The cast of the North American Tour of “Moulin Rouge! The Musical.” Photo by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade.
“Moulin Rouge! The Musical,” based on Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 film, is currently playing at Kennedy Center. Nominated for 14 Tonys in 2021 during the pandemic, it won 10 awards including Best Musical. The production is directed by Tony® Award-winner Alex Timbers, with a book by Tony® Award-winner John Logan; music supervision, orchestrations, and arrangements by Tony® Award-winner Justin Levine; and choreography by Tony® Award-winner Sonya Tayeh.
…no-holds barred, visually dazzling theatrical experience…
With shades of “Camille,” “Cabaret,” and “La bohème”/”Rent,” this tragic love story is as old as time—but with a musical twist. Satine (Yvette Gonzalez-Nacer), a girl from the streets in 19th century France, rises to fame as Moulin Rouge’s “Sparkling Diamond.” Despite its slightly sleazy and extravagant shows, the theater is on the verge of closing. Though more likable than his “Cabaret” counterpart, the bombastic emcee and owner, Harold Zidler (Austin Durant), does persuade Satine to become the lover of the rich, but cruel, Duke of Monroth (Andrew Brewer), in hopes of saving the theater. At the same time, a naive young man, Christian (John Cardoza), from Ohio of all places, has come to Paris to be an artist—a playwright—and to find love, as all young men do, with the support of his new bohemian companions, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec (Nick Rashad Burrows) and the Argentinian dancer, Santiago (Gabe Martinez). Of course, Christian and Satine fall hopelessly in love and she sacrifices herself for her theater “family” and the success of Christian’s show. This story is told after the fact by Christian, and from Satine’s first little cough, you know the outcome.
While the movie only utilized 17 songs, this current version has over 70 spanning 160 years of pop music—many just a line or snippet—including more recent hits for a contemporary audience. A jukebox musical indeed, which is part of the fun as well as distraction. There are so many songs and song references, it is hard to connect emotionally to the characters as you find yourself trying to figure out where that line came from and/or who sung that song. From Bizet, Elton John’s “Your Song,” “Lady Marmalade,” “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” (“Gentlemen Prefer Blondes”) to Edith Piaf, Lady Gaga, 80s pop dance hits, and the beautiful “Nature Boy” made famous by Nat King Cole, the list goes on and on. Kudos go to the orchestra, lead by conductor and keyboardist Andrew Graham, for covering this astounding amount of music as well as music supervisor Justin Levine for putting it together.
Scenic designer Derek McLane’s sets are gloriously over the top, all glitter and glam, a drag queen’s ultimate fantasy—from the recreation of the windmill atop the real Moulin Rouge and a blue circus elephant representing Satine’s theatre hideaway that sit outside each side of the stage to the layered and filigreed Valentine cut-outs that frame the stage. Catherine Zuber’s costumes also pull out all the stops and are simply gorgeous. A big hand (and indeed the show ended with a standing ovation from the audience) goes this talented cast and ensemble for their stunning voices and high-energy dance numbers.
This is not a show with deep character development or even an original story, but if you are looking for a no-holds barred, visually dazzling theatrical experience with LOTS of familiar music, this is the one to see.
Running Time: Approximately two hours and 45 minutes with one intermission.
Advisory: Recommended for ages 12 and up. Please note that this production uses fog, haze, and strobing light effects.
“Moulin Rouge! The Musical” runs through September 24, 2-23 at the Kennedy Center Opera House, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F St NW, Washington, DC 20566. For more information and tickets, call (202) 467-4600. Toll-Free:(800) 444-1324 or go online. Masks are optional.
A limited number of $45 Rush tickets will be available for every performance at the Kennedy Center Box Office beginning at noon for matinee performances and 5:00 pm for evening performances. Tickets are subject to availability and have no guaranteed location. 2 tickets max per person. Available to purchase in person only. Void if resold.
