José Dupuis

Joseph-Lambert Dupuis (known as José Dupuis) (18 March 1833, Liège – 9 May 1900, Nogent-sur-Marne) was a Belgian singer and actor. He was principally active in opéra-bouffe in Paris, in particular at the Théâtre des Variétés.

Career

After making his stage debut in Liège, he moved to Paris in 1851 and made his debut at the Théâtre du Luxembourg-Bobino in 1854.

In 1857 he was taken on by Hervé at his Folies-Nouvelles, and continued when the theatre became the Théâtre Déjazet (after its joint manager Virginie Déjazet), only moving on, after fifty or so creations, to the Théâtre des Variétés; he made his debut there on 18 May 1861 in Le Sylphe, a vaudeville by Rochefort, Varin et Desvergers.

Dupuis was chosen by Offenbach for Paris in La Belle Hélène, and alongside Hortense Schneider, he went on to feature in principal roles in the premieres of some of Offenbach’s most famous works: Barbe-Bleue (title role),La Grande-Duchesse de Gérolstein (Fritz), La Périchole (Piquillo), Le pont des soupirs (1868), Les Brigands (Falsacappa), Les braconniers (1873), La Boulangère a des écus (1875) and Le docteur Ox (1877).