It is New Year’s Eve, 1930. In Europe, the Ex-Pats party on Le Cabuchon, a night-club in the Seizieme, trying to ignore the disastrous economic conditions back home. “Les Girls” (The Trouble Girls) are doing a big production-number, led by Madame Egorova.

There’s gonna be trouble
Wicked trouble
When that ol’ devil gets paid
There’s gonna be crying
Moaning and sighing
n ‘pologisin’ too late
There won’t be any warnin’
Red sky in the mornin’
Gonna bring the day-long blues.