Decor
The hastily put together scenery is not at all in the style of the Moulin Rouge. For a party you will need to find all the best within a not very modest budget. And if you do something with your own hands, then only to the highest class! Otherwise, you risk getting a kindergarten parody of an exquisite interior.
Approach the choice of the hall from the position of maximum compliance with the theme. Then it will take less money and effort to decorate your “cabaret”. If the party is held at home, try to remove or cover with decorations all unnecessary things.
Color design: black, gold, red. Deep red should ideally predominate, gold will make the interior rich and luxurious, and black will add elegance. The drapery on the windows, walls and ceiling looks very impressive - red satin, a “night” black ceiling, heavy floor-length curtains.
Textiles can be rented; within a modest budget, only one zone can be closed. Or imitate drapery - paper wallpaper, for example. The noble black and red colors are beautiful even in this design. We offer several stylish ideas for a Moulin Rouge party:
- It is better to dim the light, down to twilight. Electric garlands hung everywhere will fit perfectly into the theme of the night cabaret. Chandelier shades can be covered with homemade diffusers. Place floor lamps in the corners, lamps in lampshades with tassels and fringe on the tables;
- Hang on the walls posters, posters, photos of Moulin Rouge dancers and famous visitors to the legendary cabaret (Oscar Wilde, Picasso, Prince of Wales), thematic works of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. In exquisite frames, perfectly straight (without chaotic negligence, if you stand for authenticity);
- a mirror in a gold frame , at least at the entrance. In general, there can be as many mirrors as you like - reflecting the light, shine and elegant guests, they will create a lush luxury atmosphere even in a small room;
“Antique gold” frames for pictures and mirrors are easy to make with your own hands. For the base, cardboard, polystyrene foam, and ideally, beautiful ceiling plinths are suitable. Assemble, spray with gold from a can, and stick with double-sided tape (so you can remove it).
- Party guests will almost believe that they are actually in the Moulin Rouge if they see Paris outside the window! Print out photos of night views and glue them to the glass. Sepia, black and white photo, aged - views not of a modern city, but a reflection of a long-gone era;
- use black guipure to decorate walls, furniture, and compositions. These can be flirty bows, tied ribbons, or drapery elements. Spicy black guipure on a provocatively red background looks playful and sexy;
- red glowing balls are a very passionate decoration! Attach an LED to the coin cell battery, put it inside the ball, and inflate it. The same latex is suitable for fastening - cut long balls of ShDM into “elastic bands” slightly wider than the diameter of the battery. Make sure that the diode contacts are covered, otherwise they will break the ball;
- the red mill , of course, must be present as the main “guest” of the party. Stylizing the Moulin Rouge without this attribute is simply unthinkable. It can be built from plywood, chipboard, cardboard, polystyrene foam and almost any available material. If you don't skimp on the size, you'll get a great photo zone!
- The Eiffel Tower is another idea for a photo zone and the second most important “guest” in your cabaret. If there is no room for a second massive structure at the party, then print out photos, cut out pictures from postcards, ask friends for figurines, and collect them from fresh flowers. By any means, but “invite” her to the opening of the Moulin Rouge.
These attractions are not only nearby, they were “born” almost simultaneously, in 1889. By the way, it is no coincidence: Charles Zidler and Joseph Oller deliberately timed the opening of the Moulin Rouge to coincide with the completion of the construction of the “Iron Lady”.
- cabaret without a stage is bad manners. This attribute is not easy to build, but it is easy to designate the area with decorations and light. No performances planned? Place life-size cardboard silhouettes and mannequins in dancer costumes in the background. And guests will perform on the stage itself (competitions, games, fragments of the script). If there is very little space, hang a photo on the wall for ambience;
- it would be chic if there were several “antique” things in the room. For example, a retro telephone, a gramophone, a music box, an ashtray. Ask your friends about today’s fashionable stylized items, models of retro cars;
- tall thin vases with fresh flowers , bugles, Christmas tree beads, rain, large feathers, garlands of gold paper - the finishing touch of a pompous cabaret.
How to decorate a banquet hall?
The decoration of the hall may include flower arrangements in floor vases, glowing garlands of light bulbs of different colors, posters corresponding to the cabaret style, feathers, and rhinestones.
Editor's choice: DIY wedding arch: its types and meaning
To seat guests, it is advisable to use round tables with a capacity of 6 to 8 people.
