The Théâtre de la Michodière () is a theatre building and performing arts venue, located at 4 bis, in the 2nd arrondissement of Paris. Built by in 1925 in Art Deco style, it has a tradition of showing boulevard theatre.
History On the site of the Hotel de Lorge, sold in lots, the rue de la Michodiere opened in 1778. Around the place where the Gaillon gate stood at the enclosure of Louis XIII, in 1925, the architect built a theatre in the Art Deco style. Decorated by Jacques-Émile Ruhlmann, the red and gold auditorium could accommodate 800 spectators, but in the 21st century, it has only 700 seats left.Le Monde 2 May 2014, p.5 of edition économy and companies
Unlike the West End, where the activities of "bricks and mortar" and producers tend to be separate, Parisian commercial theatres are producing houses. Management decides on the artistic policy, and shows are financed by the theatre, albeit sometimes in co-production with a touring management that hopes to profit from a Parisian success to take a show out on tour.
Inaugurated on 16 November 1925 under the management of Gustave Quinson, from 1927 to 1977 it was run by actor-managers who made the success of its shows: Victor Boucher, Yvonne Printemps, Pierre Fresnay, François Périer, with works by Édouard Bourdet, André Roussin, Jean Anouilh, Marcel Achard and Françoise Dorin.Le théâtre de la Michodière sur le site officiel des Théâtres parisiens associés. By public demand, the theatre specialised in boulevard plays, as evidenced by the many old posters that could be seen on its walls. The theatre was co-directed by Fresnay and Printemps until his death in 1975. Printemps remained alone at the head of the theatre, until she died in 1977."Printemps, Yvonne" Cimetières de France et d'ailleurs, accessed 7 May 2013
The theatre went into receivership, and after a brief period of being run by ATECA association, was bought from the receivers in September 1981 by Jacques Crepineau, who, unlike his predecessors, was not an actor, but still performed the role of artistic director.
In April 2014, vente-privee.com bought the theatre.Vente-privee.com s'offre le Théâtre de la Michodière, Le Figaro, 30 April 2014 Richard Caillat and Stéphane Hillel were nominated as co-directors.
In November 2019, Fimalac Entertainment bought a majority shareholding in the theatre.
In January 2022, Marc Lesage took over from Stéphane Hillel to become co-director with Richard Caillat.
Repertoire
Management by Gustave Quinson 1925: L'Infidèle éperdue by Jacques Natanson, 16 November Le Greluchon délicat by Jacques Natanson, 17 December 1926: Passionnément 3-act operetta by Maurice Hennequin and Albert Willemetz, music by André Messager, 15 January 1926: Le Temps d'aimer by Pierre Wolff, Henri Duvernois, couplets Hugues Delorme, music Reynaldo Hahn, 6 November
Management by Victor Boucher 1927: Son mari, three-act comedy by and Robert Spitzer, 4 March 1927: L'Enlèvement de Paul Armont and Marcel Gerbidon, 6 September 1927: 4-act comedy by Édouard Bourdet, directed by Victor Boucher, 25 November 1928: Sur mon beau navire, three-act comedy by Jean Sarment, 30 November 1929: Le Trou dans le mur, 4-act comedy by Yves Mirande, 1 February 1929: La Vie de château, 3-act comedy by Ferenc Molnár, 29 May 1929: L'Ascension de Virginie 3-act comedy by Maurice Donnay and , 28 September 1929: , 3-act comedy by Édouard Bourdet, 10 December 1932: La Banque Nemo, play in 3 acts and 9 tableaux by Louis Verneuil, 21 November 1932: La Fleur des pois 4-act comedy by Édouard Bourdet, 4 October 1933: Le Vol nuptial 3-act comedy by Francis de Croisset, 1 April 1934: Les Temps difficiles 4-act play by Édouard Bourdet, 30 January 1934: Les Vignes du seigneur by Robert de Flers and Francis de Croisset, 1934: Do, Mi, Sol, Do 3-act comedy by Paul Géraldy, 21 December 1935: Bichon 4-act play by Jean de Létraz, 3 May 1936: 5-act play by Édouard Bourdet, 15 October 1937: Bureau central des idées, one-act comedy by Alfred Gehri, directed by Louis Tunc, 24 April 1937 : Les Vignes du seigneur by Robert de Flers and Francis de Croisset,
