Le Carnaval Des Animaux - Alex Vizorek, Karo Pauwels - Tournée

Le carnaval des animaux at Le Toboggan

At Le Toboggan, we are delighted to welcome Le carnaval des animaux, a sparkling encounter between humor and classical music guided by Alex Vizorek and the musical direction of Karo Pauwels. Our stage in Décines-Charpieu will become a playful menagerie where Camille Saint-Saëns’s beloved suite unfolds with theatrical wit, vivid storytelling, and orchestral finesse. We are preparing an immersive setting that lets audiences savor the sly grandeur of Marche royale du lion, the shimmering mystery of Aquarium, the bone-rattling jokes of Fossiles, and the timeless grace of Le cygne. With Alex Vizorek as narrator, the score’s miniature scenes take on new life; his timing, irony, and affection for the material help every musical gesture land with an extra smile. Under Karo Pauwels’s baton, the ensemble highlights the suite’s vibrant colors and the clarity of each instrumental timbre—strings dancing, winds chattering, and keyboard textures glimmering—so that families, first-time listeners, and seasoned concertgoers all catch the delightful details. We pride ourselves on the hall’s warm acoustics and welcoming sightlines, both of which serve this program especially well: the instruments feel close, the narrative feels intimate, and the music’s humor travels to every seat. This date at Le Toboggan invites you to hear the piece as it was meant to be experienced—live, alive, and joyously theatrical—where comedy and craft meet without a seam.

Alex Vizorek’s artistic momentum, with Karo Pauwels alongside

Hosting Alex Vizorek at Le Toboggan also means celebrating an artist in full creative stride. His recent one-man show Ad Vitam has affirmed his sharp, philosophical brand of comedy, while his radio work on France Inter—most notably within C’est encore nous !, following his years marked by Par Jupiter !—keeps his satirical antennae finely tuned. Listeners know his “drôle d’humeur” turns of phrase; in our hall, that same quick intelligence plays against Saint-Saëns’s musical punchlines, turning each movement into a live sketch without ever overshadowing the orchestra. For this appearance, he partners with Karo Pauwels, whose conducting anchors the evening’s rhythm and shape. Pauwels’s approach privileges clarity, narrative flow, and a chamber-like responsiveness among the players, ensuring that the text and music breathe together. Her experience with audience-centered formats and family-friendly symphonic adventures is palpable in the way transitions feel crisp, tempos dance, and colors pop—an ideal match for a program that thrives on character and contrast. We are particularly pleased to offer this performance in our theatre, where the proximity between stage and audience enhances every wink, every instrumental effect, every hush before a punchline. Comedy aficionados will recognize the nimble stagecraft that powers Alex Vizorek’s sketches, while classical fans will relish the suite’s subtle orchestration and clever musical quotes. And for audiences who follow Vizorek across media—from Ad Vitam to his chronicles in C’est encore nous !—this Le Toboggan date provides a rare chance to see how his comic sensibility converses with a live ensemble, guided by Pauwels’s elegant musicianship, to create an evening as sophisticated as it is joyously accessible.

Le Carnaval Des Animaux - Alex Vizorek, Karo Pauwels - Tournée dans d'autres salles à Lyon