Theaters are at the forefront of Parisian end-of-year celebrations. We attended the performance of the musical “Hello, Dolly”, straight from Broadway at the Champs-Élysée.
On the most beautiful avenue in the world, Caroline O'Connor plays this rich woman in search of a new husband, imagined by Gene Kelly in 1969. For the 60th anniversary of the New York classic, the show “Hello, Dolly” is settled in Paris. The quintessential New York musical took place at Théâtre2Lido in Paris.
It is not on Broadway, the legendary cross avenue of Manhattan, but on the Champs-Élysée that Caroline O'Connor plays the rich widow Dolly Levi for the first time.
In search of an easy remarriage, the singer brings with her a troupe of more than twenty people through the well-oiled sets of a New York in its original form.
Already portrayed by Barbra Streisand in the cinema or Annie Cordy in Paris, Dolly Levi is a woman “who fixes things” and couples, especially her own. Horace Vandergelder, played by Peter Polycarpou, a rich grocer, plans a new marriage but “even if only her were left on earth” it would surely not be Dolly. Beneath all her finery and psychological sleight of hand, the seasoned woman will arrive at her happy ending.
From the staging to the costumes, every detail is precise
Théâtre2Lido has been a musical scene in the heart of Paris for two years. A room that lends itself particularly well to American shows. The scenography is worked down to the smallest detail.
The costumes by Peter McKintosh bring the stunning choreography to life. From tap dance numbers to acrobatics and group dances, the orchestra subtly hidden upstairs imposes itself and punctuates the storytelling.
Like all good musicals, the voices immerse the audience. We are no longer in Paris in 2024 but in the heart of the Big Apple of 1969.
The texts are translated into French on small screens but through theatrical magic and facial expressions, the texts – even in English – are crystal clear.
“Hello, Dolly”, until January 5, 2025, Lido2Paris, Paris 8th.
