Hepburn was then offered a small role in a film being shot in both English and French, "Monte Carlo Baby" (French: "Nous Irons à Monte Carlo", 1952), which was filmed in Monte Carlo. Coincidentally, French novelist Colette was at the Hôtel de Paris in Monte Carlo during the filming, and decided to cast Hepburn in the title role in the Broadway play "Gigi". Hepburn went into rehearsals having never spoken on stage, and required private coaching. When "Gigi" opened at the Fulton Theatre on 24 November 1951, she received praise for her performance, despite criticism that the stage version was inferior to the French film adaptation. "Life" called her a "hit", while "The New York Times" stated that "her quality is so winning and so right that she is the success of the evening". Hepburn also received a Theatre World Award for the role. The play ran for 219 performances, closing on 31 May 1952, before going on tour, which began 13 October 1952 in Pittsburgh and visited Cleveland, Chicago, Detroit, Washington, D. C., and Los Angeles, before closing on 16 May 1953 in San Francisco.