"Meal'n'Real!" - This ancient slogan was relevant, probably at all times. There were always "stadium", large forms of fun, but along with them there were small ones, where a rather small number of people were going to relax.
To these with certainty can be attributed the phenomenon of cabaret. This not too voluminous entertainment institution had its own program, consisting of chanson, sketches, plays, combined into the whole work of the entertainer. In general, funny, fun, affordable. But not easy!
French roots
A little about the meaning of the word "cabaret". Cabaret has French roots, which can be concluded even by name. Historians claim: to some extent, Louis Napoleon had a hand in the development of this art form. He, becoming emperor in 1852, forbade the chanting of chanson in the so-called public places (at fairs, squares, streets). Therefore, at that time, a shantan cafe or a cabaret became a new refuge for the chansonnier of all stripes. This made it possible for street singers to legitimately show their talents.
"Black cat"
Musicians could gather there, and, of course, beautiful women. And soon Rodolf Salis has an original idea - to create a cabaret.
It was the famous Le Chat Noir! Thus, the "Black Cat" received its successful embodiment in Montmartre. The institution was famous for dance numbers, one-act plays, sketches. Performed and traditional chanson. And the witty entertainer dominated all.
Easy and affordable leisure attracted the public. Soon the word "cabaret" became a real symbol of a vibrant and free life. And in the institution itself it was possible, so to speak, to touch the forbidden, while not ruining the reputation.
In other countries
Cabaret is also a global practice. Such places of entertainment begin to appear in different countries. “Stray Dog” opens in St. Petersburg, “Four Cats” - in Barcelona.
But despite the initial popularity, as well as the patronage of personalities known in the creative world (for example, Akhmatov, Mandelstam, Gumilyov, Mayakovsky, and other writers gave fame to the St. Petersburg cellar), the cabaret, in general, did not take root everywhere . Some simply turned into cafes, while others gave out premises for reading and revolutionary gatherings.
Moulin Rouge, or what is a cabaret?
A rather strange mill-like structure, which was created by Leon-Adolphe Vilette, a decorator, designated the entrance here. And this institution was destined to become great.
In 1889, the Eiffel Tower was opened in Paris - 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 Sidler timed the opening of the cabaret (see photo above). "Moulin Rouge" from French literally translates as "red mill".
The red mill blades concealed obvious allusions to the “lantern area”, and the splendor of the decoration made it very popular even in aristocratic circles. Members of the royal family, such as the Prince of Wales, not to mention the people of art, visited the Moulin Rouge to see the beautiful performance of the cancan.
Here in the forefront of burlesque performers is the famous actress and singer Yvette Gilbert, the dancer Jeanne Avril, who was a model for Toulouse-Lautrec. It was them who were glorified by this institution. The chansonnier, popular and famous, such as Charles Trenet, also performed regularly. So popularity and invested funds made it possible for a small institution to become a kind of visiting card of the French capital.
Film
The definition of cabaret as a phenomenon was excellently given by Bob Fossi, 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 Sally's songgirl (played by the gorgeous Lisa Minelli).
It describes the life of the original girl who entertains the capital of the Weimar Republic (Berlin) on the stage of Kit-Kat. Behind the cabaret doors there is political chaos, the rise of the Nazis, the collapse of the economy, Jewish pogroms, and much more. But inside is a restless holiday.
Today, this film has been watched by millions, and art critics, ordinary townsfolk and people of creativity spoke about the cabaret phenomenon.
And the “Moulin Rouge” in France at that time was gaining momentum: the stage decorators built a huge “aquarium”, where dancers, refined and naked, swam - this spectacle became truly enchanting!
Return of glory
At the end of the twentieth century, the most famous cabaret in the world experienced financial difficulties for the first time in its history. However - luck again! Lurman's film of the same name was released in 2001 and returned Moulin Rouge to its former worldwide popularity.
Today, the Red Mill holds up to 850 visitors, and, like a century ago, they go enthusiastically to look at the famous cancan, where the best of the best performers participate, about a thousand costumes are involved, and the scenery is still luxurious.
Deadly cabaret for the Third Reich
But not everything was so sweet in the general history of such institutions. The German version of the cabaret was opened back in 1989, in Berlin. Uberbrettl (literally translated from German as “super small scene”) was a new branch of entertaining performance. Imbued with the idea of a "superman", its creator, Volzogen, dreamed of introducing a special kind of entertainment institution, from the stage of which it would be possible to bring up a "new breed of humanity."
The creators of the German cabaret tried to turn vulgarity into aesthetic perfection. No tables were supposed in the hall, but from the stage the entertainment numbers were diluted with literary pamphlets and improvisation. The Berlin cabaret in those years was the favorite place of avant-garde artists who despised the canons of art traditions. One could immediately meet the elite of emigration from Russia.
A sad result for comedians
But pretty soon, the noisy performance turned into a vulgar spectacle. A difficult era began for Germany. Crippled warriors of the First World War, farmers and townspeople challenged the "boring" intellectuals. And the dancers took off their bright costumes, replacing the cancan with "frank" dances. The premises were filled with cigarette smoke, dubious personalities and gained fame brothel. And the Berlin cabaret itself has become a mirror of the rigid and limited needs of society after losing in the First World War.
With the advent of the Nazis, much has changed, but by no means for the better. For example, film actor and comedian Grünbaum ended the days in Dachau. Children's mockery of the claims of the Fuhrer ended in death in a concentration camp for the joker himself. And his colleague in the workshop, Paul Kossman, a ruthless critic of Nazism, and also a Jew by nationality, managed to miraculously escape from the persecution in Zurich, but a month later he committed suicide.