Unique Opéra de Massy

Performing! Let's go back to December 2013, when Purcell's King Arthur was being performed at the Opéra de Massy. The Le Concert Spirituel orchestra is in the pit. Meanwhile, Hervé Niquet, their director, is getting changed. And for a good reason: in a kilt and long socks, alongside Corinne and Gilles Benizio (Shirley and Dino), he sings a song and puts on a real show. The room is full, the public are in hysterics.

This is not a haunted house. Nor is it a still from Games of Thrones … This severed head on a plate is in fact a prop from Othello! In the story, the hero returns home, victorious from war, brandishing the head of one of his enemies above the crowd that has gathered to hail his exploits.

The Opéra de Massy has three curtains, one of which is a safety curtain to act as a firewall in case of fire. In 1992, for its preseason, the Opéra de Massy had the pleasure of welcoming the mime artist Marcel Marceau as a guest performer. The day of the show, whilst he was still in the dressing room, technicians tried to raise the safety curtain, in vain. They discovered a crank system up in the fly loft but since the curtain was so heavy, it rose extremely slowly. Marcel Marceau was warned, and the mime artist decided to improvise a show around the difficulty of raising the safety curtain. The lucky audience that night witnessed an hour of brand new material.

Since 2007, the opera house has hosted a fashion show by the Gustave Eiffel vocational high school in Massy, every two years. Students studying all different subjects at the school are involved in the project. From the clothes to the creation of sets, the soundtrack, makeup, and even choreography, everything is done by the students with support from performing arts professionals.

When François-René Duchable takes the stage, it is sure to be a special night. After many years working as a concert artist, he began to use music in radically different ways. "From now on, I forbid myself from playing on any traditional stage whatsoever, except in very special cases and unusual ways: tributes, birthdays, etc."

Theater shows can be full of surprises. These include never knowing who may be around the corner backstage.

The Opera Bus has passed through the cities of Massy, Longjumeau, and Les Ulis for many years. Singers, musicians, the public: everyone is invited to attend the show by bus, and a great atmosphere is guaranteed.