Transcript
Lindsey Graham (0:00)
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Scott Reeves (0:12)
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Lindsey Graham (0:25)
Nearly 8 o' clock in the evening on October 6, 1889. A young artist stands in the middle of an excited crowd on Place Blanche, a small plaza in the suburb of Paris. He's waiting for the opening night of Montmartre's newest open air cafe, the place where singers and dancers perform and customers have the opportunity to wine and dine in comfort. The young artist has been looking forward to tonight's grand opening. For days the new venue has been the talk of the town in no small part because of the eye catching structure Located just above the cafe's entrance, a large red windmill or as it's called in French, a Moulin Rouge. The young artist pushes his way through the crowd as a nearby church bell tolls 8 o'.
Narrator/Voice Actor (1:09)
Clock.
Lindsey Graham (1:10)
He reaches the front just as the Moulin Rouge opens its doors for the first time. The artist pays his fee and walks through the entrance with a flood of customers behind him. The doorway leads into a garden and there the young artist stops staring in disbelief at the larger than life stucco model of an elephant. The young artist's eyes light up when he sees a scantily dressed woman standing underneath the model. She beckons to the artist and cuts her eyes over to a doorway built into one of the elephant's legs. But the young artist doesn't go inside. He's not certain, but he's heard rumors that in the belly of this elephant is an opium den where one can smoke for as little as one franc. But the artist isn't here for drugs or women. He's here for the show. He's jostled onwards by other customers pushing past him, keen to secure the best tables in the garden with the best views of the stage. The artist joins them, makes his way to a table near the front. As he takes his seat, a waitress bustles over to take his order. With a sheepish smile, Yardis asks for a cheaper glass of wine. He'd order something fancier, but he only has a few coins in his pocket. All around him he hears wealthier gentlemen calling for bottles of champagne. But the young man isn't too embarrassed. He's just glad to be here at all and grateful he has a decent view for the show. That's about to start. As an orchestra begins to play, the young artist fidgets in his seat, too excited to keep still. And when the first performance at the Moulin Rouge is about to begin, he and the rest of the crowd leap to their feet and erupt into applause. The young artist doesn't know what to expect from this evening's festivities. All he knows is that he feels like he's part of something special and that after tonight, the city of Paris will never be the same. When the Moulin Rouge opens its doors for the first time, construction is not yet complete. Among other unfinished touches, the venue is missing its crown jewel, an extravagant ballroom located right next door to the Open Air Garden. Still, the opening night of the Moulin Rouge is a resounding success. High hundreds of wealthy Parisians sit side by side with artists and craftsmen who live and work in the bohemian semi rural suburb of Montmartre. Soon, the Moulin Rouge will emerge as the most famous night spot in Paris. Its name will become synonymous around the world with can can cabaret and controversial risque performers, a reputation the club began to earn when it opened its doors for the first time on October 6, 1889.