How It All Began

When we decided to put on our first immersive production, we wanted to recreate two universes: the western, and the court of Versailles. Our first idea was to open an “experiential bar” which, like an escape room that usually offers several rooms, would offer two different experiences each evening. the market, the business model, and my love of immersive experiences before developing the concept.

Determined to focus on one experience, we now had to choose. Would we create an immersive experience for the French public? In that case, it would be the western. Or did we want to create an experience for tourists and expatriates? In that case, it would be Versailles.

I was a tour guide in Paris for several years (one of my favorite jobs!). I knew there wasn’t a big offer of experiences for tourists. Those who came on my tours often told me they would love to be able to travel through time to relive these historical periods. A few years later, while I was thinking about which experience to choose, I was taking my cousin to the Palace of Versailles; she also began dreaming of walking through those golden salons wearing a period dress to be able to “travel through time.” The choice was clear: it would be Versailles!

We still had to decide which era of Versailles we would recreate. Our company loves strong women, especially if they really existed; our choice quickly fell on Marie-Antoinette.

We got to work, but our idea of the western continued to mature. Three of the four co-founders are Americans; the Wild West is part of our DNA. Moreover, Elena had played Annie Oakley in the “Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show” at Disneyland for 12 years. We knew that a show about the western would create a bridge between our American roots and our host country, and would also give us the opportunity to introduce other fascinating women from history.

Our love of history and memorable women did not stop there. I produced and performed in burlesque shows for 9 years – including 5 years spent in Paris producing shows and training artists with Elena after creating Burlesque Moulin Paris. We were therefore inspired by our love of boas and clandestine activities to create our immersive cabaret. Bootleg alcohol, mafiosos, and music would be the pillars of this experience.

The world of burlesque nourished our love for all that is taboo and wild. We loved engaging artists with special talents: sword swallowers, fakirs, and gender-benders. All of this reminded us of traveling circuses in the 1930s United States. A place where you could be who you are, without having to justify yourself. Where you could let your inner – and outer! – “monster” express itself. This is how our Amazing Traveling Imaginarium was born.