THE WORLD'S BIGGEST MUSEUM
Hello. Welcome to the Champs-Élysées,
the location for this week's episode of The World's Biggest Museum.
Our heritage is not just old stones.
Cabaret is also part of our heritage in France.
So, this week, we're introducing you to one of the finest
and prestigious Parisian revues: the Lido.
Off we go!
How great it is to be here!
In the 1930s, the Lido was a hip place where people listened to jazz.
There was a swimming pool. "Lido" refers to a famous Venice beach
and the beautiful people bathed there.
After the War, the Lido became one of the finest
and most prestigious Parisian revues
with its famous dancers, the Bluebell Girls.
Today there are 46 of them and I'll introduce you to some of them.
Hi, Caroline. Where are you from? - Belgium.
Are there any physical criteria to be a dancer here?
You have to be at least 5 foot 7.
Tell us about your dance colleagues. - This is Amani from Australia,
Dorota from Cologne and Carla from Australia.
It's very international. You must speak many languages here.
Thanks, Caroline. Don't forget there are 16 male dancers here.
We'll talk about the dancers and the history of this place right away.
Let's start with a few images. Off we go!
Ladies and gents, meet Pierre Rambert.
He created the Bonheur revue. He was a dancer here a few years ago.
Hello. - Hi, Pierre.
What exactly is the Lido?
It's a show institution.
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
It's been in Paris for 61 years, if we count 2007.
The concept of dinner shows was developed here.
And also this particular theater layout
moving away from Italian-style theaters
to bring the show right into the middle of the spectators.
Another trademark of the Lido is the dancers called The Bluebell Girls.
Where does this name come from? - They were a line of dancers
created by Miss Bluebell, Margaret Leibovici.
One day, she had the idea of forming her own line of dancers
with one major criterion: she wanted tall girls.
Bluebell wasn't very tall herself so maybe it was a dream of hers.
Pierre-Louis Guérin and René Fraday, who were the Lido's artistic managers,
in agreement with the Clerico brothers, poached her from the Folies Bergère
and offered her a partnership and Bluebell accepted.
Success was consistent.
There was a terrific American chapter which was delightfully ironic,
when France taught something to Las Vegas.
Absolutely. In 1958, the Lido had the leading music hall show,
a French revue which has had 32 years of success in Vegas.
That's not nothing.
Where do you find these dancers? - Everywhere.
I hold regular auditions in Paris.
I go to London, New York, Vegas and Los Angeles regularly.
What qualities are essential for your dancers?
Aside from physical criteria, I like people with good personalities.
I like to see individuality.
It's very important and that's what brings a show to life.
The Lido gives prevalence to the choreographer's imagination.
That's very refreshing. Now, when I create shows,
I have an enormous budget which makes things easier,
but I can create almost whatever I want.
René Fraday, who was the artistic director before me,
always said: "If you think up something impossible, you must make it happen."
Hello, Stéphanie. Are you well? - Very well, thanks.
You're the lead dancer. - Yes.
It's almost show time. - Absolutely.
Every night, it's the same ritual. How long does a show last?
Between 45 minutes and an hour.
What's the lead dancer's job?
The lead dancer is the one at the front under the spotlight.
She's the show's solo dancer.
You're like the Lido's window display. - Yes.
How has your dancing career brought you here?
It's perhaps every little girl's dream.
It wasn't my original goal. I dreamed of being a ballet dancer.
LEAD DANCER
I won awards at Conservatoire de Rouen and Conservatoire de Paris.
but I grew way too tall for ballet, so I came here and they really liked me.
It's true that they easily accept tall women here.
Do you really have to be 5 foot 7? - At least. It's very important.
The costumes are made for very tall girls.
Do guys wait for you and send flowers? - No, never.
Have you had a proposal of marriage from an American tourist
who's fallen in love with you? - No, that's a myth.
I'm disappointed. - That's the reality.
The public have no idea what goes on in the wings.
It's incredible behind the scenes.
There are dressers who place your costumes in a specific place.
You only have a second to get changed.
Dressers are indispensable as we're constantly dancing with no time out.
There's one choreography for the stage and one for the backstage.
There must be days when you don't feel like being on stage.
It's more about being out of shape as it's physically demanding.
It's tough when there are two shows and you must look after yourself.
It's more of a physical thing. When you do a second show, it's...
It's less mentally tough as we're entertaining people and it's great.
You forget your problems here. Everything's wonderful.
I'm the happiest girl in the world here.
