A few days ago, we were invited to one of Paris’s most magical venues: Le Lido, for an extraordinary event: the birth of a new revue in a completely renovated setting.
On December 2, the establishment closed its doors for a complete renovation. The auditorium is getting a facelift, while on the stage side, all the machinery will be renewed and optimized for stunning stage effects. Nearly 30 French companies and craftsmen are already mobilized behind the scenes, and will be working for 4 months.
In the kitchen, chef Philippe Lacroix and his brigade are busy preparing a new menu based on noble products. At the Lido, cuisine is concocted on site.
Nothing is left to chance for one of the most eagerly awaited shows in the history of the Lido. Daring, poetic and powerful staging combine to create an unforgettable experience.
Le Lido sets the international standard for cabaret
Located on the most beautiful avenue in the world, the prestigious establishment is determined to astonish and surprise once again. Its ambition is to make its new revue the jewel of Parisian live entertainment. The challenge has been entrusted to Franco Dragone, an author and director known for his breathtaking shows all over the world.
Sodexo Group, the 18-billion euro world leader in quality of life services, is giving itself the means to bring the Parisian magazine fully into the 21st century. This is evidenced by the announced investment of 25 million euros, almost three times more than the previous magazine. The aim is to increase Lido’s sales by 30% over the next 3 years.
Sodexo Sports & Loisirs, headed by Nathalie Bellon-Szabo, owns a number of tourism nuggets such as the Eiffel Tower restaurants and Bateaux Parisiens, as well as prestigious brands such as Yachts de Paris and Lenôtre. The challenge for Nathalie Bellon-Szabo, President of Lido de Paris, was to create a new show in line with the expectations of an increasingly demanding French and international clientele. To stage this first revue under the Sodexo era, Nathalie Bellon-Szabo travels the world and chooses an international star in Franco Dragone. The course is set for the highest level of professionalism and know-how in live entertainment.
The man orchestrates a first-rate creative team: Jean Rabasse for set design, Nicolas Vaudelet for costumes, Benoit-Swan Pouffer for choreography, Yvan Cassar for music
and Saule for lyrics. The teams have already been hard at work for over a year. “My ambition is to continue the great history of the Lido by creating dreams and wonder,” emphasizes Nathalie
Bellon-Szabo, President of the Lido de Paris.
The choice of Franco Dragone
In 2006, the Lido began thinking about its new revue. Nathalie Bellon-Szabo travels the world. Objective: to understand how the performing arts are evolving and to get to know the protagonists. Choose the future designer of the Lido revue. Trips to Europe, but above all to Asia and the United States, multiplied. The call for candidates went out in 2010. Proposals poured in for the legendary Parisian cabaret. The Las Vegas shows of one of the world’s most famous show directors caught Nathalie Bellon-Szabo’s attention.
His name is Franco Dragone. Their shared desire to conceive a breathtaking show together gave rise to a great complicity and a shared vision. The principle of the revue exists nowhere else in the world than in Paris. We had to preserve its DNA while modernizing it.
Franco Dragone, author and director
So, are you happy to be working for the Lido?
Full of joy and impatience, because despite 25 years in show business, this is a first for me: both moving into a legendary cabaret and designing its new revue.
Have you been dreaming of a magazine for a long time?
Every stage director hopes one day to rub shoulders with the revue, that noble genre invented in Paris. And when it’s in a showcase like this, in the heart of the Champs-Elysées, I think dozens of people would love to be at the helm. Ten years ago, I was approached by the Lido to create a touring show… in the end, I waited quite a while for my promise!
What will the Franco Dragone version of the Lido be like?
This will be the Lido version! Not the Dragone version. Above all, I draw on the soul of the place, on its history, on previous reviews. You can’t re-enchant the future by wiping the slate clean. And we have to be modest: the star at the Lido has to be the revue, not the people who created it.
What’s the theme of the show?
It’s a “voyage au Paris des merveilles”, an enchanted rediscovery of the capital, as we follow a young woman from her rooftop bedroom to gradually earn her stripes and become the ringleader of the Lido revue.
Did you carry out extensive documentary work beforehand?
For the past year and a half, we’ve been immersing ourselves in the image archives of the City of Light, so that we could
immerse ourselves in the city’s architecture, the Parisian wardrobe and the capital’s iconic landmarks. But above all, our challenge was not to be too literal.
How will you surprise us?
The space will be multiplied by a huge LED screen, projections on the floor and transparent fabrics. All this will mingle with real sets and incredible costumes where feathers and glamour reign supreme. There will be over twenty tableaux revisiting the City of Light, alternating between intimate register and breathtaking blockbuster. Everything must be beautiful, down to the smallest detail, and the
artists and dancers on stage will thrill you. This show is like a huge mirror ball, where
each spectator must be able to find his or her own reflection, that of his or her emotions.
A few adjectives to describe this new magazine?
Elegant, surprising, invigorating, moving… but above all, I want it to be for the general public. That’s why I’ve gathered around me a team of seasoned talents, from set and costume designer to musical director and choreographer. For them, as for me, this revue is a new experience. We’re going to do everything we can to make it one to remember.
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