Management by Victor Boucher and Yvonne Printemps 1938: Le Valet maître by Paul Armont and Léopold Marchand, directed by Pierre Fresnay, 1 March 1939: Trois Valses by Léopold Marchand and Albert Willemetz, directed by Pierre Fresnay, June 1940: La Familiale by Jean de Létraz, with François Périer, 9 February 1940: Léocadia by Jean Anouilh, 28 November 1940: by Armand Salacrou, directed by Alice Cocéa 1941: Hyménée, four-act play by Édouard Bourdet, 7 May
Management by Pierre Fresnay and Yvonne Printemps 1941: Comédie en trois actes, by Henri-Georges Clouzot, 1942: , by Édouard Bourdet, 15 December 1943: Le Voyageur sans bagage, play in five tableaux by Jean Anouilh, 1 April 1944: Le Dîner de famille, three-act play by Jean Bernard-Luc, directed by Jean Wall, 1 December 1944: Père, by Édouard Bourdet, 1945: , by Édouard Bourdet, 1946: Auprès de ma blonde by Marcel Achard, directed by Pierre Fresnay, 7 May 1946: Si je voulais… by Paul Géraldy and Robert Spitzer 1947: Le Prince d'Aquitaine, three-act comedy , May 1947: Savez-vous planter les choux ?, by Marcel Achard, directed by Pierre Fresnay, 25 September 1948: K.M.X labrador, by Jacques Deval after H. W. Reed, directed by the author, 29 January 1948: Pauline ou l'Écume de la mer, two-act play by Gabriel Arout, 17 June 1948: Du côté de chez Proust, by Curzio Malaparte, 22 November 1948: by André Roussin, directed by Pierre Fresnay, 22 November 1949: L'École des dupes, 1-act comedy by André Roussin, directed by the author, 2 June 1950: by André Roussin, directed by the author, 14 March 1951: Le Moulin de la galette, three-act play by Marcel Achard, directed by Pierre Fresnay, 17 December 1952: Hyménée, by Édouard Bourdet, 1952: Un beau dimanche, play in three-act and five tableaux by Jean-Pierre Aumont, after the novel Rencontre by Pierre Larthomas, 29 June 1953: Le Ciel de lit play in three-act and six tableaux by Jan de Hartog, directed by Pierre Fresnay, 14 April 1953: Histoire de rire, by Armand Salacrou 1954: Les Cyclones, by Jules Roy, directed by Pierre Fresnay, 10 September 1954: Voici le jour, three-act play by Jean Lasserre, with Pierre Fresnay, 22 April 1955: Les Grands Garçons, by Paul Géraldy, 1955: Les Œufs de l'autruche, by André Roussin, directed by Pierre Fresnay, 10 March 1955: Le Mal d'amour by Marcel Achard, directed by François Périer
Management Pierre Fresnay, Yvonne Printemps and François Périer 1956: Le Séducteur, three-act comedy by Diego Fabbri, directed by François Périer, 13 January 1956: Le Voyage à Turin, four-act comedy by , 12 September 1957: Bille en tête, by Roland Laudenbach, directed by , 19 February by , directed by Georges Douking, 29 April Bobosse by André Roussin, directed by the author, 10 September 1958: Père by Édouard Bourdet, directed by Pierre Fresnay, 9 September 1959: Gog et Magog, by Roger MacDougall and Ted Allan, translation Gabriel Arout, directed by François Périer, 3 September 1962: , by Romain Gary, directed by François Périer, 10 September 1963: Le Neveu de Rameau, by Denis Diderot, directed by , 4 February 1963: L’Équation ou Une heure avec Monsieur Zweistein, by Jacques Perry, 4 February 1963: L'Homme et la perruche, by Alain Allioux, 28 September 1964: La Preuve par quatre, by Félicien Marceau, directed by the author, 4 February 1965: La Preuve par quatre, by Félicien Marceau, directed by the author, April 1966: , by Paul Valéry, directed by , 17 January 1966: , three-act comedy by Marcelle Maurette and Marc-Gilbert Sauvajon, directed by Pierre Fresnay, 4 October
