Le Cabaret Bruant

Name: Le Cabaret Bruant
SKU: 18078
Author: Aristide Bruant

S.l.n.d. [1903].

1 manuscript schoolboy's exercise-book (17.5 x 22.5 cm) of 10 leaves (written recto-verso) forming the prompt-book of the play Le Cabaret de Bruant, with 5 autograph leaves of songs and various notes, plus a postcard of the "Cabaret Bruant," illustrated with a full-length portrait of Bruant, captioned: "tous les clients sont des cochons!"...

Original prompt-book for a performance at the Cabaret Bruant, "Tableau populaire en un acte, performed for the first time on November 20, 1903." Bruant lists the cast on stage, a plan of the premises and staging, and the dialogues of the three planned scenes, with numerous corrections. Accompanied by three autograph notes with texts of songs and notes.

No. 84 boulevard de Rochechouart has a long history in Montmartre, dominated by the powerful figure of Aristide Bruant: it was here that Rodolphe Salis opened a cabaret in 1881 in a former post office, and it was he who named it “le Chat Noir.” He had found a scrawny cat abandoned in the disused premises, which he adopted, and which brought him luck when he had the inspiration to hire Aristide Bruant. In 1885, when the cabaret moved to 12 rue de Laval (now rue Victor Massé), Bruant bought the premises and named it “le Mirliton.” This marked the beginning of success for the man who sought “fortune in Montmartre by night”!

The play opens, after Bruant’s stage directions, with the famous Complainte du Chat noir: “Je cherche fortune / Au-autour du Chat Noir / Au-au clair de la lune / A Montma-a-rtre! / Je cherche fortune / Au-autour du Chat Noir / Au-au clair de la lune / A Montmartre le soir!” It is followed by “A la Bastoche,” where, “after the song, the audience applauds loudly: bravo, bravo” — Bruant, addressing the first customer: it’s not bravos we need, it’s cash! Further dialogues follow, then, by Bruant, “La Vigne au Roi,” with the same scenario repeated.

Prompt-books for the plays performed are rare, and only fair-copy versions are known.

A precious and unique autograph version.

#18078

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