The Odéon Theater
This point of interest is available as audio on the tour: Visit Paris, Sorbonne University, Pantheon and Luxembourg Gardens
The Odéon Theater, located at the end of Racine Street, was founded in 1782 as the Théâtre Français to house the Comédie Française theatre company. The venue opened its doors on April 9 in the presence of Marie Antoinette, and saw the triumphant debut of “The Marriage of Figaro” a few years later. Beaumarchais himself was in disbelief, exclaiming: “If there’s one thing crazier than my play, it’s its success!” A success unmatched in the history of theater. The Odéon has weathered many storms in the course of its history, going from a royalist stronghold to a revolutionary hotbed. It was closed and censored, burnt to the ground, repainted, burnt down again, rebuilt, and reborn as a romantic, political, and liberal hub. Through scandals and experimentation, it became a haven for the rebellious youth of its time. The May 1968 protests, with their rallying cry of “All Power to the Imagination!” led to another round of renovations at the theater, which had been damaged in the unrest. In 1990, the theater broke away from the Comédie Française to become the Théâtre de l’Europe. Today, the Odéon stands as a window to the world, offering a diverse array of performances in its elegant Italian-style auditorium.
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