At the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, the Visite chantée presents an experience that weaves together the architectural and cultural history of the theatre with live musical narration, designed to reveal the venue not simply as a building but as a living repository of memories and sounds. The format was conceived and is performed by singer and lecturer Grégoire Ichou, who guides visitors through various areas of the theatre combining historical and artistic explanations with live musical excerpts. The visits take place across several scheduled dates, leading through the main halls and lesser-known corners of the Châtelet, introducing audiences to the richness of the interplay between heritage, repertoire and cultural context. Throughout the journey Ichou performs pieces drawn from diverse sources, from opera arias to popular songs and French melodies, creating thematic and chronological connections that reflect the history and identity of the theatre.The approach is unconventional: history, music and voice combine to transform the visit into a sensory and reflective experience. Audiences are invited not just to listen but to engage in a continuous dialogue between spoken word and song, between the venue’s memory and the expressive power of music. In this emblematic Parisian theatre, inaugurated in the nineteenth century and long a stage for operas, ballets and concerts, the Visite chantée offers an innovative form of cultural discovery that links historical heritage with direct artistic experience.
