I Prefer Paris

SAVE THE DATE: May 19, Live Fabulous Food Tour: Rue des Martyrs

I am happy to announce that I am doing a live Fabulous Food Tour: Rue des Martyrs for www.france.fr on Wednesday, May 19, 10am EST (east coast time), 9am Midwest time, 7am, West coast time, and 4pm Paris time.

CLICK HERE to reserve your spot.

Here’s the description: 

Join former chef, caterer, baker, and chocolatier Richard Nahem on a yummy food tour of the best food shop street in Paris. Rue des Martyrs starts at the Notre Dame de Lorette church, goes through Pigalle in the 9th arrondissement and up thorough the hills of Montmartre. It's chock full of an amazing array of food shops including 6 cheese shops, fresh pasta shop, 10 boulangeries/patisseries, 7 fruit and vegetable stands with the freshest seasonal produce, chocolate and confection stores, a jam and jelly boutique, butcher shops, seafood stands, and many other mouthwatering food shops. WARNING! Do NOT watch this tour on an empty stomach! 

I look forward to seeing you there. 

CLICK HERE to reserve your spot. 

Below are some photos I took on the rue des Martyrs when I was doing my research last week. 

Here are links to my past videos, in case you missed them. CLICK HERE if you would like to make a donation to my Paypal Tip Jar. 

Emily in Paris  https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=333212944720455&ref=watch_permalink

Lupin https://www.facebook.com/144282132273340/videos/5807669259247093

Montmartre https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=242914284212431&ref=watch_permalink

Marais https://www.facebook.com/144282132273340/videos/290923779203412

Luxembourg Gardens https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=164479478911322&ref=watch_permalink 

 

Hello Dolly at the Lido Paris 2

One of the most beloved and popular American musicals of all time, Hello Dolly, has arrived in Paris. The original production on Broadway, based on the play The Matchmaker by Thornton Wilder, with lyrics and music by Jerry Herman, opened in 1964, and became one of the longest running musicals on Broadway. It starred Carol Channing as Dolly, who make the role indelible, performing in it over 5000 times over a four-decade span.

I saw the revival in New York in the mid-1990s with Carol Channing, and she was superb.

The Paris production, celebrating the 60^th anniversary of the Broadway debut, performed in English with French subtitles, gets the flavor and spirit very well, executing the songs, and the book with verve and high energy.

Dolly is played by Caroline O’ Connor, and even though I never heard of her, she has an impressive resumé, having preformed in shows such as Cabaret, Gypsy, Chicago, and Funny Girl, on Broadway, the West End in London, and in Australia. As Dolly, she hits the mark more so with her comedic gestures and funny antics, and the supporting cast backs her up perfectly.

The show is accompanied by an excellent orchestra, who bring out the best of the musical numbers, especially Before the Parade Passes By, with the brass section playing to the hilt.  

Although the stage is small, the production has a much larger presence due to the clever choreography and staging. The costumes are gorgeous and the scene when Dolly walks down the staircase to make her entry into Harmonia Gardens to sing Hello Dolly, accompanied by waiters in cropped red jackets with white shirts and bowties, is a knockout.

Hello Dolly

Until January 5, 2025

Lido 2

https://lido2paris.com/en/upcoming-events/hello-dolly/?gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIuryUzIHriQMVI6doCR0U4hqcEAAYASAAEgKhM_D_BwE

EYE PREFER PARIS POSTCARDS FOR HOLIDAY GIFTS

I am offering a holiday sale of free shipping on Eye Prefer Paris Door Postcards. In addition, if you want to send them as a holiday gift, I can handwrite a personalized card for you.

For a set of 18 cards, you will save $12, and for a set of 9 cards, you will save $8.

Just in time for the holidays, the Eye Prefer Paris-Paris Door Collection makes a perfect gift for your Francophile friends and family.

IMPORTANT! You must order your cards before December 10, as I mail them from Paris, and it takes 10 days to 2 weeks to arrive in the U.S.

CLICK HERE to order 18 cards: 3 Red Doors, 3 Blue Doors, 3 Green Doors, 3 Wood Doors, 3 Iron Doors, and 3 Door Knockers. 

Cost: $65 Includes Free Shipping.

CLICK HERE to order 9 postcards: 3 Red Doors, 3 Blue Doors, 3 Green Doors.

