The Théâtre des Nouveautés is a Parisian theatre built in 1921 and located at 24 boulevard Poissonnière. The name was also used by several earlier Parisian theatre companies and their buildings, beginning in 1827.
Present theatre (boulevard Poissonnière)
The current Théâtre des Nouveautés was established in 1921 at 24 boulevard Poissonnière, under the leadership of Benoît-Léon Deutsch in collaboration with Gilbert Dupé. Built by the architect Adolf Tiers with 585 seats, the hall was inaugurated on 21 April 1921 with the playLa journée des surprises by Jean Bouchor. The programming was devoted to operettas and comedies. Gilbert Dupé succeeded Benoît-Léon Deutsch from 1961 to 1973. Denise Moreau-Chantegris took over in September 1973, and in 2010 Pascal Legros became the director of the theatre.
The first Théâtre des Nouveautés opened on 10 March 1827 in the Salle de la Bourse located on the rue Vivienne, across from the Paris Bourse. The founder was Cyprien Bérard, a former director of the Théâtre du Vaudeville. The programs consisted of ballads, opéras comiques, satires and political plays. The theatre suffered the prohibitions of censorship and had recurrent difficulties with the Opéra-Comique, which refused to share its privileges. However, for other reasons Bérard was forced to close his theatre on 15 February 1832. The Salle de la Bourse was later used by the Opéra-Comique, then the Théâtre du Vaudeville until 1869, when that company moved into a new theatre on the Boulevard des Capucines. The Salle de la Bourse was closed and immediately demolished.
1866–1873 (rue du Faubourg-Saint-Martin)
After more than thirty years of eclipse, a second Théâtre des Nouveautés was inaugurated on 7 April1866 in a theatre on the , replacing the Salle Raphael, which had been built in 1863 and temporarily housed the troupe of the Théâtre des Délassements-Comiques in 1864. But a fire completely destroyed the new theatre just eight months after its opening. Rebuilt in less than three months, the theatre reopened on 28 January 1867. Many productions followed until October 1873 when the theatre returned to its former name - Théâtre des Délassements-Comiques. This incarnation of the theatre was demolished in 1878.
1878–1911 (boulevard des Italiens)
On 12 June 1878 a new Théâtre des Nouveautés was inaugurated at 26 boulevard des Italiens. Founded by Jules Brasseur in collaboration with Mme Michaux, the new theatre was built on the site of the old Fantaisies-Parisiennes, which had been inaugurated in 1864 and in 1875 completely rebuilt in a more convenient and carefully redecorated fashion as the Folies-Ollier. This incarnation of the Théâtre des Nouveautés was demolished in 1911 to allow the construction of the rue des Italiens.