Thanks for your frankness, Stéphanie,
and for letting us disturb you for a few minutes before the show.
It's in just under half an hour. What do you do in the meantime?
I'll finish my make-up, style my hair and do my warm ups before the show.
Thanks a lot. - Thanks, bye.
I don't know how I managed to get here up all these stairs.
This is the sewing workshop with ten or more seamstresses
who work here every day with head seamstress, Jocelyne.
Hi, Jocelyne. - Hi.
Have all 600 costumes been up here? - More or less, yes.
Are they costumes that open up on stage? - They get damaged.
HEAD OF SEWING WORKSHOP
Feathers and glitter break off easily.
We're here every day to do repairs.
Who tells you that a costume needs repairing?
The head dresser of the evening
brings up the costumes that need repairing every day.
I imagine you need to work fast for it to be ready for the evening.
We get the costumes first thing and they're taken down at night.
They have to be on stage and immaculate. We have priorities during the day.
You can't say: "I'll do it next week." - No.
Leather! Trousers, a dress or a blouse? - Trousers.
Is this to indicate who they belong to? - Yes, each dancer has a number.
Dancer 16, if you're listening, be a bit more careful next time!
Aline, you look like the youngest. - I'm 25.
How long have you worked here? - I'm new. I've been here a week.
What are you working on? - I think it's a pas de deux.
A body thong covered in glitter.
A glitter body thong! That's some concept.
If you suddenly asked me to put it on,
I'd say: "It's not easy."
With working on all these costumes for weeks, months, years,
do you ever dream of wearing one on stage?
No, not me! Not at all.
We're in the middle of a make-up session just before the show starts.
Hello, what's your name? - Aurore.
This is the make-up ritual. Why do you wear that on your head?
It keeps our hair back so that you can't see it under hats and wigs.
How many costume changes do you have? - Ten.
Ten! - Yes, it happens very quickly.
Why is this place so magical? - Because it's on the Champs-Élysées,
it's a grand venue and because of the stage machinery and atmosphere.
And also because of the costumes and the style of girls.
And what is the Lido's style of girl?
Very tall girls with huge personalities.
Look, I'm descending.
Imagine this new Lido in the mid 1970s with 1,200 seats.
The architects had to be very imaginative.
How can you ensure that everyone can see the dancers perfectly?
Logically, you would raise up the stage to give everyone a perfect view.
But the architects did something crazier in lowering the front of stage area.
Every night, 300 people are lowered 80 cm,
so that the rows behind have a good view and so that the people here
can marvel at the dancers' superb legs.
That's the magic of the Lido.
Innovation, technology and incredible stage machinery
make this place stand out from the others.
Up I go. 80 cm onto the stage.
Ladies and gents, this is Denis. - Hello.
You're the dance captain. - Yes.
How many dancers? - 12 per night and 16 on the tour
to cover holidays and days off.
Does your job just consist of planning or is there more to it?
There's more to it. We have to train the new dancers.
How long does it take until the show comes naturally to them?
At least 15 days.
Is dancing a physical necessity for you?
Do you need your daily fix?
Or is it just your job? - No, you need to have a passion for it
as it's a fairly tough job physically.
DANCE CAPTAIN
We hurt all over every day, we get up bent over double,
but we're still here to work in the evening.
You really need to be passionate to do this job.
What do you do just before the show? Warm ups?
I do my warm ups and I have attendance paperwork to complete.
The dance captain's work!
Can we watch your warm up? - Of course.
Close your arm at the same time while you're turning around.
That's it.
A pirouette is quite easy. You just need dance in your blood.
Just like me!
When you ask the pros what makes the Lido stand out
from other big Parisian revues,
they often say it's the stage machinery. It's incredible.
Hello, are you Patrick? - Yes.
You're a stage technician. - Yes.
We're at the back of the stage, soaring up to the fourth floor.
It's true that the Lido's stage machinery
is the envy of all Parisian revues.
Yes, we're lucky to have this configuration
because it gives us the freedom to do lots of things...
STAGE TECHNICIAN
...that others can't do. That's a real asset.
How many are you? I've seen lots of technicians in black shirts.
How many technicians work on live shows in the evenings?
There are 14 people in the evening moving around.
That's just a fraction. There are even more behind the scenes.
We work in groups of 100 people. - How many?
Groups of 100. There are 100 dancers,
there are around 100 technicians
and a further 100 people working in the venue.
So, automatically, that's a lot of people.
I'm giving them a hand just for the sake of the program.
It's easy to operate. - With such a weight, it needs to be.
