Happy 131st Birthday Moulin Rouge!

 

Happy Birthday to the Moulin Rouge who is celebrating 131 years today.

Here are some fun and interesting facts and figures about the Moulin Rouge.

It was Paris’s First Electric-powered Building and it was designed by Adolphe Léon Willette. The cabaret’s recognizable color and electric-powered facade would both become emblematic of Paris. When shows began at 10 p.m., the cabaret would light up Place Blanche like a lighthouse beacon ready to welcome guests.

600,000: The total number of guests hosted by the Moulin Rouge yearly. And contrary to popular misconceptions, foreign tourists aren’t the only ones who visit the hallowed institution: half of the audience is usually French.

240,000: the number of champagne bottles popped every year at the Moulin Rouge.

5: The number of pythons taking part in the “Féérie” revue — in addition to the six dwarf horses making their appearance on stage. Not to mention the aquarium (containing no less than 40 tons of water) that appears in a number of scenes.

12: The number of costumes worn by one performer during a show. Twenty-three stylists are on hand to help the troupe change outfits between scenes. In total, the Moulin Rouge’s wardrobe consists of over 1,000 costumes — all of which are hand-made to measure.

37: The minimum shoe size for the Doriss Girls’ (the Moulin Rouge’s famous dancers) costumes. The Maison Clairvoy-provided footwear goes up to 46 (for men).

14: The number of nationalities that make up the Doriss Girls, with a majority of them French, British and Australian.

2: The maximum weight in kilos that a Moulin Rouge dancer can gain. And that is also the number of kilos that the Doriss Girls, whose measurements are closely watched, can shed.

120: The number of maître-d’s, head waiters and servers that compose the front-of-the-room staff serving the 900 guests who take in the show — along with chef David Le Quellec’s cuisine, while the bustling kitchen keeps 25 cooks busy.

Note it is currently closed as a result of the corona virus restrictions but it will be up and running again once the virus is under control.

Happy Birthday to the fabulous and very French Moulin Rouge ♥♥

Leeann x