This Sunday will potentially be the last evening of At Michou’sIn difficulty, the famous Parisian drag cabaret, a mecca of Montmartre, might not reopen in September, after 68 years of activity, its manager indicated on Saturday.
The commercial court must rule on July 16 on whether or not to continue the activity. “I don’t know if the cabaret will reopen in September,” said Catherine Catty-Jacquart, the niece of Michou, the founder of the place who died in early 2020. The cabaret, which generally only closed in August, has brought forward its closure summer this year on July 1, after a final dinner show.
“We live day by day”
“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,” lamented Catherine Catty-Jacquart, citing the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic on the business, “strikes, demonstrations, parking problems, especially for coaches.”
“The Michou cabaret is a big family. We stick together as much as we can but we feel a lot of bitterness. We receive a lot of love from our customers but the situation is serious. I fight for my “Michettes”. The cabaret created by my uncle is at the origin of the transformists,” she underlined.
Smallest cabaret in Paris
At Michou’s employs 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 imitate Sylvie Vartan, Johnny Hallyday and Dalida.
Drag queen shows and transvestite shows have seen a resurgence of interest in recent years, driven by establishments that have been able to target a younger, trendy audience, such as Madame Arthuralso located in Montmartre, but this momentum did not benefit At Michou’s.
