‘Moulin Rouge The Musical!’ is coming to Cleveland from June 9 – July 2! The team at CleveRock along with theater enthusiasts across Northeast Ohio cannot wait!
The Cleveland shows will be a homecoming of sorts for Ensemble member Cameron Hobbs. The Kentucky native attended Otterbein University in the Buckeye State.
Timothy Fenner (CleveRock): You are about to be passing through Cleveland shortly, please tell us all a bit about the show that is bringing you to town!
Cameron Hobbs: “We are bringing ‘Moulin Rouge! The musical!’ It is a spectacular spectacle. It is a high-energy musical. This three-hour musical is packed with dance numbers, and love and showcases a community of artists coming together to save their theater. It’s a good time for everyone! “
Timothy Fenner (CleveRock): Well said! We would love to hear a little bit more about your role in the cast. What will we be lucky enough to see you perform while you’re in town?
CH: “I am in the ensemble! There are about 16 dancers in the show. Every one of us kind of does a little of everything. Everyone dances, everyone sings, and everyone acts. There is a core group of us that are dancing and lifting the whole show so it’s definitely a workout. It’s my cardio and my gym exercise.”
Timothy Fenner (CleveRock): We are definitely looking forward to seeing the show. I’ve never had the pleasure!
CH: You know, that’s okay you’re here with us now! Our show very closely follows the same storyline as the 2001 movie. However, they’ve updated a lot of the music. So a lot of people who know the film come and it’s great because they know the characters that, you know, they’ve fallen in love with and get to see them on stage again, but we’ve updated all the music. So there’s a lot of popular pop music and rock music. It’s a good time and I think it appeals to audiences of every age.
Timothy Fenner (CleveRock): Tell me a little more about your Ohio connection! We love to hear about local people touring nationally and making a stop “home.”
CH: Well, I grew up just over the river from Louisville, Kentucky, and Southern Indiana. So, you know, not too far from Ohio. I went on many vacations to Kings Island in Cincinnati. I studied musical theater at Otterbein University in Westerville, Ohio. So, a lot of my friends are from the Cleveland area. A lot of my mentors and my college professors are all from Ohio. So, for me, to play Cincinnati and then Cleveland back-to-back has been amazing, just because so many friends and family members from Louisville all over Ohio have been able to come to see the show. So it has been nonstop family and friends.
Timothy Fenner (CleveRock): How far along in the tour are you?
CH: The tour opened in March of 2022. So, yeah, it’s been going, I guess now for about 14 months. I joined the tour in November of 2022. I was the first replacement for the cast. Since then, we’ve had a lot of new people added, but I basically signed a one-year contract. A lot of the original cast members have reached their year contract and then they can either extend or they can leave. For me, the tour is open-ended right now. We have dates through, I think about August 2024! It’s so great! We travel, we usually play for two weeks at least in every city, on average, probably more like 3 to 4 weeks. Most importantly, there’s this cast, you know, when you travel with the company they just become your family because you don’t always get to see your family unless you play Cleveland and Cincinnati, Ohio and you’re from Louisville.
Timothy Fenner (CleveRock): So when you are traveling all over do you get the opportunity to see and explore the cities that you’re visiting at all?
CH: Yeah, it’s really nice. We have rehearsals today and tomorrow. But most of the time, that’s one of the benefits of being in a city for 2 to 3 weeks is you get that time. We get Mondays off, so we always have our Mondays to explore. I’m currently here in Cincinnati so I’m going home to Louisville to visit my family. A lot of us, while touring, will join different Facebook groups that help us get to know different areas. So we’ve been looking into Cincinnati and Cleveland recently with a list of coffee shops, restaurants, tourist attractions, and museums. It’s great because we get lots of time to explore and see the sites and do things. This will be my first time in Cleveland so I’m looking forward to it!
Tim Fenner (CleveRock): Our team at Cleverock are definitely big fans of the city of Cleveland! We know there are lots of amazing places for you to visit, see, and eat at!
CH: Well many people drive the tour, some people, fly the tour but some people do drive. So it’s always nice to have friends that can be like, hey, let’s go! We’re really excited about the National Parks nearby! We’re making a list of things that we absolutely have to check off our checklist. It’s a long list. So I’m excited.
Tim Fenner (CleveRock): Is there anything else you’re looking forward to, besides your role in ‘Moulin Rouge’?
CH: I don’t have any new projects coming up because I’m focusing on this amazing tour. You know, it’s great because you’re in this little tour bubble, but you sometimes feel disconnected from what’s happening in New York. My sites are set on Moulin Rouge because I had wanted to do the show. I mean, it’s a very hot ticket right now and such a popular show. I knew when I was in New York auditioning that I really wanted to book this. So now that I’m here after everything that I put in, I’m just trying to enjoy the ride. And that’s what I’m doing, enjoying the ride!
You can catch Cameron Hobbs and the rest of the ‘Moulin Rouge! The Musical’ performers at Playhouse Square in the KeyBank State Theater from June 7 – July 2!
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