“Émilie Jolie”, “The Lion King”… Our selection of shows for young and old at Christmas

Irish exile in Aubervilliers

The confinements almost put him on the ground. Not Bartabas , who is not one to let go. In 2020, he surprised his world again with the publication of a very beautiful book devoted to the horses which gave meaning to his life (From one horse to another, Gallimard). Zingaro, on the other hand, this equestrian theater that the famous equestrian established in 1989 north of Paris at Fort d’Aubervilliers and where he has always remained, felt at the end of its strength and threatened at the end of 2020. Not to mention that, since the first year of the Covid, this historic site is besieged by works having more to do with real estate speculation and the next Olympics than with the need for a new world…

To cope with this period, failing to invest in international productions involving Korean, Cuban or Tibetan artists as he has often done in the past, Bartabas returned to the equestrian cabaret of the origins of his company: casual shows whose the productions are narrowed down to the essentials. The appearances of the horses (from the donkey to the mule via the little pony), sublime and fascinating, are combined with the appearances of the vaulting riders, for the most part comical or magical. Always accompanied by live music.

Last winter, the first Exile Cabaret was devoted to Yiddish culture from Eastern Europe. This year, it is towards Ireland that it drifts. The world of the Irish Travellers, this people of travelers who base their identity on the love of horses, is here embodied by the singer and storyteller Thomas McCarthy, offspring of a long line of nomadic Gaelic artists. The squires lead us into a world made up of centaurs and fauns. A wonder that has earned Zingaro a great success this winter: initially scheduled until December 31, the show will be extended until early April. AC

Fort d’Aubervilliers (93). 2 hours. Until April 2, 2023.

The magic “Émilie Jolie”

A hedgehog that stings, that stings, the bird with which we would like to live our life, the alien A 440 from planet Fa… So many colorful characters whose songs have been dreaming (and humming) generations of dreamy kids since the creation of musical tale by Philippe Chatel . It is therefore not without emotion that we discover them in the flesh on a stage: the sparkling Émilie Jolie (not necessarily blonde depending on the distribution of the day) has only a few pages to find the prince charming who will make the wicked witch of the story kind. Carried by a clever scenography, the artists give beautiful voices for a joyful show where parents sing at the same time as their children. BT

At the Casino de Paris (Paris 9th). 1:20 a.m. Until January 8.

To the adventure

After the success of her podcast on France Inter – 20 million listens – and her books published by Les Arènes, storyteller Laure Grandbesançon transposes her Odysseys history on stage. In duet with the actor Baptiste Belaïd, she paints a hectic portrait of three intrepid adventurers: the explorer Jeanne Barret, the first woman to have circumnavigated the world disguised as a man, the British archaeologist Howard Carter, who discovered the tomb of Tutankhamen, the three astronauts of the Apollo 13 mission… All the magic of this show lies in the plasticity of its performers, carried by a scenography which, with three pieces of string and two plays of light, takes us far from our daily. LP

Free Theater (Paris 10th). 1:30 a.m. Until January 29.

Virtuoso artists

The Cirque d’Hiver Bouglione once again dazzles us with numbers whose brilliance only vies with originality. We hold our breath when Pavel Valla Bertini gets on his giant unicycle and when Julot Cousins ​​swings on its mast like a Buster Keaton in weightlessness, we are amazed by the power and the steel abs of Vitalys, two Peruvians who are reinventing the hand to hand , we are charmed by the aerial suppleness of Lucia Martdaz clinging to her hoop and Antony Cesar who flies under the big top attached to his straps. Without forgetting the Rabbit Eaters, a trio of artists who handle both hilarious humor and juggling of all kinds. Beautiful and great show. BT

Cirque d’Hiver Bouglione (Paris 11th). 2 hrs. Until March 5.

Dance at child’s height

Former prima ballerina Karl Paquette offers a shortened version of Swan Lake to introduce the cult ballet to the youngest. As in an old Walt Disney cartoon, a book opens on the first page. A voice-over tells how the young prince Siegfried is bored at his birthday party and prefers to go hunting in the forest with his new crossbow… The dancers move from one role to another depending on the acts in a minimalist but graphic setting . To tickle the imagination of young audiences, the ballroom costumes are flashier than in an opera production and the swan tutus are embellished with pretty frills that put sparkles in the eyes of little spectators. BT

Mogador Theater (Paris 2nd). 1:45 a.m. Until March 5.

Sublime cavalcade

The Folies Gruss project us into a world where artistic know-how, the memory of the gesture and the values ​​of transmission prevailed over special effects and digital retouching. Here, not a telephone screen, the attention is entirely captured by the 50 horses which offer their rhythm to the 16 jugglers, acrobats, trapeze artists and acrobats, carried by a flesh and blood orchestra. Firmin Gruss, who took over the reins of the heritage company Alexis Gruss – five generations including three on the track – made this bet: to breathe modernity into an ancient art by inscribing it in the spirit of the follies of the 19th century. . LP

Crossroads of the Cascades (Paris 16th). 1:30 a.m. Until March 5.

To roar with pleasure

The Lion King continues to show its claws to the delight of young and old alike (in search of sparkling nostalgia). Stage Entertainment has kept this dream machine, which attracted over 100 million viewers in the world since its creation on Broadway in 1997. The unforgettable songs (in French) by Elton John, the scenography, the giant puppets and the shimmering costumes ensure a journey as exotic as it is euphoric. BT

Mogador Theater (Paris 2nd). 2:35 a.m. (with 20-minute intermission). Until May 6.