Death of a Vaud musical legend
The canton of Vaud has announced the death of Jean-Claude Pasche, founder and director of the Théâtre Barnabé in Servion, at the age of 80.
Born in 1940, Barnabé, whose real name is Jean-Claude Pasche, studied singing at the Lausanne Conservatory and was initially active in Lausanne, where he produced revues for the municipal theater. He then founded his own theater in the family barn in Servion, which had to be rebuilt after a fire in 1994. It includes a rehearsal room, a stage workshop and a huge inventory of over 7000 costumes.
The theater is also home to the largest cinema theater organ in Europe as well as numerous mechanical organs. Barnabé was the first to bring the legendary show "La cage aux folles" to Europe. He himself was still on stage this year. The theater has been managed by a foundation since 2005.
