“Chez Michou”, famous Parisian cabaret closes for financial reasons after 68 years of activity

PARIS – The party is over. Struggling Parisian drag cabaret Chez Michou, a popular Montmartre hotspot in the north of the French capital, has announced its closure for “financial reasons” on his social networks. “Last night (Sunday) was the last performance of the Cabaret and its Michettes”we can read in the publication posted Monday, July 1.

A liquidator “will be appointed from July 16, 2024, with the mission of finding a buyer for our establishment”write the managers of the cabaret, which has been in business for 68 years. “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 expressed her alarm to AFP on Saturday.

“The cabaret is in difficulty. We live from day to day. Reservations are not filling up for July despite the announcement of the Olympic Games”she further deplored. And to cite the consequences of the Covid pandemic on the activity, “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.

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.

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