Management by Pierre Fresnay, Yvonne Printemps 1967: Comme au théâtre, by Françoise Dorin, directed by Michel Roux, 2 February 1968: Le Truffador, by , directed by the author, 8 February 1968: Visitations, by Jean Giraudoux, 15 June 1968: , by Marcel Achard, directed by Michel Roux 7 September 1969: La Tour d'Einstein by Christian Liger, directed by Pierre Fresnay and Julien Bertheau, 10 January 1969: La Paille humide, by Albert Husson, Michel Roux, 20 February 1969: On ne sait jamais, by André Roussin, directed by the author, 12 September 1970: Une poignée d'orties, by Marc-Gilbert Sauvajon, directed by Jacques-Henri Duva], 4 September 1970: Le Procès Karamazov by Diego Fabbri after Dostoievski, directed by Pierre Franck, 15 October 1970: , by Paul Valéry, directed by Pierre Franck 1970: Jeu, set et match by Anthony Shaffer, directed by Clifford Williams, 18 December 1971: Et alors ? by Bernard Haller, 9 September 1971: by Paul Valéry, directed by Pierre Franck 1971: Le Client by Jean-Claude Carrière, directed by the author 1972: Et alors ? by Bernard Haller, 1 August 1972: La Claque by André Roussin, directed by the author, 17 October 1973: L'Arnacœur by , directed by Pierre Mondy, 10 October 1975: by , directed by , 10 January 1975: Gog et Magog by Roger MacDougall and Ted Allan, directed by François Périer, 1976: Voyez-vous ce que je vois ? and Ray Cooney and John Chapman, directed by Jean Le Poulain, 19 February 1976: Acapulco Madame by , directed by , September 1977: Pauvre Assassin by Pavel Kohout, directed by Michel Fagadau, 30 September 1978: Les Rustres after Carlo Goldoni, directed by Claude Santelli, 31 January 1979: Coup de chapeau by Bernard Slade, adaptation by Pierre Barillet and Jean-Pierre Gredy, directed by Pierre Mondy, with François Périer, Daniel Auteuil, 6 September
Management by Jacques Crépineau 1981: Mademoiselle by Jacques Deval, directed by , 25 September 1981: Amusez-vous... Ah ces années 30 by and directed by Jacques Décombe, 2 November 1982: La Pattemouille by , directed by Jean-Claude Islert, 21 January 1982: Joyeuses Pâques by Jean Poiret, directed by Pierre Mondy, 15 April 1983: Le Vison voyageur by Ray Cooney and John Chapman, directed by Jacques Sereys, 13 January (photos sur Gallica) 1984: Banco ! by Alfred Savoir, directed by Robert Manuel, 26 January 1984: J'ai deux mots à vous dire by , directed by Pierre Mondy, 30 March 1984: Le Bluffeur de Marc Camoletti, directed by the author, 9 November (photos sur Gallica) 1986: by Sacha Guitry, directed by Jean Meyer, 18 January 1986: Double mixte by Ray Cooney, directed by Pierre Mondy 7 November (photos sur Gallica) 1988: Lamy Public N°1 by and with André Lamy, 15 January 1988: Ma cousine de Varsovie by Georges Berr and Louis Verneuil, directed by Jean-Claude Islert, 21 June (photos sur Gallica 1989: Pâquerette by , directed by Francis Perrin, 21 January (photos sur Gallica) 1989: Pièce détachée by Alan Ayckbourn, directed by , 8 October 1990: Une journée chez ma mère by , Charlotte de Turckheim, directed by Jacques Décombe, 23 March 1990: Tiercé gagnant by John Chapman, adaptation Stewart Vaughan and Jean-Claude Islert, directed by Christopher Renshaw, 21 September 1991: Le Gros n'avion by Michèle Bernier, , Mimie Mathy (les filles), directed by Éric Civanyan, 21 January 1991: Tromper n'est pas jouer by Patrick Cargill, adaptation Jean-François Stévenin and , directed by Daniel Colas, 4 July 1991: Pleins Feux by Mary Orr, adaptation , directed by Éric Civanyan, 26 September 1992: Je veux faire du cinéma by Neil Simon, directed by Michel Blanc, 15 January 1992: La Puce à l'oreille by Georges Feydeau, directed by Jean-Claude Brialy, 17 June 1993: Partenaires by David Mamet, directed by Bernard Stora, 4 March 1993: by Jean-Noël Fenwick, directed by Gérard Caillaud, 10 July 1994: La Fille à la trompette by , directed by Gérard Caillaud, with Jean-Marc Thibault, 22 February 1994: Bobosse by André Roussin, directed by Stéphane Hillel, 19 May 1994: Les Crachats de la Lune by , directed by , 15 September 1994: L'Hôtel du libre échange by Georges Feydeau, directed by , 24 November