Paris has always been more than a city. It is a stage, a character, a muse. In Mise-en-Scène: Paris in Song, we explore the French chanson as both an art form and a way of seeing life — the staging of love, heartbreak, and joy against the backdrop of Parisian cafés, boulevards, and dancehalls.

Our set list is diverse, from the art salons of Les Six ("Voyage à Paris"), the raw realism of early cabaret songs ("Les Filles de la nuit", "L’Accordéoniste"), and the international anthems that carried French song across the world — Édith Piaf’s "La Vie en rose", Josephine Baker’s "J’ai deux amours", Charles Trenet’s "La Mer" and "Ménilmontant". We visit Jacques Brel’s turbulent landscape ("Ne me quitte pas", "Vesoul", "Au suivant", "La Valse à mille temps"), Barbara’s haunting "Dis, quand reviendras-tu?", and Serge Gainsbourg’s sly "Sous le soleil exactement".

Each song is its own mise-en-scène: a small stage where voice, poetry, and melody dramatize the passions and contradictions of French life. Together, they create a panorama of the city and its spirit — Paris as seen through the lens of its songs.

— Siri Vik, artistic director