Robinson Crusoé

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December 2025
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Robinson Crusoé – Jacques Offenbach | Opera
Duration: approximately 2h15
Sung in French, with surtitles in French/English
Performance with audio description: Sunday, December 14, 2025, 17:00

 

The vivid poetry of Offenbach brought to life by the duo Marc Minkowski – Laurent Pelly.

 

 

Composed in the same year as La Grande duchesse de Gerolstein, Offenbach, who only dreams of seriousness, presents Robinson Crusoé at the Théâtre Impérial de l’Opéra-Comique. While the work achieves an honorable and discreet success, it primarily allows its composer to unfurl the unprecedented splendor of music in which the sea plays in symphony while the island birds sing on the piccolo. The press does not miss it: “In the vivacity of a sharp and delicate imagination, one senses a new path opened for opera-comique, almost like the modernization of the genre.” Who better than the team of Marc Minkowski and Laurent Pelly to bring this little-known score to life through music and stage direction? Around them, an ideal cast will bring Offenbach’s work to life, enhancing its joy, inspiration, and poetry. Like a slightly distorted mirror of an era that will never return...

Program and cast

Marc Minkowski | Conductor
Laurent Pelly | Director, Costumes
Agathe Mélinand | Dialogue adaptation
Chantal Thomas | Set design
Michel Le Borgne | Lighting

 

Lawrence Brownlee | Robinson
Julie Fuchs | Edwige
Laurent Naouri | Sir William Crusoé
Marc Mauillon | Toby
Rodolphe Briand | Jim-Cocks
Matthieu Toulouse | Atkins
Adèle Charvet | Vendredi
Emma Fekete | Suzanne
Julie Pasturaud | Deborah

 

Les Musiciens du Louvre
Accentus

 

New production Co-production Théâtre des Champs-Élysées | Angers-Nantes Opéra | Opéra de Rennes, in collaboration with Palazzetto Bru Zane – Centre de musique romantique française
In partnership with france.tv

Théâtre des Champs-Élysées

The Théâtre des Champs- Elysées is undoubtedly one of the finest venues in Paris . Built in 1913 , it has the distinction of having been designed by a group of artists architects Henry Van de Velde and Auguste Perret , the painter and sculptor Antoine Bourdelle , the painter Maurice Denis , and the crystal- René Lalique to do mention the main ones . He was the first Parisian theater to be built entirely of reinforced concrete.

 

Restoration of the Great Hall devoted to operatic performances , symphony concerts and dance was decided in 1985. Two years later , on 23 September 1987, the theater reopened its doors , completely renovated. Fifteen years after this important work it was decided to undertake a new renovation campaign , but to prevent the complete closure of the theater for an entire season , work is now carried by step during the summer . Then it is to replace aging equipment , to remedy wear certain parts of the theater and improve spectator comfort and artists during their visit . Thus in recent years, including the work involved the renovation of marble facade, replacing the carpet in the room with wooden floors , installation of a new fully decorated wooden concert to a significant improvement of acoustics, the orchestra pit and stage below .

 

The Théâtre des Champs- Elysées is now a modern working tool receiving each year nearly 300,000 spectators and a few thousands of artists and collaborators.

 

The Théâtre des Champs- Elysées , the jewel of French architecture of the twentieth century, was in 1953 one of the first buildings of contemporary architectural heritage to be classified as historic monuments . Since 1970 the Caisse des Dépôts owns the entire building 15 avenue Montaigne and principal patron of the theater.

 

For over a century, Théâtre des Champs-Elysées has been the place where the most celebrated artists have come to make their names in Paris. The world’s finest orchestras and world-class soloists have always been a fixture at the Theatre. Théâtre des Champs-Elysées presents more than 200 concerts each year and is renowned for its outstanding performances of all genres, from classical music concerts and staged opera to contemporary dance and jazz.

 

How to reach us:
 

Subway: Alma-Marceau (line 9), Franklin D.Roosevelt (line 1), Pont de l’Alma (RER line C)

Bus: n° 42, 63, 72, 80, 92
Taxi station: Place de l’Alma, corner of avenue George V
Car park: Alma George V. The entrance is in front of n° 19, avenue George V
Fixed rate depending on the length of the performance. Payment upon entering.

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