"Bread and circuses!" - this ancient slogan was relevant, probably, at all times. There have always been "stadium", large forms of fun, but along with them there were also small ones, where a rather small number of people were going to relax.
The phenomenon of cabaret can definitely be attributed to such. This not too voluminous entertainment institution had its own program, consisting of chanson, sketches, plays, combined into a whole work of entertainer. In general, funny, fun, accessible. But not easy!
French roots
A little about the meaning of the word "cabaret". Cabaret has French roots, which can be concluded even from the name. Historians say: to some extent, Louis Napoleon had a hand in the development of this art form. He, having become emperor in 1852, forbade singing chanson in the so-called public places (at fairs, squares, streets). Therefore, a new refuge for chansonniers of all stripes becomes at that time a chantans cafe or cabaret. This allowed the street singers to legitimately display their talents.
Black Cat
Musicians could gather there, and, of course, beautiful representatives of the weaker sex. And soon Rodolphe Salis had an original idea - to create a cabaret.
It was the famous Le Chat Noir! Thus, the "Black Cat" received its successful incarnation in Montmartre. The institution was famous for dance numbers, one-act plays, sketches. They also performed traditional chanson. And the witty entertainer dominated everyone.
Easy and affordable leisure attracted the public. Soon the word "cabaret" became a real symbol of a bustling and free life. And in the institution itself, one could, so to speak, touch the forbidden, while not spoiling the reputation.
Other countries
Cabaret is also a worldwide practice. Similar places of entertainment are beginning to appear in different countries. Stray Dog opens in St. Petersburg, Four Cats opens in Barcelona.
But despite the initial popularity, as well as the patronage of well-known personalities in the creative world (for example, Akhmatova, Mandelstam, Gumilev, Mayakovsky, and other writers gave glory to the St. Petersburg cellar), cabaret, in general, then, they did not take root everywhere. Some turned into just cafes, while others gave space for readings and revolutionary meetings.
Moulin Rouge, or what is a cabaret?
A rather strange windmill-shaped structure, created by Léon-Adolf Villette, a decorator, marked the entrance here. And this place was destined to be great.
In 1889 in Paris opensThe Eiffel Tower is a symbol of France and, at the same time, the entrance arch to the Paris World's Fair. And for this event, Joseph Oller and Charles Zidler coincide with the opening of the cabaret (see photo above). "Moulin Rouge" (Moulin Rouge) literally translates from French as "red windmill".
The red blades of the windmill bore obvious hints of the "lantern district", and the magnificence of decoration made it very popular even in aristocratic circles. Royals such as the Prince of Wales, not to mention artists, visited the Moulin Rouge to watch the beautiful performance of the cancan.
Here in the forefront of burlesque performers - the famous actress and singer Yvette Guilbert, dancer Jeanne Avril, who was a model for Toulouse-Lautrec. This is the place that made them famous. Popular and well-known chansonniers also performed regularly: for example, Charles Trenet. So popularity and invested funds made it possible for a small institution to become a kind of hallmark of the capital of France.
Movie
The definition of cabaret as a phenomenon was perfectly given by Bob Fossey, the director who shot the film of the same name in 1972. Beautiful and affordable women, an elite audience, expensive interior decoration. But the colorful and promising wrapper hid many secrets, rather unsightly. And in this film, it turned out to tell the viewer the story of the singer Sally (played by the magnificent Liza Minnelli).
Here describes the life of an original girl who entertains the capital of the Weimar Republic (Berlin) on the stage of Kit-Kat. Behindpolitical chaos, the rise of the Nazis, the collapse of the economy, Jewish pogroms and much more take place through the doors of the cabaret. But inside - a restless holiday.
This film has been watched by millions to date, and art historians and critics, ordinary people and people of creativity have spoken about the phenomenon of cabaret.
And the "Moulin Rouge" in France at that time was gaining momentum: the decorators at the stage built a huge "aquarium" where dancers swam, exquisite and naked - this spectacle became truly enchanting!
Return to former glory
At the end of the twentieth century, the world's most famous cabaret experienced financial difficulties for the first time in history. However, luck again! Luhrmann's film of the same name was released in 2001 and returned the Moulin Rouge to its former worldwide popularity.
Today, the Red Mill can accommodate up to 850 visitors, and they, like a century ago, go with enthusiasm to watch the famous cancan, where the best of the best performers participate, about a thousand costumes are involved, and the scenery is still luxurious.
Death cabaret for the Third Reich
But not everything was so sweet in the general history of such establishments. The German version of the cabaret was opened back in 1989 in Berlin. Uberbrettl (literally translated from German as "midget stage") was a new branch of entertainment performance. Imbued with the idea of a "superman", its creator, Wolzogen, dreamed of introducing a special kind of entertainment facilities, from the stagewho could be nurtured "a new breed of humanity."
The creators of the German cabaret tried to turn vulgarity into aesthetic perfection. There were no tables in the hall, and from the stage, entertainment numbers were diluted with literary pamphlets and improvisation. The Berlin cabaret in those years was a favorite place for avant-garde artists who despised the canons of tradition in art. Here you could meet the elite of emigration from Russia.
A sad outcome for comedians
But pretty soon the noisy performance turned into a vulgar spectacle. A difficult era began for Germany. The crippled warriors of the First World War, farmers and townspeople challenged the "tedious" intellectuals. And the dancers took off their bright costumes, replacing the cancan with "candid" dances. The premises were filled with cigarette smoke, dubious personalities and gained fame as dens. And the Berlin cabaret itself has become a mirror of the rigid and limited needs of society after losing the First World War.
With the coming to power of the Nazis, a lot has changed, but not for the better. For example, the film actor and humorist Grünbaum ended his days in Dachau. Childish mockery of the Fuhrer's claims ended in death in a concentration camp for the joker himself. And his colleague Paul Kossman, a merciless critic of Nazism, also a Jew by nationality, miraculously managed to escape from persecution in Zurich, but committed suicide a month later.