Crossing Borders with Colette's Gigi

Colette's 1944 novella Gigi, perhaps her best-loved work, has continuously crossed borders over the past seventy years in the form of adaptations for the screen, stage, and musical theater, for both English- and French-speaking audiences. Colette's role in these adaptations has not received adequate attention. This article provides a comprehensive overview that connects Gigi's evolution to the insights Colette drew from her experiences in the entertainment business, and especially the theater. It argues that Gigi's ongoing appeal to audiences on both sides of the Atlantic represents the spirit of Colette herself, who crossed borders to reinvent her image and work.