This is all done completely smoothly and silently.
The hundreds of spectators see and hear nothing.
That's because of the music.
All the dancers are here.
Let me introduce you to Philippe Lacroix who is a chef here at the Lido.
Thanks for meeting us at such a strategic moment.
You've been a chef here for many years. - Over 30 years.
The work here is not insignificant.
How many meals do you make per day?
On average, 650 covers per day, but it can reach 900 to 920.
HEAD CHEF
It's all served within 90 minutes maximum.
Our timing is very precise.
The concept is heritage with the French revue,
but also French excellence with gourmet dining.
We use a lot of good quality French produce:
Veal fillet, Charolais beef fillet, Brittany blue lobster...
It's top of the range...
Bresse chicken. - Yes, amongst others.
You select things from each area of France.
It's quintessentially French cuisine with really fine produce.
This kitchen is incredible with all these people on the go.
How many people work here? - There are 35 of us in total.
Around 20 people per service.
What are the visitors and tourists seeking here?
They're seeking pleasure.
One important factor here is the huge scale.
For example, when we create a menu.
We need to be able to serve a full menu to 1,000 people.
For example, the Tournedos Rossini for exclusively 1,000 people,
we might have to make 1,000 identical perfectly-cooked tournedos.
It's very hard to do.
The visitors must remember what was on their plates.
It's part of their evening.
Thanks a lot, Philippe. - Goodbye.
Ladies and gents, a Bluebell Girl! - Hello.
And you are? - Shay.
You're Anglo-Saxon. Where are you from? - Australia.
When did you arrive here?
I arrived at the Lido in July 2000.
Don't tell me you were dreaming of the Lido in Australia!
Yes, I used to dream about it when I was a young dancer in Australia.
I heard about it through working with a former Lido lead dancer.
She inspired me to come all the way here and find a job here.
What are these Bluebell Girls like?
Do you have to be single? - No, not at all.
It's a real mixture. The youngest are 18 or 19 years old.
The oldest is possibly 38 years old.
There are all kinds of girls. Single, married, mothers...
Some of them even have grown-up children.
Girls from all over the world,
sensible girls and girls who are a bit crazy.
It's a real mixture. It's very interesting.
It's one big family. - Yes, there are all kinds here.
What do you do after your dance career? - Good question!
At my age, I think of that every day.
We prepare ourselves for a career change.
It depends whether you want to stay in the field
or change course. It's quite easy to be a dance teacher
or you can go into management or choreography.
You can also change course completely.
My idea is to stop and be a mom for a few years
and then start a new career.
Thanks a lot, Shay. Have a good show. - Thanks.
Bye. - Bye.
Incredibly, two minutes before show time,
there's nobody backstage. They're in the dressing rooms.
The show starts in 45 seconds and all the dancers are arriving.
The choreography of the dressers is something you'll never see.
Hi, Cathy. - Hi.
You're the head dresser.
How many dressers are there? - 25 of us.
All working evenings? - Yes.
It's a real rush. - It's 7 days a week, every night.
You have an extremely precise system.
You have to bring out the right costume at the right time
and put it in the right place for a split second.
The dancers have swift costume changes. - They must change as fast as possible.
This organization is essential so that they can change as quickly as possible.
There are very esoteric things here. What does "FPROL.33" mean?
It means "prologue finale" and 23 is the dancer's number.
So, just before the prologue finale, you put her...
She's dressed for the waltz and changes for the finale.
Why is there nothing hanging here? - That's for Scene Two.
After Scene One, we tidy it away and bring out the Scene Two costumes.
HEAD DRESSER
As before, we lay them out in precise places
so that the dancers know exactly where they should get dressed.
There are little bits of sticking plaster everywhere.
They're here, there and everywhere. - In all the changing areas.
You need a really good memory to know where and when to find your costumes.
They're used to it, they do the same thing every night.
But the dressers on tour need to know everything.
It must be chaos if they get it wrong. - Mistakes are made.
What if a dancer can't find her costume? - She misses her scene.
The dresser makes her miss her scene? - It's happened.
It must get heated! - Yes.
There are two shows at the Lido: the one for the public on the stage
and the one in the wings that I prefer. I love my job!
A few statistics to finish the show.
There are 400 technicians who work here every night.
Every night, seven days a week and every day of the year.
There are 500,000 visitors
who come here every year.
You may think they're all foreign tourists.
But, surprisingly, no.
Every other visitor is French.
Have a good week. Bye.
Subtitles: Babel Subtitling - babelSUB.be