This weekend, the Thรฉรขtre National de Nice celebrated its 50th anniversary in the presence of three notable former directors: Daniel Benoin, Jean-Louis Thamin, and Jacques Weber. Muriel Mayette-Holtz, the current director, offered a successful evening show.
In a filled-to-capacity Pierre Brasseur hall, all the way up to the second balcony, the immense red curtains opened for an anniversary evening marked by finesse and simplicity. Reflecting the theater’s iconic seats, the theme was red everywhere, on the little girls’ tutus, on the balloons tied to their wrists. “Why red? Because red is the heart, it’s love, it’s passion.” There was undoubtedly passion in the voice of the TNN director, Muriel Mayette-Holtz, as well as emotion at being present for the fiftieth anniversary of the Nice Cรดte d’Azur Drama Center.
With great pomp without being pompous
The evening organized by Passionnรฉment TNN was dedicated to the passion for the stage and these walls that have seen the greatest artists pass through. The show provided an opportunity to revisit half a century without excessive nostalgia. Masterfully led by a hilarious Jonathan Gensburger, the ceremony was fluid, with lightness pervading the room as it embraced the humor and talent of the master of ceremonies. The few blunders passed without difficulty. Another highlight of the evening was the participation of the little girls in red tutus who, with all their innocence, questioned the theater greats, while they responded in verse to celebrate theater. A joyful atmosphere lingered in the room, and the invitation to share was a success for the new director. “It’s extra,” she sang to the audience to close the evening. A melody that still echoes in the corridors.