Cost: $35 Includes Free shipping

CLICK HERE to order 9 postcards: 3 Wood Doors, 3 Iron Doors, and 3 Door Knockers

Cost: $35 Includes Free shipping 

Postcards are hand-wrapped with love from Paris and mailed in an elegant, French-blue envelope. 

Just in time for the holidays, the Eye Prefer Paris-Paris Door Collection makes a perfect gift for your Francophile friends and family.

Blue Doors

Green Doors

Blue Doors

Metal Doors

Wood Doors

Door Knockers

 

SAVE THE DATE: NOV. 8, 2024

You are invited to the Paris premiere of my partner Vincent's new short film UNTITLED (AMERICAN STORY) screening at ASVOFF 16 Film festival on November 8th, 7 PM. I look forward to seeing you there. 

 

CLICK HERE TO BUY A TICKET 

DOVER STREET MARKET PARIS

35-37 RUE DES FRANC BOURGEOIS 75004

Shirley Bassey Jewelry Exhibition at Sotheby’s Paris

Alas, Diamonds are not Forever.

Legendary singer Shirley Bassey, who passionately sung the hit theme song Diamonds are Forever from the Jame Bond film from 1971, has decided to part with some of her diamonds and other precious jewelry at an auction at Sotheby’s Paris.

I attended the preview showing yesterday and was dazzled and bedazzled by the eighty-piece collection. Glamorous earrings, ornate bracelets, and dramatic necklaces adorned the vitrines on the third floor of the auction house. The jewels were by the top jewelry houses, Piaget, Cartier, Bulgari, and Van Cleef & Arpels, and other small jewelry houses.

Of course, there are incredible stories attached to the jewelry, and two stories standout.

Elton John gifted Shirley a vintage white diamond ring after she performed a song at one of his charity AIDS events, and Shirley bought herself an emerald parure to celebrate her very first Royal Variety performance in front of the late Queen in 1961.

Bassey wore her jewels on stage with her elegant but sometimes outrageous and revealing gowns. I remembered I attended a concert of hers in 1976 at Carnegie Hall, and she wore a low-cut gown, and when she turned around, there was a diamond encrusted, cutout butterfly down her backside, which she made fun of during her magnificent performance.

The preview goes until October 9 and the auction is on October 10. Admission is free for the preview.

Sotheby’s Paris

76 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, 75008

Open 10am-6pm

https://www.sothebys.com/en/auction-catalogue/2024/fine-jewels-including-the-collection-of-dame-shirley-bassey-ch-dbe-pf2440/the-collection-of-dame-shirley-bassey-ch-dbe

Lost in Frenchlation Olympic Programming

My friend Manon Kerjean runs the wonderful organization, Lost in Frenchlation, which screens current and classic French films with English subtitles. I’ve seen many great films in the past seven years and sometimes they have the directors and actors present at the screenings for a Q & A after the films are screened. Last she had Camille Cottin, from the hit series Call My Agent, at a screening for a film she was in.

Lost in Frenchlation is presenting a special Olympic program in July and August with screenings of Olympic related films and some great classic French films. The slate includes Amelie, The Last Metro, L’Esprit Coubertin, Anatomy of a Fall, and Claire’s Knee.

CLICK HERE to find more info and the scheduled films.

Maison Parisienne: 15 Years, 15 Artists, 15 Works

 

Maison Parisienne is a company that represents French artists and artisans and arranges exhibitions in various luxury venues in Paris, London, Monaco. Brussels, and London. Past shows have been presented at the Hotel Plaza Athenee, Hotel Le Meurice, and Brown’s Hotel. 

This year Maison Parisienne is celebrating its 15^th anniversary by featuring 15 works by 15 artists. I attended the show yesterday next door to the Musée des Arts Decoratifs and was dazzled by the beautiful work and craftsmanship. Below are photos and the artists names. 

Until April 9, 2024

Hall des Maréchaux Musée des Arts Décoratifs

107-111 rue de Rivoli, 75001

Admission is free but you must book tickets online.

https://maisonparisienne.fr/en/

Aude Franjou

Liliane Daubisse

Jerome Blanc

Karen Gossart & Corentin Laval

Herve Wahlen

Homage a Calais

Simone Pheulpin.

Aude Franjou

Patricia Lemaire

Juliette Clovis

Table Pierre Renart, Painting Julien Vermeulen

Gérald Vatrin

 

 

Matthew Bourne’s Romeo and Juliet at Chatelet

Romeo and Juliet, the timeless story of star-crossed lovers by Shakespeare, has been performed endless times around the globe over the centuries. It’s been translated, rebooted, and modernized to attract new generations to the universal theme. It’s been a film many times over, an opera, and immortalized in dance and ballet. 

