 3, 2011
  3. La Cigale, Paris Nightlife Archived 2011-10-14 at the Wayback Machine
  4. Historical monuments of the 18th arrondissement of Paris
  5. La Cigale: Calendar / Archives
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