Touring production
Le Voyage dans la lune
Opéra-féerie in four acts and twenty-three tableaux, music by Jacques Offenbach, libretto by Albert Vanloo, Eugène Leterrier and Arnold Mortier (after Jules Verne), premiered at the Théâtre de la Gaîté, Paris on 26 October 1875 and revived at the Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris, on 31 March 1877.
Opera

The libretto of this ‘opéra-féerie’ is inspired by the works of Jules Verne, especially De la Terre à la Lune and Voyage au centre de la Terre. The novelist actually complained to his publisher about the numerous similarities between the storyline of Le Voyage dans la Lune and his own works. The librettists Vanloo, Leterrier and Mortier wanted to capitalise on the popularity of Verne’s novels, which had given rise to some very well-received adaptations, and on the Parisian liking for the féerie (extravaganza) genre, which hinged in particular on impressive stage effects. The highlight of Le Voyage dans la lune in this respect was probably the appearance on stage of a mehari camel, borrowed from the Jardin d’Acclimatation. However, spectators also found the sets by the painters Cornil, Fromont and Cheret very impressive, with their realistic replicas of the Paris Observatory, a blast furnace and an erupting volcano, and their representations of imaginary places such as a lunar landscape, a glass palace and mother-of-pearl tunnels. Last but not least, the presence of substantial choral forces and ballets lent this work the full range of spectacle available to an operatic production of the Second Empire.
Montpellier
Nancy
Compiègne
Tours
Toulon
Dates
Performers
OPÉRA DE MONTPELLIER CHOIR & ORCHESTRA
Pierre Dumoussaud, Chloé Dufresne conductors
Mathieu Pordoy responsible for musical studies
Olivier Fredj director
Anouk Viale choreography
Jean Lecointre artistic direction
Malika Chauveau set design and costumes
Nathalie Perrier lighting
Le prince Caprice Marie Perbost, Violette Polchi
Fantasia Sheva Tehoval, Jeanne Crousaud
V’lan Matthieu Lécroart, Jérôme Boutillier
Microscope Raphaël Brémard, Éric Vignau
Le roi Cosmos Thibaut Desplantes, Erick Freulon
Cactus Christophe Poncet de Solages, Pierre-Antoine Chaumien
Le prince Qui pass’ par-là Enguerrand de Hys, Pierre Derhet
La reine Popotte Marie Lenormand, Cécile Galois
Flamma / Adja Jennifer Michel, Ludivine Gombert
*variable cast
DURATION: 2:10 without intermission
Pierre Dumoussaud, Chloé Dufresne conductors
Mathieu Pordoy responsible for musical studies
Olivier Fredj director
Anouk Viale choreography
Jean Lecointre artistic direction
Malika Chauveau set design and costumes
Nathalie Perrier lighting
Le prince Caprice Marie Perbost, Violette Polchi
Fantasia Sheva Tehoval, Jeanne Crousaud
V’lan Matthieu Lécroart, Jérôme Boutillier
Microscope Raphaël Brémard, Éric Vignau
Le roi Cosmos Thibaut Desplantes, Erick Freulon
Cactus Christophe Poncet de Solages, Pierre-Antoine Chaumien
Le prince Qui pass’ par-là Enguerrand de Hys, Pierre Derhet
La reine Popotte Marie Lenormand, Cécile Galois
Flamma / Adja Jennifer Michel, Ludivine Gombert
*variable cast
DURATION: 2:10 without intermission
Co-production Centre Français de Promotion Lyrique / Opéra Grand Avignon / Clermont Auvergne Opéra / Théâtre impérial de Compiègne / Opéra de Limoges / Opéra national de Lorraine / Opéra de Marseille / Opéra de Massy / Opéra de Metz Métropole / Opéra national de Montpellier Occitanie / Opéra de Nice Côte d’Azur / Opéra de Reims / Opéra de Rouen Normandie / Opéra de Toulon Provence Méditerranée / Opéra de Tours / Opéra de Vichy / Avant-Scène Opéra, Neuchâtel / Palazzetto Bru Zane
With the support of Caisse des Dépôts, du Ministère de la Culture and Fondation Orange
Scores published by the Palazzetto Bru Zane
With the support of Caisse des Dépôts, du Ministère de la Culture and Fondation Orange
Scores published by the Palazzetto Bru Zane