AlysonRR

My mother and I are traveling to Paris for a week in June with my 11.5yo niece and my 12.5yo daughter.

I suggested attending an opera or ballet while in Paris. She thinks a cabaret (with can-can dancing) would be preferable, since we have world-class opera and ballet in our nearby city (where we've frequently taken the girls to symphony, though not opera or ballet).

I've researched a little about cabarets and it's not clear to me that there are appropriate shows for ~12-yo girls. Note that these are not prudish girls - they have been raised by freethinkers - but they are unaccustomed to nudity outside their immediate family. Basically, "traditional" cabaret is my mom's idea of experiencing Paris - I'm not sure about it.

I know there are many children's performances in Paris, as there are in other major cities. We don't want to pack our itinerary with French-language performances - the girls are more art-oriented and they have only rudimentary French. We are planning to attend at least one marionette show in one of the parks (Luxembourg or Buttes Chaumont are those I've seen mentioned).

I welcome any recommendations for unique performances that English-speaking ~12-yo girls would enjoy.

Opinions? Suggestions?

Thanks so much for any input!

laurie_ann

I can't recommend any of these specifically but here are some ideas on a google search of "children, music, paris" that sounded like fun (none of which are actually cabaret or even music):

http://en.parisinfo.com/paris-museum...re-de-la-magie

http://en.parisinfo.com/guided-tours/74298/Paris-Story

http://www.timeout.com/paris/en/arts...ssaion-theatre

(The www.timeout.com guide to Paris has a special childrens section that might be helpful for other planning too.)

Gretchen

We took our kids to the Folies, I think. It really isn't a children's experience--flashy, Las Vegas, etc. I think it would be a total waste of time and money when there are better ways to spend an evening in Paris.

StCirq

I totally agree with Gretchen,especially since there are a thousand and one totally enjoyable things one can do with 12-year-olds in Paris. I personally would hate to think that my 12-year-old's impression of Paris had been informed by an overpriced flashy can-can show. Take them to Au Lapin Agile if you want a "true" cabaret. Let them figure it out.

AlysonRR

Thanks so much for your replies. As you can tell from my OP, I mainly wanted to disagree with my mother regarding "cabaret" for the girls. I'll share your other options with her so we can choose more appropriate experiences. I know they're going to love Paris regardless! They're very excited about the Musee National d'Histoire Naturelle Grande Galerie de l'Evolution - they're both interested in science as well as music and art.

Thanks again!

Gretchen

If they love music take them to a concert at Ste. Chapelle.

nytraveler

Our DDs loves the Musee d Cluny - medieval objects including the famed uicorn tapestry. When 11 and 14 it was their absolutely favorite place in Paris.

Lexma90

Our kids are 15 and 18 now, but in the times they've been to Paris (starting at 10yo), after we had a lovely, leisurely French meal (some at fancy places, some not), and taken a stroll around Nortre Dame or through the 6th arr., or on a nighttime cruise on the Seine, we'd used up all of our evenings.

Though I would like to fit in a concert at Sainte Chapelle - the accoustics must be spectacular.

Gretchen

The concerts are long--maybe an hour. And the setting is wonderful to say the least. If you go when it is cool/cold outside, bundle up--it is VERY cold inside!! LOL

Gretchen

I of course, meant "NOT long".

Christina

I don't know why one would take girls to a cabaret show, anyway, even if appropriate, unless you'd take them to topless shows in Vegas, also. Seems like odd things to be teaching them re the appropriate role of women, and nothing to do with being prude, just whether you think dancing topless women are what women should be doing.

However, if you must, I believe they occasionally have noon shows at the Moulin Rouge that would be the best bet for children. I think people do take their children there. I don't know if it has bare breasts or not, but I think it may be the same show. At least it is a reasonable hour and not during an adult cocktail performance. They do have children's prices at the evening shows, though, so some must go. But these shows are really expensive, around 50-150 euro.

surfmom

As a parent of girls that age, I would feel odd with them at a cabaret. To me, that isn't the "real" Paris - it may be part of Parisian history, but the "real" Paris is so much more than that! I would think the Opera House would be just as "real".


I'm going to send you to my trip report...
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-very-cold.cfm

We did some really fun things in Paris with the kids - specifically the bike tour in Versailles, a cooking class, a scavenger hunt in the Louvre (I wish we had done it in Musee d'Orsay also), and a chocolate walking tour. We love going to Chez Francis with the kids and getting a window table and watching the Eiffel Tower twinkle. Just as real, but a lot more enjoyable!

AlysonRR

I'm glad my instincts were correct - I will resist mother's idea! The girls have expressed an interest in seeing a fashion show (found the ones at the malls for them), eating on a cafe terrace (easy), seeing lots and lots of art (we already have more museums on the list than our time...), and buying a French outfit (thankfully, they like the idea of flea market shopping for this).

Gretchen and nytraveler - a concert at Ste Chapelle and the Cluny are definitely on our list. I'm hoping to time it right to see a concert at the Cluny - apparently their concerts feature medieval instruments, which would be cool.

surfmom - I've read your trip report already - very helpful! I've been scouring the site for trip reports about children in Paris and yours was one of the first ones I read

Nikki

There is a free fashion show in English every Friday afternoon at Galeries Lafayette. Reservations are required.

http://www2.galerieslafayette.com/in...o?f=fashion_en

AlysonRR

Thanks, Nikki - that's the one we're planning on attending, or I read there is one at Printemps, too, on a different day.

tomboy

OP-sounds like your mother wants to watch the topless dancers, and wants the granddaughters to want what she wants.

Why not let the girls do what THEY want, and Gma do hers (perhaps alone)?

We've friends who, at 65 on a Euro tour, spent 3 hours watching the prostitutes in the windows during their free evening in Amsterdam, spent 3 hours on their free evening in Paris watching a topless show. My spouse and I wondered (to ourselves) if they've ever see each other naked. The husband's usual countenance is conservative, sterile, almost severe, almost asexual.

kerouac

It has been a tradition since the dawn of time to allow yourself "pleasures" when traveling that you would never allow yourself at home.

Seamus

If they enjoy music and museums, Musée de la musique would be a hit. www.citedelamusique.fr/francais/ The permanent collection offers a virtual timeline of music and musical instruments from primitive through contemporary, and temporary exhibitions are usually excellent - last time we were there it was on Bob Dylan.

Easy to reach via metro line 5, get off at station Porte de Pantin. There are other things to see and do in the Parc de la Villette http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parc_de_la_Villette and www.villette.com/en/

AlysonRR

Thanks, Seamus - I'll add the Musée de la Musique to our list, which is growing way past our capacity for attendance, I fear!

Tomboy - Gma isn't interested in the boobies, she just thinks can-can dancing = French. I'll selectively share some of the info I've received here (the most convincing is probably that it resembles more of a Las Vegas show than anything authentically French) to convince her otherwise.

I think I shared the girls' wishes earlier in the thread - believe me, those are at the top of the list to make sure their interests are served. And, having traveled with children more recently, I showed Mom a couple days of proposed itinerary that included stops at parks, (and Angelina, for these hot chocolate lovers) and she recognized that they would prefer that kind of a break to the kind of breaks she has previously enjoyed on her trips (4:30 wine and cheese on the balcony before dinner...). I think we'll have a great trip

AlysonRR

I do recognize my auntie in the "away from home" thing, though - she came back from the beaches of southern Europe with dozens (!) of photos of topless bathers. She seems perfectly normal in all other ways - I couldn't quite understand the motivation, other than a study in variation, which would only have been plausible if not shared with giggles...