It’s a page of Parisian nights that is turning. Chez Michou has lost its splendor and could even disappear. In difficulty, the famous drag cabaret announced its closure for “financial reasons” on its social networks on Monday.
“Last night (Sunday) was the last performance of the Cabaret and its Michettes.” A liquidator “will be appointed from July 16, 2024, with the mission of finding a buyer for our establishment,” write the managers of this Montmartre landmark, in the north of Paris, which has been in business for 68 years.
Few bookings despite the Olympics
“I don’t know if the cabaret will reopen in September,” Catherine Catty-Jacquart, the niece of Michou, the founder of the place who died in early 2020, had already warned on Saturday. “The cabaret is in difficulty. We live from day to day. Reservations are not being filled for July despite the announcement of the Olympic Games,” she further lamented. And she cited the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic on the business, “strikes, demonstrations, parking problems, especially for coaches.”
Chez Michou employed 23 employees, including artists and the staff of the dining room, kitchens and reception. A mecca of transvestism and the smallest cabaret in Paris, its extravagant transvestites imitated Sylvie Vartan, Johnny Hallyday and Dalida.
Madame Arthur in fashion
Drag queen shows and transvestite shows have, however, seen a resurgence of interest in recent years, driven by establishments that have been able to focus more on a young and trendy audience, such as Madame Arthur, also located in Montmartre. But this momentum has not benefited Chez Michou.
