Gastone

At the Tabarin, Gastone, known as Gaston Le Beau, moves across the floor with effortless elegance, charming the wealthy ladies in attendance. The persona is a polished showman, but the man behind it is a frivolous and artless schemer who craves lasting glory. The Great War robbed him of the triumph he yearns for, leaving a glittering shell waiting for its moment.

Within the club's glittering circle, Gastone rubs shoulders with princes, loan sharks and social climbers who feed his vanity. He dreams of more than dancing, steering his life toward fame and recognition. The world around him—built on appearances—offers him a path, and he pursues it with relentless showmanship.

A new student, Nannina, enters as a maid with noble connections but reveals herself as an exceptionally talented dancer. She is ambitious and determined, more than a mere decorative asset. Gastone sees in her the potential to become the club's next star.

Gastone imagines Nannina as his long-awaited breakout star and begins to cultivate her talent. They train together, and the plan briefly sows the seed of real success. The idea that he might finally ride to glory with her seems within reach.

During a scene, Gastone is suddenly taken to the police station for a complaint. The incident shocks the couple and shifts the balance of power toward Nannina. It marks a turning point as she moves into the spotlight with growing momentum.

Nannina takes the stage solo and quickly wins widespread acclaim. Using the stage name Anna La Belle, she earns a huge following and becomes the public's darling. Her rise signals a new era in the club and beyond.

With the help of a famous impresario, Nannina's solo career explodes across Europe's most renowned theaters and clubs. Her ascent showcases a shift in taste toward fresh talent. The old guard struggles to keep up as she dominates the spotlight.

Meanwhile, public tastes shift, and Gastone's glossy world begins to sunset. He fails to adapt to the new landscape that favors newer stars and different form of spectacle. The era he symbolizes starts slipping away from him.

Gaston is forgotten and penniless, a shadow of his former self. He grapples with the realization that his era has passed and confronts the starkness of his decline. The dream of glory evaporates into memory.

Seeking one final chance, he returns to perform in a second-rate club alongside Rosa, his old flame. The glamour of old days contrasts with the modest surroundings, underscoring his fall from grace. He clings to the hope that a spark of past magic might reappear.

The final show devolves into a total fiasco, leaving Gastone crushed and humiliated. Yet the night pollutes rarely leaves him empty-handed; he clings to a faint consolation, the thought of seeing Nannina again. The fall completes in a spectacle of failure and fragile pride.

After the fiasco, Gastone wanders the edges of the scene with a stubborn conviction: he is still the most beautiful and desired. He hopes to glimpse Nannina one last time, clinging to a dying sense of glamour. The curtain falls on his self-delusion as the era ends for him.