Matthew Bourne, the British choreographer and director extraordinaire, has brought a fresh new twist to Romeo and Juliet. Debuting in 2019 in London at Sadler’s Wells in London, the full-length ballet is set in the Verona Institute, a mental hospital with music by composer Sergei Prokofiev. It was huge hit with glowing reviews and is now being performed in Paris. 

When the curtain opens, the spare but striking almost black and white set by Lez Brotherston (who also designed the all-white costumes) sets the tone for the next two hours. The harsh reality of the institution gives way to an even more heartbreaking but poignant retelling of the story. The fast paced and powerful choreography is sensational, and the movement of dancers is downright breathtaking. The love scenes between Romeo and Juliet are beautiful and tender. 

Even though there’s no dialogue, the dance and music tells the story powerfully. 

Romeo and Juliet 

Theatre du Chatelet  Until April 28, 2024

https://www.chatelet.com/en/programmation/season-2023-2024/matthew-bournes-romeo-and-juliet/

Egyptian Pharaohs at Atelier des Lumieres

 

Pharaohs and ancient Egypt come alive on the walls of Atelier des Lumieres for the new 2024 exhibition. 

It’s an unusual departure for Atelier des Lumieres, as they have presented shows by major artists of the 19^th and 20^thcentury in the last seven years including Van Gogh. Monet, Cezanne, and Klimt. 

The mesmerizing light show traces the history of Egypt, beginning with the remains of old Egypt that were uncovered by French scientists during the Egyptian Campaign of 1798 to 1801, with drawings by artists David Roberts. It continues with depictions of the enormous construction sites used to build the pyramids and chronicling the workers. The wondrous temples from Luxor to Abu Simbel are also displayed along with the Valley of the Queen’s and King’s.

A shorter show of 15 minutes, The Orientalists, Ingres, Delacroix, Gerome… follows Egyptian Pharaohs. When the gateways of the Orient began allowing painters from Western civilization, it opened a new world for artists such as Ingres, Delacroix, and Gerome and a host of lesser-known painters. Their exotic paintings come to life as we enter a world of mystery and fantasy.

Until January 5, 2025

28 rue Saint Maur, 75011 https://www.atelier-lumieres.com/en

Experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are walking tours I personally lead. Eye Prefer Paris Tours include many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes, food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks and gardens, and much more.  In addition to my specialty Marais Tour, I also lead tours of Montmartre, St. Germain, Shopping Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours, Emily in Paris tours, and Chocolate and pastry tours.

Tours start at 275 euros for up to 3 people, and 85 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you, my insiders, Paris.

 Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com 

Paris Writers Workshop 2024

Today is a guest post from Meredith Mullins about an excellent and informative writer's workshop.

Many of us dream of being a “writer in Paris.” You may be jotting notes on a café napkin; journaling to keep the adventure of Paris alive for more than a moment; writing (like Richard and Eye Prefer Paris) to share Paris discoveries with the world; or focusing on your novel, memoir, or screenplay project.

Even as you wander the Paris streets, you might feel the spirit of Hemmingway, Baldwin, James Joyce, Proust, Henry Miller, Victor Hugo, Zola, Oscar Wilde, and so many more. Whatever your path, Paris is a city full of inspiration.

Writing groups abound. Well-known and emerging writers live and work in Paris and often appear at local bookstores, libraries, and events. And writing workshops and retreats are prevalent, ready to move you to that next step toward your literary goals.

One of the best—the Paris Writers Workshop (PWW)—has just opened its early-bird registration for the summer program (June 2–7, 2024). The PWW is the longest-running writing workshop in Paris and is sponsored by WICE (a nonprofit education organization) and the Columbia Global Centers. The workshop will be held in the heart of literary Paris at CGC’s Reid Hall in the Montparnasse neighborhood.

The week offers daily masterclasses with six award-winning writers in Fiction, Creative Nonfiction/Memoir, Screenwriting, Speculative Fiction, Poetry, and Travel Writing. In addition to the small-group masterclasses, the program includes individual meetings with the instructors and literary agents, practical guidance for work in progress, panel discussions focused on tools of writing and paths to publishing, a literary walk, social gatherings, and the camaraderie of a literary community.

WICE has kept the fee lower than most workshops—an early-bird price for the week is 975 euros. More information about what is included can be found here.

