While the cathedral Notre-Dame de Paris reopened its doors after five years of titanic restoration, the spectacle The Stone Lady invites us to celebrate this resurrection through a spectacular and moving stage fresco.
Presented in a general audience format, this public show presents more than a century of history in a few hours, in a staging as ambitious as it is poignant. Created especially to accompany the reopening of the cathedral, the show The Stone Lady is much more than a tribute: it is a journey through time, a declaration of love to this stone jewel, a privileged witness to more than 850 years of French history.
A cathedral, a monument, an epic
Built from 1163 onwards under the leadership of the bishop Maurice deSully, Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral is one of the masterpieces of Gothic architecture. A religious, political, and cultural symbol, it has spanned the centuries, hosting coronations, revolutions, and rehabilitations. In 2019, a fire ravaged its framework, sparking worldwide emotion. Since then, an exemplary reconstruction has been undertaken, and its reopening at the end of 2024 marked a high point in the monument's contemporary history. In the show La Dame de Pierre, the great figures of history speak out and give substance to centuries of memory. Each era crossed is embodied by key figures, both historical and symbolic, who have shaped the soul of Notre-Dame de Paris.
Maurice deSully, a visionary bishop of the 1163th century, laid the first stone of the building in XNUMX, launching one of the most ambitious construction projects of the Middle Ages. In the XNUMXth century, the architect Eugene Viollet-le-Duc brings back to life a cathedral threatened with abandonment, thanks to his genius for restoration. Between these two figures stands the luminous shadow of Victor Hugo, whose novel Notre-Dame de Paris saved the monument from oblivion by bringing it into the collective imagination. The show also brings the sovereigns back to life Louis XIII et Louis XIV, witnesses to the alliance between monarchical power and the sacredness of the place.
The Stone Lady does not just evoke the great names: it also pays vibrant homage to the anonymous builders, stonemasons, artisans, and women in the shadows, whose often silent labor has shaped the cathedral over the centuries. Together, these voices compose a chorus of eras, a living memory engraved in stone.
A spectacular historical fresco
On the stage, more than 100 artists take turns in a choral performance, combining theater, live music, dance, song, and digital projections. The show transports us from the cathedral's medieval construction site to the 21st century, through the prosperous and dark periods of its history.
Through moving sets, spectacular lighting effects and immersive videos, the cathedral itself seems to come to life before the eyes of the spectators.
Corentin Stemler With La Dame de Pierre, he has created an ambitious production, at the crossroads of historical theatre and poetic fresco. Passionate about history and dramaturgy, he puts his talent as a storyteller to the service of a plural, vibrant and profoundly human tale. His production combines narrative rigor, epic breath and emotion, bringing centuries of history to life through powerful visual writing. With several creations acclaimed for their artistic rigor and accessibility, the director confirms with this show his ability to create a dialogue between memory and live performance.
The original music for The Stone Lady is by Richard Liégeois, a composer renowned for his works spanning contemporary classical, stage music, and symphonic creations. For this show, he has created a sensitive and majestic score that embraces the emotions of the story while accompanying the movements of time. From medieval solemnity to the dramatic tension of the fire, his music makes Notre-Dame resonate through a rich and evocative sound palette. It becomes a character in its own right, an invisible link between eras and people.
This historical fresco was produced by Symphonia Productions, a company specializing in the creation of large-scale live shows, with particular expertise in musical, historical, and heritage projects. Committed to a cultural promotion approach, the structure produces works with strong emotional roots, capable of reaching all audiences. With La Dame de Pierre, Symphonia Productions continues the continuity of its major artistic productions by highlighting an essential part of French history and paying tribute, through art, to one of its most emblematic monuments.
Through The Stone Lady, each era resurfaces, through video mapping, light scenography, and choreographed tableaux. Far from being a rigid history lesson, this show is vibrant, sensory, and embodied. It recounts the small hands of the builders as well as the great royal decisions, the poets, the revolutionaries, and the mysteries hidden in the stone.
Both a tribute and a celebration, La Dame de Pierre reminds us that Notre-Dame is much more than a building: it is a symbol of resilience, memory, and inspiration. A must-see for families to rediscover the thrilling history of this world heritage gem.
An intergenerational work
I thought pour all audiencesThe Stone Lady alternates between educational moments, lively stories and spectacular scenes. Children and adults alike will find something to their liking: between the magic of the special effects, the richness of the period costumes and the power of the story, the whole thing forms a complete sensory and cultural experience.
An accessible narrative, engaging characters, a moving central theme: everything combines to make this show a unique moment of communion around a universal monument.
The last part of the show evokes the terrible fire of April 15, 2019, without pathos but with solemnity. It highlights the national and international mobilization that followed, and celebrates the collective will to rebuild. The cathedral, seriously damaged but standing, becomes a symbol of resilience and hope.
The Lady of Stone is a living, masterful fresco that combines memory, art, and emotion. An invitation to view Notre-Dame not only as an architectural feat, but as a heroine of French history. An unmissable event in this year of rebirth.
Save the date: the 27/09/2025 in Paris then on tour throughout France!
Patrick Koune
