Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Mogador Theatre, located at 25 rue de Mogador in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, was built between 1913 and 1919 by architect Edward Niermans for British financier Sir Alfred Butt. Inspired by the London Palladium, this Parisian music hall was inaugurated on April 21, 1919 by American President Woodrow Wilson, accompanied by Franklin D. Roosevelt. Its capacity of 1,618 seats, spread over three levels (orchestre, basket, balcony), quickly made it a major room for magazines and operettes.

In the 1920s, the theatre hosted the Russian Ballets of Diaghilev and Mogador Teas, musical afternoons. Mistinguett triumphed there in 1937 with This is Parisian. Under the direction of Henri Varna (1941-1969), Mogador became a large-scale operetta temple, with productions such as Imperial Violettes (1947), Venice Amants (1951) or Fire Kiss Naples (1957), performed by stars such as Tino Rossi, Géori Boué or Marcel Merkès.

Starting in the 1980s, the theatre diversified its programming with concerts (Sting in 1985, Higelin in 1980-1981, Eric Clapton in 2018) and international musicals. Rached by Stage Entertainment in 2005, he hosted productions such as The Lion King (2007-2010, 2021-), Mamma Mia! (2010-2012), or Chicago (2018-2019). A fire in 2016 damaged the scene, causing a temporary closure. The theatre remains today a flagship of the Parisian live show.

Ranked historic monument in 1990 for its architecture, Mogador embodies the golden age of Parisian magazines and the evolution of the performing arts. Her repertoire, ranging from classical opera (La Veuve Joyeux) to contemporary musicals (Ghost, Cats), reflects her constant adaptation to the tastes of the audience.

Among his notable directions are those of the brothers Isola ( 1930s), Henri Varna (1941-1969), or Hélène Martini (1970s), who modernized the programming with shows like Hello, Dolly! (1972). The theatre also hosted prestigious ceremonies, such as the Molières (2002-2006).

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