Invitations
Figures of dancers in bright outfits , miniature corsets with or without skirts, a stylized red windmill. An original invitation to a party at the Moulin Rouge: a box opening from the “facade”, inside – a luxurious dancer against a background of red satin and sparkles (scene).
You can use FS to add an inscription to an old poster/billboard. Send personalized letters in gilded envelopes. Make a plane ticket to Paris, look retro, aged.
How to get to Moulin Rouge
The Moulin Rouge is located in the city center; you can get to the establishment yourself by public transport or by taxi.
Exact address: 82 Boulevard de Clichy, 75018, Paris, France.
How to get there from East Station:
- Option 1
Metro: from Gare de l'Est station on the lilac line to Barbes - Rochechouart station (4 min.).
Metro: from Barbes - Rochechouart station on the blue line to Blanche station (4 min.)
Walking: 92 m.
How to get there from Gare du Nord:
- Option 1
Metro: from Gare du Nord station on the lilac line to Barbes - Rochechouart station (2 min.).
Metro: from Barbes - Rochechouart station on the blue line to Blanche station (4 min.).
Walking: 92 m.
- Option 2
Walking: 700 m.
Metro: from Barbes - Rochechouart station on the blue line to Blanche station (4 min.).
Walking: 92 m.
Moulin Rouge on the map
Suits
A shocking outfit for a Moulin Rouge-style party requires close attention to detail. Ladies should not look too revealing: from a racy dancer’s costume to a vulgar look that is not a lady from the “red” street - one step.
Of course, at this celebration of life there are no prohibitions: someone can transform into a playful courtesan. Corset, stockings with garters, bright makeup, high stiletto heels, ruffled bows.
Modest guests will like the image of a lady of noble blood. Yes, they also visited the cabaret. This party outfit should be seductive, but not revealing. Not too short elegant retro dress, evening makeup, neat hairstyle, sparkling diamonds. The organizer should suggest more specifically how to dress for a party in the style of the Moulin Rouge - 30s, 60s, our time?
The trick is that the cancan dancer’s outfit, although becoming smaller and more revealing, is still recognizable. Corset, stockings, shoes, multi-layered skirt of any length. And the images of the ladies sitting in the hall changed very much! Therefore, it is worth deciding on the era so as not to confuse the party guests. It’s easier for men - impeccable suits, polished shoes, a scarf or flower in a buttonhole, a bow tie/tie, a watch on a chain.
about makeup, hairstyle, accessories down to the smallest detail (gloves, hat, handbag). It doesn’t matter whether the script takes you to the distant past or you visit the modern Moulin Rouge - the costume should be stylish and luxurious. Even if she is a courtesan, she is an elite one - others will not get into the most famous cabaret in Paris!
Growing Up Cabaret
Like wine, Moulin Rouge only gets better over the years, making the numbers more varied and honing the skill of their execution. The initial reputation as an obscene establishment where respectable citizens do not enter is being replaced by a much healthier one.
Moulin Rouge then and now!
In 1924, the ball was ruled by the Hoffman Girls group, led by choreographer Gertrude Hoffman, who also danced in her time. Gertrude's numbers were so permeated with sensuality and eroticism that they often shocked, causing ambiguous and sometimes negative opinions.
Since 1937, the cabaret has been rebuilt, turning it into a modern music hall with a thoughtful repertoire, which includes not only dance numbers, but also various attractions and tricks. The famous cancan also has not gone away, since it has become the calling card of the club.
Cabaret Moulin Rouge
Spectators still come to admire the beautiful forms of the dancers. Once in an atmosphere of relaxation and fun, it is impossible not to succumb to the general mood, and drinking champagne further enhances the degree of emotions.
Menu, serving
As in any decent establishment, the Moulin Rouge has several menus: seasonal, daytime and evening, for ordinary visitors and VIP guests (only some 420 euros!).
Of course, recipes cannot be repeated exactly, and who needs it?
- blue lobsters (shrimp and other seafood are also suitable);
- tomato gazpacho;
- green, white asparagus;
- Morel (mushroom) sauce;
- eggplant parmesan with arugula pesto sauce;
- Boulanger potatoes;
- agnolotti, cannelloni (stuffed pasta);
- mesclum (a mixture of leafy greens);
- beef steaks, veal, poultry, fish (in the original menu it is sea bass with Provence vegetables and dill);
- sliced cheese, vegetables;
- exquisite desserts, lots of fruit, nuts in yogurt, piles of chocolate deliberately carelessly broken into pieces (a chocolate fountain would be very helpful!);
- wines, champagne, liqueurs, mint vodka. Of course, according to the tastes of the guests (this is much more important than maintaining authenticity).