Don’t wait too long to register. The small masterclasses will fill quickly and the discounted price ends on March 15. Join the fun on this week-long adventure . . . and revel in the literary past and present (and future?) in the inspiring City of Light.

The dynamic masterclass faculty for PWW 2024.

Reid Hall—a great location for PWW in Montparnasse. (Photo courtesy of Columbia Global Centers)

A literary bond and a lasting network of friends.  

 

 

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum at Lido 2 Paris

Something appealing, Something appalling, Something for everyone:
A comedy tonight!

These are the brilliant lyrics by Stephen Sondheim from the opening song, A Comedy Tonight, from the musical A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, which is having its premiere in Paris.

In the early 2000s, Jean-Luc Choplin, the director of the Chatelet Theater, launched a series of classic American musicals to Paris for the first time. The series included many Broadway-style productions of Sondheim musicals such as A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd, Passion, Into the Woods, and Sunday in the Park with George.

The iconic Lido nightclub retired its dated, topless girlie shows and converted the venue into a theater. Last year they had a successful production of Cabaret and last month they presented A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, another Sondheim favorite.

I was invited to the show last week and went with a friend. The Lido 2 is on the Champs Elysees (of course!) and we walked down a long, glamorous red-carpeted hallway to get to the theater. Inside, the venue was more like an elegant, Vegas lounge with tufted velvet banquettes with tables for light food and drinks.

The show started at 8 pm, and for the next 2.5 hours, we were thoroughly entertained with laugh-out-loud pranks, puns, broad physical comedy, and slapstick, clever lyrics and memorable songs, and a fantastic cast of first-rate British actors and singers. A standout is the satirical but touching ballad Lovely.

The show was a welcome, lighthearted relief from the strife of bad politics and wars going on in the world today.

Note: The show is performed in English.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

Until February 4, 2024

Lido 2

116 bis Avenue de Champs Elysees, 75008

https://billetterie.lido2paris.com/en/manifestation/7/a_funny_thing_happened_on_the_way_to_the_forum

Eye Prefer Paris 18th Anniversary
In 2024, I will celebrate 18 years of bringing you Eye Prefer Paris. I want to thank and acknowledge everyone who has read Eye Prefer Paris, and especially want to thank my loyal subscribers who have received my posts by email over the years. 

Many blogs these days, are using platforms such as Patron or Substack, where you have partial access to their content, and to view the full content, you must pay a monthly or yearly fee.

I would like to continue posting on Eye Prefer Paris free of charge but there are costs involved in maintaining the blog, including a monthly fee to send my posts to my subscribers, and the platform I use to distribute the blog, Typepad.

I would greatly appreciate it if you could support me with a donation so I can cover my costs and continue to bring you Eye Prefer Paris free of charge.

CLICK HERE  to make a PayPal donation (You don’t need a PayPal account to donate; you can just enter your credit card info **and be sure to opt for paying friends or family so a fee is not deducted.) I can also receive donations by Zelle and you can use my email address [email protected]

Or if you prefer to send a check, please email me at [email protected] and I will advise on mailing instructions.

SPECIAL INCENTIVE:

Anyone who donates $75 or more will receive a gift of a packet of 9 Eye Prefer Paris Door Photos.

Eye Prefer Paris 18th Anniversary

In 2024, I will celebrate 18 years of bringing you Eye Prefer Paris. I want to thank and acknowledge everyone who has read Eye Prefer Paris, and especially want to thank my loyal subscribers who have received my posts by email over the years. 

Many blogs these days, are using platforms such as Patron or Substack, where you have partial access to their content, and to view the full content, you must pay a monthly or yearly fee.

I would like to continue posting on Eye Prefer Paris free of charge but there are costs involved in maintaining the blog, including a monthly fee to send my posts to my subscribers, and the platform I use to distribute the blog, Typepad.

I would greatly appreciate it if you could support me with a donation so I can cover my costs and continue to bring you Eye Prefer Paris free of charge.

CLICK HERE  to make a PayPal donation (You don’t need a PayPal account to donate; you can just enter your credit card info **and be sure to opt for paying friends or family so a fee is not deducted.) I can also receive donations by Zelle and you can use my email address [email protected]

Or if you prefer to send a check, please email me at [email protected] and I will advise on mailing instructions.

SPECIAL INCENTIVE:

Anyone who donates $75 or more will receive a gift of a packet of 9 Eye Prefer Paris Door Photos.