Adaptingdirector Baz Luhrmann’s award-winningMoulin Rouge!into a musical seems like a slam dunk. With minimal changes, one could easily pluck the visually stunning love story and plop it onto a Broadway stage, and surely it would be a hit.Moulin Rouge The Musicalstill retains the central themes and spirit of its cinematic counterpart, but it also puts its own spin on things. Crucially,Moulin Rougeupdates the musical choices that make the backbone of the story, providing a new library of toe-tappers for audiences to enjoy.
Moulin Rouge’s Playlist is the Star of the Show
Whether or not you know the story ofMoulin Rouge, the musical is exciting and engaging because of its playlist. It’s hard enough to craft a compelling story where characters break out into song, but doing so with a mixture of songs from a variety of genres and time periods requires an encyclopedic knowledge of the form. To find story-related reasons to use both Elton John’s “Your Song” and Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy” is the type of challenge that would make an accomplished DJ blush.Moulin Rougeworks so well as a musical if for no other reason than it keeps the audience guessing. You’re compelled to discover what the next song might be and how it weaves its way into the narrative.
There’s a careful, considered, and, most importantly, clever use of music throughout the show that works even better on stage than it ever did on film. Because the performers can feed off the audience’s energy, from their instant recognition of a connection between lyric and story to the clapping/cheering that can happen along with the beat, the biggest moments feel even bigger. Similarly, solo ballads give familiar songs new life thanks to melody and timing changes, as well as the singing style of the performer on stage.
Moulin Rougecould have easily felt like bad karaoke, but the musical has so much energy that it’s hard not to be transfixed by the music. That seems obvious, but there’s a delicate balancing act between heartfelt and hokey that your average musical rarely needs to consider.
Set Design and Choreography Make a Big Show Even Bigger
Moulin Rouge’s big dance numbers take those needle drops to new levels, with some intricate choreography and tons of dancers on stage. Its story might be intimate, but those bigger moments are what will bring audiences into its spectacle. Your eyes will be darting all around the stage, trying to take in everything at once. Yes, it’s overwhelming, but that excess fits in perfectly with the spirit of the show and its story.
Beyond the music,Moulin Rougehas an electric energy that’s amplified by its stage design. Bright lights and bold colors mix with wonderfully detailed sets to capture the upbeat spirit of the musical’s Parisian setting. The framing of those sets – hearts are a consistent motif – might be a little on the nose, but there’s no denying they are beautiful.
With so many complementary components making big bold statements, it only makes sense thatMoulin Rouge’s supporting cast steals the show. Robert Petkoff’s Harold Zidler and Jahi Kearse’s Toulouse-Lautrec are the definite standouts. They feel like the bandleaders for the show, meant to consistently keep that essential energy high. That isn’t to say that the roles of Christian (Jay Armstrong Johnson) and Satine (Jerica Exum) are bad by means, but they are overshadowed by how big and bold the production is. Perhaps that’s by design, but for a love story like this you do want those leads to anchor the quieter moments. Johnson and Exum are fine, if a bit stiff amongst so many playful elements.
Exum was the alternate for Satine during my show. Arianna Rosario is the usual lead for the US tour.
Musical adaptations of popular filmsare a dime a dozen these days, but in most cases, those adaptations stand out because they tell a familiar story through original song.Moulin Rougecould have taken the easy road and still been plenty successful, but you can’t help but admire how much work went into making the Broadway show distinct. Song choices are almost completely different, and all work just as well for the story on display. There’s a great mix between the old and the new, with genres that run the gamut. And the stage design and the choreography amplify the energy of the song choices, making everything feel like one giant party. While the performances are solid across the board, with a few standouts,Moulin Rouge’s leads are merely passable. Nevertheless, you won’t have a hard time smiling and clapping along with the show, which feels like a carefully curated mixtape designed for maximum audience engagement.
