Cabarets in Paris
 

We are taking our first trip to Paris this winter and would like to go to a Cabaret.(I think we must see the cancan! Can anyone tell me abit about the Moulon Rouge or the Lido. We are traveling with my 12 year old son and I am trying to get a feel as to whether this would be appropriate for him. Are there other cabarets that might be suitable? Any information would be greatly appreciated. Merci!

I wouldn't take my 12-year old to Lido or Moulin Rouge. These days, the performers are scantily clad (thong style costumes, bare breasts, etc.). There are lots of restaurants in and near Place du Tertre with live musicians, singers, etc. You can hear the music passing by and go inside if you find it appealing. If you ride the subway a lot, you'll see plenty of excellent musicians (but no can-can).

wendy <BR>to each his/her own, but the Can Can these days is strictly for tourists with very big wallets. It would be like a European visitor going to Dallas and expecting to see a cowboy show. It's the past, not at all the present. Much more pleasant and economical for a night-time activity would be a cruise on the Seine to see the monuments and buildings lit up or a concert in one of the churches or one of the small cabaret shows mentioned above. <BR>for suggestions try <BR>www.pariscope.fr or <BR>www.timeout.com/paris

We went last week to the Latin @ the Latin Qtr. If you can avoid, don't go. Stuffy, expensive and amateurish. <BR> <BR>Go to a to a the Moulon, Crazy Horse or Lido <BR>

I don't think it's appropriate for anyone, but definitely not children. These are basically T&A shows like in Las Vegas, but I don't think they are as well done as in LV if you want that glitzy talentless extravaganza stuff (I don't like Las Vegas shows either in case you couldn't guess, so that's where I'm coming from). They have lots of feathers and lasers and scantily clad women and men in jumpsuits. Of the two you mentioned, the Lido is just a Las-Vegas style "revue", I don't think it has anything to do with even pretending to be French any more, but I'm not sure. I think the Lido is more sexual than the Moulin Rouge, although I read there was an act at the Moulin Rouge in the past involving a naked couple underwater simulating a certain activity (guess what)--nice family entertainment. But, having said that, the Moulin Rouge does actually have a children's show for 6-12 year olds. But that's sort of the problem, your son is at a difficult age; I would not go at all to the regular shows of these places as I don't like that kind of entertainment in Las Vegas or Paris, and I certainly wouldn't take children, but he may not want to go to the 6-12 year old showing thinking he's too grown-up. I have no idea what they have in that show, I haven't heard, I'm sure there's cancan, as they are known for that. There are some descriptions of the adult evening shows at these places on www.timeout.com in the entertainment section, and there is a good description of them at www.paris-anglo.com/html/chronic/chronic4.html I think if you want to see cancan you have to go to Moulin Rouge or the Folies Bergere. If it were me, I'd go to the Folies Bergere as it has quite a history and I wouldn't mind seeing the area and building for historical interest; they have reasonably-priced lunch shows, also, that I think are more the cancan stuff, not the other cabaret stuff (I'm speculating from what I've read about it). The Moulin Rouge is extremely expensive, in case you weren't aware ($100 a head or something, for the regular fare). For that price, you could have lunch at the Tour d'Argent, I'm not kidding, which seems more French and memorable an experience. The Folies Bergere is only about US$10-15 or so for the cancan show at the youth fare of 70-90F. So, if you want to do this, I'd personally go there, not the Moulin Rouge. They have a web site www.foliesbergere.com. Unfortunately, I don't think the Folies Bergere web site has any English section, so it might be difficult to makes reservations on there if you don't know French (actually, I sort of would choose them just for that reason, thinking they are more French, as the other Vegasy shows have English websites, like at www.lido.fr and www.moulinrouge.fr). If you want to do that, maybe your concierge can help with tickets or something. Maybe the Tourist Office could help once you got there, also.

If you want your 12-year old to "experience" can-can girls, rent movies. All the "cabarets" in Paris are expensive and feature nearly naked women and sexually explicit routines. Not something I'd expose a 12-year old boy to.

I'm getting confused here. Isn't the boy 12? Or is he only 5 or 6? Does he watch television and see movies? Do we suspect he has no idea what sex is all about and that he is not ready yet to see a (gasp!) bare breast or two in a professional and tastefully done show? Personally I think most 12 year old boys are ready for the Lido or Moulin Rouge -- it's all part of going to Paris and it sure beats Disneyland.