What is "gigi"

Gigi is a 1944 novella by French writer Colette. The plot focuses on a young Parisian girl being groomed for a career as a courtesan and her relationship with the wealthy cultured man named Gaston who falls in love with her and eventually marries her.

The novella was the basis for a 1949 French film starring Danièle Delorme and Gaby Morlay.

In 1951, it was adapted for the stage by Anita Loos. Colette had personally picked the yet unknown Audrey Hepburn on first sight to play the title role. Her Aunt Alicia was played by stage legend Cathleen Nesbitt, who was to become Hepburn's acting mentor from that time on. Opening on 24 November 1951 on Broadway at the Fulton Theatre, the play ran for 219 performances (finishing on 31 May 1952) and Hepburn's debut on Broadway earned her a Theatre World Award.

The novella was translated into English by Roger Senhouse and published (with "The Cat" translated by Antonia White) in 1953.

Seven years later, a musical film version with a screenplay by Alan Jay Lerner and a score by Lerner and Frederick Loewe won the Academy Award for Best Picture. This film version starred Leslie Caron and Louis Jourdan. The story of a girl being groomed to be a courtesan by her grandmother made producer Arthur Freed doubt whether making it as a straight drama would be acceptable to the American censors, so they "cleaned it up" and turned it into a musical.

Lerner and Loewe adapted the film for a 1973 stage musical that proved to be unsuccessful.

A pre-Broadway production of the musical, newly adapted by Heidi Thomas (Call the Midwife, Cranford, Upstairs Downstairs) and directed by Eric D. Schaeffer (Follies, Million Dollar Quartet) was performed at Washington D.C's Kennedy Center till mid February 2015 with High School Musical actress Vanessa Anne Hudgens playing as Gigi. This revival of Gigi opened on Broadway, at the Neil Simon Theater, on April 8, 2015.

Gigi is either a baby doll made by Zapf Creations in Germany or an original walking doll made by A&H. There has also occasionally been a doll line that's been named Gigi though not with the popularity of the others.

Gigi is a 1958 American musical romantic comedy film directed by Vincente Minnelli processed using MGM's Metrocolor. The screenplay by Alan Jay Lerner is based on the 1944 novella of the same name by Colette. The film features songs with lyrics by Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe, arranged and conducted by André Previn.

In 1991, Gigi was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". The American Film Institute ranked it #35 in AFI's 100 Years...100 Passions. The film is considered the last great MGM musical and the final great achievement of the Freed Unit, headed by producer Arthur Freed, although he would go on to produce several more films, including the musical Bells Are Ringing in 1960.

Ejigayehu Shibabaw, known by her stage name Gigi, is one of the most successful contemporary Ethiopian singers worldwide. She has brought the music of Ethiopia to wider recognition and developed it in combination with a wide variety of other genres often in collaboration with her husband Bill Laswell, a bassist and producer.

Gigi is a 1944 novella by the French writer Colette.

Gigi may also refer to:

"Gigi" is the title song from the 1958 Academy Award-winning film, directed by Vincente Minnelli. It was written by Frederick Loewe (music) and Alan Jay Lerner (words), sung by Louis Jourdan in the film. It then went on to win the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1958.

Gigi (1951) is a popular play, written by Anita Loos. It is based on Colette's 1945 novel of the same name, and was produced on Broadway, where it starred Audrey Hepburn in the title role.

Gigi (pronounced ) is an Indonesian pop rock band led by founder, Armand Maulana, and songwriter Dewa Budjana. Formed in March 1994, the band has released fifteen studio albums. The name "Gigi" (teeth) itself is named after the laugh members of the group had after the name " Orang Utan" nearly was decided as the name of the band.

Gigi is a 1958 jazz album by André Previn, Shelly Manne and Red Mitchell. The full album name is Modern jazz performances of songs from Gigi.

Gigi is a Canadian music recording project based in Vancouver, formed in 2005 by the songwriter Nick Krgovich and record producer Colin Stewart after Stewart acquired two vintage plate reverb units and asked Krgovich to write songs — Phil Spector-inspired 1950s and 1960s-style pop music — to make use of them. With 40 musicians from indie rock bands collaborating, the group released an album, Maintenant, on the Tomlab label in 2010, to mostly positive reviews.

Gigi (full title 'Hank Jones Swings Songs from Lerner and Loewe's Gigi ') is an album by American jazz pianist Hank Jones featuring jazz adaptations of tunes from Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe's musical romantic comedy film Gigi recorded in 1958 and released on the Golden Crest label.

Gigi is a musical with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. It is based on the novella Gigi by Colette and 1958 hit musical film of the same name. The story concerns Gigi, a free-spirited teenaged girl living in Paris at the turn of the 20th century. She is being groomed as a courtesan in her family's tradition. Before she is deemed ready for her social debut, she encounters the bon vivant bachelor Gaston Lachaille, whom she captivates as she is transformed into a charmingly poised young lady.

The original Broadway production, produced by Edwin Lester in 1973, ran for a disappointing 103 performances but won the Tony Award for Best Score. A West End production played in 1985.

A new production of the musical, adapted by Heidi Thomas and directed by Eric D. Schaeffer, premiered at the Kennedy Center (Washington, DC) in January 2015, and opened on Broadway April 8, 2015 at the Neil Simon Theatre. The revival production closed on June 21, 2015.

Gigi is a 1949 French comedy film directed by Jacqueline Audry and starring Gaby Morlay, Jean Tissier and Yvonne de Bray. A young lady (Daniélle Delorme) who is coming of age and realises she not only adores the debonair, close family fiend Gaston, who has spoiled her with attention and care for most of her life (played beautifully by Franck Villard), but that she is in love with him. Gaston realises the same thing, and despite efforts of Gigi´s down-to-earth, doting Grandmother and charming, socialite Aunt to bring the couple together by the then socially accepted practice, it is the undeniable and compelling love between Gigi and Gaston that triumphs above all. Beautifully directed by Jacqueline Audry, who accentuates the brilliant humor of this piece without losing the utterly remarkable sensitivity of the young love that takes center stage. The film was based on the novella Gigi written by Colette.

A better-known version of the Gigi story, starring Leslie Caron, was filmed in 1958. The 1949 film is included as an extra on the 2008 2-disc DVD and 2009 Blu-ray Disc versions of the 1958 film.