TRuth, beauty, freedom, and love at moulin rouge! the musical
By Kiersten Bjork (November 22, 2023)
Moulin Rouge! The Musical is a deliciously spectacular jukebox musical based on the Baz Luhrmann film of the same name. With a book by John Logan, music supervision, co-orchestrations, arrangements, and additional lyrics by Justin Levine, and iconic songs by everyone from Lionel Ritchie, Gwen Stefani, and David Bowie to Regina Spektor, Katy Perry and Mick Jagger, Moulin Rouge! The Musical is a sassy, spunky musical perfect for a night out.
Directed by Alex Timbers and featuring choreography by Sonya Tayeh, Moulin Rouge! The Musical tells a story of art, passion, and love in the spirit of the Moulin Rouge club of Paris. Christian, a young American composer, falls in love with Satine, the star and “sparkling diamond” of the Moulin Rouge. Satine is also desired by the jealous Duke of Monroth, and despite her longing for Christian, Satine finds herself torn between the two men because the struggling Moulin Rouge is in desperate need of the Duke’s patronage. Truth, beauty, freedom, and love are at the heart of this story, and when woven together with show-stopping dance numbers, recognizable tunes, and a stellar ensemble of actors, it makes for a truly wonderful production.
Moulin Rouge! The Musical is a deliciously spectacular jukebox musical based on the Baz Luhrmann film of the same name. With a book by John Logan, music supervision, co-orchestrations, arrangements, and additional lyrics by Justin Levine, and iconic songs by everyone from Lionel Ritchie, Gwen Stefani, and David Bowie to Regina Spektor, Katy Perry and Mick Jagger, Moulin Rouge! The Musical is a sassy, spunky musical perfect for a night out.
Directed by Alex Timbers and featuring choreography by Sonya Tayeh, Moulin Rouge! The Musical tells a story of art, passion, and love in the spirit of the Moulin Rouge club of Paris. Christian, a young American composer, falls in love with Satine, the star and “sparkling diamond” of the Moulin Rouge. Satine is also desired by the jealous Duke of Monroth, and despite her longing for Christian, Satine finds herself torn between the two men because the struggling Moulin Rouge is in desperate need of the Duke’s patronage. Truth, beauty, freedom, and love are at the heart of this story, and when woven together with show-stopping dance numbers, recognizable tunes, and a stellar ensemble of actors, it makes for a truly wonderful production.
Christian is played by Christian Douglas, who is incredible in the role. With good looks and a powerful voice, Douglas is a dynamic and endearing Christian. He brings passion and elegance to the character, and his rendition of “El Tango de Roxanne” is absolutely phenomenal.
Gabrielle McClinton plays the “sparkling diamond” herself, Satine. McClinton does a beautiful job, accenting her performance with a soft tenderness while maintaining the dedicated, grounded nature of Satine. Satine cares deeply for her art and those around her, and McClinton digs into the nuances of the character with much success.
Harold Zidler, director and master of ceremonies of the Moulin Rouge, is played by Robert Petkoff with much gusto. Petkoff has fantastic energy, bursting with flair and glee. The audience and he share a sense of delight whenever he comes on stage, which makes his handful of subtler, softer moments that much more powerful.
Andrew Brewer plays the devious Duke of Monroth. He’s disarmingly charming at first, dashing and debonair, before unleashing a delightfully distasteful performance as the Duke. He is sharp and polished, everything that the Duke needs to be, and leaves many in the audience wishing that his character didn’t lead the life that he does.
Toulouse-Lautrec and Santiago, Christian’s Bohemian artist friends, are played by Nick Rashad Burroughs and Danny Burgos, respectively. Both are incredibly fun in their respective roles, bringing excellent moments of comedy and passion to each moment. Burroughs plays the quirky Toulouse with drive and dedication, his back and forth with Brewer’s Duke quite fun to watch. Burgos fills his role with swagger and has excellent chemistry with Sarah Bowden as Nini. Their “Backstage Romance” duet was stunning!
Bowden is joined by Nicci Claspell as Arabia, Max Heitmann as Baby Doll, and Harper Miles as La Chocolat, all of whom are fantastic dancers and all-around performers. Some of my favorite moments are when these four absolutely work the stage with Tayeh’s impressive choreography.
Moulin Rouge! The Musical is, in part, so spectacular because of the powerful ensemble singing and dancing their way through the show. The Tour currently boasts an amazing ensemble featuring Sam J. Chen, Darius Crenshaw, Jimena Flores Sanchez, Tommy Gedrich, Cameron Hobbs, Chloe Rae Kehm, Kamal Lado, Tyler John Logan, Tanisha Moore, Brayden Newby, Elyse Niederee, Kent Overshown, Stefanie Renee Salyers, Adéa Michelle Sessoms, and Preston Taylor, with swings Jada Simone Clark, Mark Doyle, Tyler Eisenreich, Tamrin Goldberg, E.J. Hamilton, Jordan Fife Hunt, Nathaniel Hunt, Melissa Hunter McCann, Pepe Muñoz, Kenneth Michael Murray, and Halli Toland. Arianna Rosario serves as the alternate for Satine.
Gabrielle McClinton plays the “sparkling diamond” herself, Satine. McClinton does a beautiful job, accenting her performance with a soft tenderness while maintaining the dedicated, grounded nature of Satine. Satine cares deeply for her art and those around her, and McClinton digs into the nuances of the character with much success.
