BOBIN´O - SWINGING CABARET - PARIS.

A great evening at Bobin´o.

By Henning Høholt and Tomas Bagackas

Fotos: Bonin´o

In 1873 a clown and magigician by the name of Bobino realised tours and gags at Rue de la Gaite 20. Later a concert cafe followed. Just after the first World War a music hall with big names as Fernandel, Lucienne Boyer as representatives for all the stars from that periode. From 1950 all the big chanson stars Edith Piaf, Josephine Baker, Juliette Greco, Georges Brassens, George Mousaki appeared.

In 2006 after a periode with disco. Gerard Louvin together with Jean-Philippe Cartier desided to open Bobin´o as it is to day.

In a deliceuse Art Deco style, with a wide stage, elegant lighting design, beautiful costumes, and brilliant artists, singers, dancers, acrobates, artists and musicians, based on the old roots. To make a real French cabaret teatre.

It is done with the great eleganse and plum feathers, but too with the old fashion charm, by inviting the three guys from Les Incroyables, (The incredible), Gilles, Daniel (called the big Bertha) and Michel to appear as stars (and dragstars). Together with "modern" stars, like the brilliant singer, performer and dancer Kova Réa, the elegant host Xavier, and a lot of others. Presenting the show staged by Nicole Chirpaz and Gerard Louvin. Which fully houses of guests of all ages are enjoying to day in the beautiful hall of Bobin´o, many of them together with a generouse bottle of the very well tasting French champagne TSARINE.

We enjoyed the cabaret last friday, and were impressed by the whole staff, on stage and in the salon. Well, some of them even both on stage and in the salon.- f.ex the elegant Host Xavier singing, and some of the waiters dancing Four small swans from the Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky. I am shure that the choreography which started in the old fashion way after Petipa, after a while was improvisation, but very good improvisation!!! Perhaps it was choreographed so well?

It all started with J´ai deux Amours, Joséphine Bakers signature tune. Followed by a presentation of Paris by night, introducing impressions from all the big cabarets and show in Paris.  

Le Cygne (The Swan), brilliantly and acrobatic danced by Stéphanie Thelliez and William Albert to the music by Neil Diamond. Choreographie by Stéphane Loras. Followed by the above mentioned four small swanes.

Black Bottom was headed by the star Kova Réa in his own choreographie. Followeed by Tango, which was a charming Tango history, where a handsome young couple Hélène Buannic nd Michel Lejeune are dancing an elegant Tango, and Daniel Rohou, from Les Incroyables, as man in a fantastic fat mirror costume are singing the Tango. But it ends in a nice way, where Daniel Rohou are leaving the stage with his arms around the boy and vica versa, Michel Lejeune, leaving the girl Hélène Buannic alone on stage. This is sending at least two good signals to the audience. That the love can be between two men (or two woman) and that the love can too be between different ages on the persons. I appreciate that the directors are showing this detail of very high value on stage.

Big Spender with music by Cy Coleman was a hit with girls in the "Red light district", inclusive Les Incroyables - Gilles Jean, Michel Prosper, Daniel Rohou as drags trying to find a big spender, who could take care of them. After the original choreographie by Bob Fosse.

The waking up scene from Tchaikovskys and Petipas ballet Sleeping Beauty (in French: La Belle aux Bois Dormant) was beautiful started by the very handsome Prince, Evgeny Kupriyanov, with beautiful balances and jumps. Then waking up the Princess where there were two, as in a dream, a big fat one, played by Daniel Rohou, and a slim beautiful Hélène Buannic, ending up with a strip tease to the music of Fever. In fact, we have not needed the strip tease part. But we enoyed the ending where the fat Princess are nearly raping the beautiful Prince.  

La Cantatrice was a brilliant number, where the host, Xavier, is introducing a famous guest among the audience, a big world famouse opera soprano, performed by Daniel Rohou, dressed like a very fat soprano. Performing L´air de clochettes from Leo Delibes beautiful opera Lakmé. This carricature of a soprano was very much amusing, and for the audience who not are used to go to Opera Garnier or Opera Bastille, and for them who are used to listening to opera. This little scene was a hit. Because Daniel Rohou is playing and performing the role so well, including his fantastic necklase, and the sound is abosolutely "redicilous" to listen to.

Another hit was In the NAVY, with Lazaro Cuervo Costa as the very handsome navy officer surronded by his six handsome navy soldiers, Michel Lejeune, Benjamin Munoz, Alick Senelis, Bastian Nozeran, Claude Cormier and William Albert, were performing a sexy navy striptease, which were appreciated very much by the audience, inclusive the gays and the girls who likes handsome boys stripping on stage. Specially as there are so many beautiful and some times nearly nude girls on stage.

Can Can, to the music by Jacques Offenbach, is allways a hit, here in a version combined with Hip Hop, which functioned very well.

Before the final Carla Estarque and Kova Réa with dancers performed Goodbye Bobin´o. Deliciouse.

The finale was beautiful, with all the artistic staff, 40 persons, on stage in fantastic costumes. 

A large audience enjoyed the performance very much, mostly of them drinking the wonderful, well tasting Tsarine champagne. We too observed many guests enjoying a dinner before the cabaret started, Chef de cuisine is Julien Chicoisne, and others who got deliciouse snacks.

The club is having a balcone with exclusive VIP loges.

The service from the handsome staff was first class.