Travel
Bonheur is elaborate, luxurious, romantic and without a doubt extravagant. It’s intended as an ultra-modern performance. And its only purpose is to bring a smile on the audience’s face. Which it most certainly achieves.
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Travel
Finding Happiness at Lido de Paris
Feathers, fur, leather, lace, leopard print, beads, sequins and jewels.
It’s our third night in Paris and we are in mood for some extravaganza.
The iconic Lido cabaret on Champs-Élysées is only a few minutes walk from the Arc de Triomphe and we enthusiastically approach it.
We arrive early and are immediately welcomed in, shown to our table by a man in tuxedo and introduced to a bottle of champagne to share. Lido is the world’s biggest champagne consumer, with over 200,000 bottles a year. No wonder, since every ticket sold comes with half a bottle included.
We have some amazing seats at one of the tables for four, a little bit further back from the stage, but frontal. The elegant red and black theater is lit up by crystal chandeliers that discretely dissapear once the show starts.
‘Bonheur’ (Happiness) is the name of the show. And throughout the 23 sets we are dazzled.
An angel with feathery wings lands on the stage. She’s our singing host and comes from another dimension where happiness does not exist. Supposedly she is to discover it here. On our planet. Or at Lido. Because after the first glass of champagne happiness is all over the place.
The show is colorful, and wild and full of pomp. There are feathers, though not in excess, and everything is glittery and glamorous. The Bluebell girls are incredibly sexy, and you can tell they were carefully chosen. There’s a fair bit of nakedness in the show, but all with good measure.
The performance is over-the-top for sure. And it feels like a pretext to show-off the 600 astonishing costumes. Flamboyant veils barely cover perfectly smooth skin, creating a mysterious atmosphere. Tall leather booths and classy dresses take the stage. Everything sparkles and glitters and shakes in a circus of reflections.
It’s impossible not to be surprised. It’s a magical setting!
The captain makes quite a few appearances. The songs are mainly in French and English and the show takes us through a whirlpool of themes. It’s a bit distracting, if not confusing, as she looks for happiness from Paris to India and from reality to celluloid. There are Charlie Chaplin, Marilyn Monroe and Fellini references. Cats, Chicago and French cancan.
American beats are incorporated into the French culture. And during the India tableau I find it a bit difficult to keep up with the succession of Indian, Thai and Arabian costumes and music. Though judging from the very international audience, I imagine it to be an attempt to reach out to the different guests of different nationalities. Or to make us dream of exotic lands while watching a show on a Parisian stage.
All in all, the show is highly entertaining. And lighthearted.
In between the dance performances, a Diablo juggler, a stand-up comedian, an aerial acrobat and two ice skaters make their way to the stage. The stand-up comedy part is our absolute favorite. We have a good laugh and some of the jokes are bound to become in-jokes between the two of us.
At one point a real horse makes its appearance on the stage. The huge water tank that emerges from under the stage during another number is pretty impressive too. As is the ice ring and the rain curtain, the lasers and the ever changing lights. The whole stage machinery is incredibly creative. And we keep on wondering what’s next.
As we walk back to Hotel Napoleon where we are hosted, we can’t stop laughing and feel inspired.
We were guests of Lido, however, all opinions expressed here are entirely our own and based on our personal experience
Photo credit: Lido
Photo copyrights in this order: ©F.Dupertuy, © PICS, ©F.Dupertuy, © PICS
Photo credit: Lido
Photo copyrights in this order: ©F.Dupertuy, © PICS, ©F.Dupertuy, © PICS
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Paris is the epitome of style, sophistication and romance. It is the city of meticulous urban planning, iconic monuments and beautifully kept gardens. It is the place par excellence where to go fall in love all over again. So nobody would hold it against...
- Devdan Show, Bali. An Incredible Journey Through Indonesia's Culture
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ORANJESTAD, Aruba, Sept. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Now that Kelly Ripa has scored NFL analyst Michael Strahan as her permanent co-host, Aruba Tourism Authority (ATA) invites them to celebrate and go "Live!" on One Happy Island. "We love Kelly's bubbly...
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