TODAY in the PAST: February 2nd, 1852
Premiere of La Dame aux Camélias, Paris
Today in 1852, the play La Dame aux Camélias (The Lady of the Camellias) premieres at the Théâtre du Vaudeville on the Place de la Bourse in Paris (2nd arrondissement). The play written by Alexandre Dumas, fils is based on his novel of the same name which was also the inspiration behind La Traviatta, the opera by Giuseppe Verdi. This touching story is actually based on the true love story between Alexandre Dumas, fils (Armand Duval in the book) and his lover Marie Duplessis (Marguerite Gautier in the book) who died at the young age of 23 due to tuberculosis.