Harold Zidler, director and master of ceremonies of the Moulin Rouge, is played by Robert Petkoff with much gusto. Petkoff has fantastic energy, bursting with flair and glee. The audience and he share a sense of delight whenever he comes on stage, which makes his handful of subtler, softer moments that much more powerful.
Andrew Brewer plays the devious Duke of Monroth. He’s disarmingly charming at first, dashing and debonair, before unleashing a delightfully distasteful performance as the Duke. He is sharp and polished, everything that the Duke needs to be, and leaves many in the audience wishing that his character didn’t lead the life that he does.
Toulouse-Lautrec and Santiago, Christian’s Bohemian artist friends, are played by Nick Rashad Burroughs and Danny Burgos, respectively. Both are incredibly fun in their respective roles, bringing excellent moments of comedy and passion to each moment. Burroughs plays the quirky Toulouse with drive and dedication, his back and forth with Brewer’s Duke quite fun to watch. Burgos fills his role with swagger and has excellent chemistry with Sarah Bowden as Nini. Their “Backstage Romance” duet was stunning!
Bowden is joined by Nicci Claspell as Arabia, Max Heitmann as Baby Doll, and Harper Miles as La Chocolat, all of whom are fantastic dancers and all-around performers. Some of my favorite moments are when these four absolutely work the stage with Tayeh’s impressive choreography.
Moulin Rouge! The Musical is, in part, so spectacular because of the powerful ensemble singing and dancing their way through the show. The Tour currently boasts an amazing ensemble featuring Sam J. Chen, Darius Crenshaw, Jimena Flores Sanchez, Tommy Gedrich, Cameron Hobbs, Chloe Rae Kehm, Kamal Lado, Tyler John Logan, Tanisha Moore, Brayden Newby, Elyse Niederee, Kent Overshown, Stefanie Renee Salyers, Adéa Michelle Sessoms, and Preston Taylor, with swings Jada Simone Clark, Mark Doyle, Tyler Eisenreich, Tamrin Goldberg, E.J. Hamilton, Jordan Fife Hunt, Nathaniel Hunt, Melissa Hunter McCann, Pepe Muñoz, Kenneth Michael Murray, and Halli Toland. Arianna Rosario serves as the alternate for Satine.
Austin Durant and the cast of the North American Tour of Moulin Rouge! The Musical (Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade)
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The cast of the North American Tour of Moulin Rouge! The Musical (Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade)
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Scenic design by Derek McLane suits the show perfectly. The production is predominantly framed by the glittering, glowing heart-shaped proscenium arches of the Moulin Rouge, with additional backdrops for the streets of Paris, Satine’s dressing room in the elephant, the Duke’s mansion, and Christian’s apartment. Tables and chairs, nightclub booths, stair units, and more are added to evoke different settings as well, everything moving seamlessly and fluidly from location to location. Lighting designer Justin Townsend creates a stunning display of light and color. I absolutely loved the lighting tricks used in “Chandelier” as light is passed from bottle to glass. The combination of scenic and lighting elements creates a truly dazzling world for the production to live within.
Costumes by designer Catherine Zuber, hair by David Brian Brown, and makeup by Sarah Cimino are gorgeous. Satine’s costumes alone are absolutely stunning, and each of the different costumes and wigs that are showcased throughout the production are just as eye-catching and impressive as the next.
Sound designer Peter Hylenski does a good job of balancing a complicated score with vocals and sound effects. There seemed to be a system issue for most of the production, with popping sounds coming from the speakers, but I assume that was resolved following the performance.
Moulin Rouge! The Musical is a vibrant show that is full of life. It champions art and elevates the love story at its center into so much more. Don’t miss the chance to see this glittering production before it moves on – catch Moulin Rouge! The Musical at the Bushnell before it leaves on December 3!
Moulin Rouge! The Musical runs November 21-December 3 at The Bushnell in Hartford, CT. Tickets are available online at bushnell.org, by calling (860) 987-5900 or by visiting The Bushnell Box Office at 166 Capitol Avenue (Mon-Fri from 10am to 5pm). The Bushnell's Broadway Series is sponsored by Travelers.
Kiersten Bjork is a theatremaker and reviewer (Connecticut Critics Circle) from Branford, CT.
Costumes by designer Catherine Zuber, hair by David Brian Brown, and makeup by Sarah Cimino are gorgeous. Satine’s costumes alone are absolutely stunning, and each of the different costumes and wigs that are showcased throughout the production are just as eye-catching and impressive as the next.
Sound designer Peter Hylenski does a good job of balancing a complicated score with vocals and sound effects. There seemed to be a system issue for most of the production, with popping sounds coming from the speakers, but I assume that was resolved following the performance.
Moulin Rouge! The Musical is a vibrant show that is full of life. It champions art and elevates the love story at its center into so much more. Don’t miss the chance to see this glittering production before it moves on – catch Moulin Rouge! The Musical at the Bushnell before it leaves on December 3!
Moulin Rouge! The Musical runs November 21-December 3 at The Bushnell in Hartford, CT. Tickets are available online at bushnell.org, by calling (860) 987-5900 or by visiting The Bushnell Box Office at 166 Capitol Avenue (Mon-Fri from 10am to 5pm). The Bushnell's Broadway Series is sponsored by Travelers.
Kiersten Bjork is a theatremaker and reviewer (Connecticut Critics Circle) from Branford, CT.