 The music hall was first imported into France in its British form in 1862 , but under the French law protecting the state theatres , performers could not wear costumes or recite dialogue , something only allowed in theaters .. When the law changed in 1867 , the Paris music hall flourished , and a half @-@ dozen new halls opened , offering acrobats , singers , dancers , magicians , and trained animals . The first Paris music call built specially for that purpose was the Folies @-@ Bergere ( 1869 ) ; it was followed by the Moulin Rouge ( 1889 ) , the Alhambra ( 1866 ) , the first to be called a music hall , and the Olympia ( 1893 ) . The Printania ( 1903 ) was a music @-@ garden , open only in summer , with a theater , restaurant , circus , and horse @-@ racing . Older theaters also transformed themselves into music halls , including the Bobino Music Hall ( 1873 ) , the Bataclan ( 1864 ) , and the Alcazar ( 1858 ) . At the beginning , music halls offered dance reviews , theater and songs , but gradually songs and singers became the main attraction . 
