Joseph-Lambert Dupuis (known as José Dupuis) (18 March 1833, Liège – 9 May 1900,

Nogent-sur-Marne Nogent-sur-Marne () is a commune in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. Nogent-sur-Marne is a '' sous-préfecture'' of the Val-de-Marne ''département'', being the seat of the Arrondissement of Nogent-s ...

) was a Belgian singer and actor. He was principally active in opéra-bouffe in Paris, in particular at the

Théâtre des Variétés The Théâtre des Variétés is a theatre and "salle de spectacles" at 7–8, boulevard Montmartre, 2nd arrondissement, in Paris. It was declared a monument historique in 1974. History It owes its creation to the theatre director Mademoiselle ...

Career

After making his stage debut in Liège, he moved to Paris in 1851 and made his debut at the Théâtre du Luxembourg-Bobino in 1854. In 1857 he was taken on by Hervé at his Folies-Nouvelles, and continued when the theatre became the Théâtre Déjazet (after its joint manager Virginie Déjazet), only moving on, after fifty or so creations, to the

; he made his debut there on 18 May 1861 in ''Le Sylphe'', a

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

by Edmond Rochefort, Charles Varin and Desvergers. Dupuis was chosen by Offenbach for Paris in ''

La Belle Hélène ''La belle Hélène'' (, ''The Beautiful Helen'') is an opéra bouffe in three acts, with music by Jacques Offenbach and words by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy. The piece parodies the story of Helen of Troy, Helen's elopement with Paris (myt ...

'', and alongside Hortense Schneider, he went on to feature in principal roles in the premieres of some of Offenbach’s most famous works: '' Barbe-Bleue'' (title role), ''

La Grande-Duchesse de Gérolstein ''La Grande-Duchesse de Gérolstein'' (''The Grand Duchess of Gerolstein'') is an opéra bouffe (a form of operetta), in three acts and four tableaux by Jacques Offenbach to an original French libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy. The s ...

'' (Fritz), ''

La Périchole ''La Périchole'' () is an opéra bouffe in three acts by Jacques Offenbach. Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy wrote the French libretto based on the 1829 one act play '' Le carrosse du Saint-Sacrement'' by Prosper Mérimée, which was revived o ...

'' (Piquillo), ''

Le pont des soupirs ''Le pont des soupirs '' ("The Bridge of Sighs") is an opéra bouffe (or operetta) set in Venice, by Jacques Offenbach, first performed in Paris in 1861. The French libretto was written by Hector Crémieux and Ludovic Halévy. Plays, including ...

'' (1868), ''

Les Brigands ''Les brigands'' (''The Bandits'') is an opéra bouffe, or operetta, by Jacques Offenbach to a French libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy. Meilhac and Halévy's libretto lampoons both serious drama (Schiller's play ''The Robbers'') ...

'' (Falsacappa), ''Les braconniers'' (1873), ''La Boulangère a des écus'' (1875) and ''

Le docteur Ox ''Le docteur Ox'' is an opéra bouffe in three acts and six tableaux of 1877 with music by Jacques Offenbach. The French libretto was by Arnold Mortier and Philippe Gille, adapted from the 1872 short story '' Une fantaisie du docteur Ox'' by Jul ...

'' (1877). He also worked with Hervé, creating roles in ''Le Joueur de flûte'' (1864), ''Le Trône d'Écosse'' (1871), ''La Veuve du Malabar'' (1873), ''La Femme à Papa'' (1879), ''Lili'' (1882), ''La Cosaque'' (1884) and ''Mam'zelle Gavroche'' (1885). For Lecocq he premiered in ''Le Beau Dunois'' (1870) and ''Le grand Casimir'' (1879) - again at the Variétés. He appeared as Fritz and Paris until into his fifties, but in his late career also acted in theatre works, especially those of Meilhac and Halévy such as ''Les Moulins à vent'', ''Les Sonnettes'', ''La Petite Marquise'', ''L'Ingénue'', ''Le Passage de Vénus'', ''La Cigale'', ''Brigitte ou la Petite mère'', ''Décoré!''.Martin J. ''Nos artistes des théâtres et concerts.'' Paul Ollendorff, Paris, 1895. He retired in 1894 after a final revival of ''Les Brigands'' in 1893. He was twice married, first to Mlle Dantès of the Cirque-Impérial, then to Marie Dubois of the Variétés.

References

1833 births 1900 deaths Belgian operatic tenors Actors from Liège 19th-century Belgian male opera singers Musicians from Liège {{Belgium-opera-singer-stub