This is based on the summer evening menu, with hot dishes to choose from. It is clear that it is simply unrealistic to cook everything. But for stylization, a few dishes of Italian and French cuisine will be enough. The recipes are really simple, despite the names that are alien to the “Slavic ear”.
Any presentation. Round tables for 2-4 people fit perfectly into the theme of the Moulin Rouge party. But in many cases a buffet is more convenient, especially if the occasion is not too solemn. Are you planning a feast? Let it be! The main thing is to beautifully decorate both the dishes themselves and the presentation.
Aim for the following environment:
- black tablecloth – red napkins, or vice versa. Draping furniture to the floor, with neat waves;
- fine porcelain , gold-plated cutlery, crystal glasses, alcohol in expensive-looking bottles (you can paste vintage labels or Moulin Rouge-style posters on top of regular ones);
- “golden” rings on napkins , cards with the names of party guests, miniature vases with feather flowers. Everything is expensive, brilliant and at the highest level!
Hard natural selection
When selecting girls for the Moulin Rouge show, they always strictly adhered to the rules established more than 60 years ago. And all so that the viewer gets the impression of deja vu, as if there is only one dancer on stage, and the rest are just a fantasy, a bizarre joke of shadows and light.
Cabaret Moulin Rouge in Paris!
All candidates are measured and weighed. They must be 168-172 cm tall, slim and fit, skin in impeccable condition. Even the length of the legs; The size, shape of the breasts and the distance between them must match. The figure of Kankaner women is also strictly monitored, weighing and measuring them once a week. Once you gain a little more than a kilogram, the loser is removed from the number until she regains her lost shape.
Although girls on stage are expected to give pleasure to the audience, after the show they are expected to behave chastely. Leaving the music hall through the back door, they go home in a chauffeured car. A violator of strict rules is fired without delay.
Cabaret Moulin Rouge in Paris
Another mandatory condition is to work under a pseudonym invented by the manager. True names remain a secret, but fictitious ones remain until the end of his career in Moulin Rouge.
Girls from any country can join the dance group if they have enough talent. Since today it has become prestigious to work in a variety show, choreographers from all over the world also offer their services. It also happens that celebrities invite girls to their dance shows, and you could see them next to Dita Von Teese, Christina Aguilera, and Carmen Electra.
Revival of Moulin Rouge
The cabaret that reappeared after the fire has changed qualitatively. If earlier the establishment had the reputation of a place that respectable citizens do not visit, then the newly opened Moulin Rouge has become more of a fashionable music hall. The repertoire was carefully thought out, in addition to dances, there were bright numbers with tricks and entertainment for the audience.
Of course, the famous cancan has not gone away, only the shows have become even more vibrant and erotic. The choreographers of Moulin Rouge have always keenly felt the line between sensual and provocative.
On the cabaret stage they not only danced the cancan to the lively melody of Jacques Offenbach, who was the most fashionable composer in France in the 19th century. At various times, Edith Piaf, Frank Sinatra, Liza Minnelli and the famous chansonnier Charles Aznavour performed here. Elvis Presley never sang here, but he loved to spend his free evenings at the table.
Nowadays, world celebrities do not perform on stage; the Moulin Rouge itself is a world celebrity. People from all over the world come to see the bright shows, and once, in November 1981, the Red Mill troupe was honored to perform in front of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain.
Films and musical
Several films have been made about the famous cabaret over the years. The first film about Moulin Rouge dancers was released back in 1928. It was filmed by the then popular director Ewald Andre Dupont, and the sexy Olga Chekhova starred in the title role.
Several films about cabaret appeared in the 50s of the 20th century, but they did not gain much fame. It was possible to masterfully convey the atmosphere of the enchanting show only in 2001, when the premiere of the musical “Moulin Rouge” with Nicole Kidman in the title role took place. The story of the tragic love of a dancer and a poor writer is, of course, a little banal, but the sparkling beauty of the show and the vibrant creative life take viewers back to the first years of the Red Mill.
Few people know that the Moulin Rouge cabaret is mentioned twice in the Guinness book. And for the same achievement. The first record was recorded when the girls managed to synchronously swing their legs 29 times in a minute. And on the 125th anniversary of the cabaret, the record was broken - the dancers were able to speed up and achieved 30 swings.
