‘Moulin Rouge! The Musical is in town right now at Cleveland’s Playhouse Square KeyBank State Theater. The production is based on the 2001 Baz Luhrmann-directed film, “Moulin Rouge!’The movie created a new genre and style with fast-paced dance numbers, jump cuts, and ‘in-your-face’ camera angles that won over audiences, but it was the music that set this movie apart. It is suggested that it took over two years just to secure the rights for all the music in the movie! The most memorable song from the film is the 1974 song “Lady Marmalade” (first made famous by Patti Labelle) covered by Christina Aguilera, P!nk, Mýa, and Lil’ Kim. Why is all of this important? Popular music is the cornerstone of this musical.
‘Moulin Rouge! The Musical’ is directed by Alex Timbers (Tony and Golden Globe-winning, director of ‘Beetlejuice‘ and ‘Oh, Hello‘). While the storyline is the same, the music and choreography are what give this production a new life! From the moment the audience enters the theater, the show begins! Prior to curtain time, six actors stood onstage all holding seductive poses as living works of art. The 25-foot neon “Moulin Rouge” sign is lowered to the stage floor, with layers of heart-shaped backdrops designed to catch the audience’s eyes to go deeper and deeper into the world that has been created. No doubt that Derek McLane (Scenic Design) and Justin Townsend (Lighting Design) had everything to do with this.
The story follows Christian (Christian Douglas subbing in for John Cardoza at this performance, who comes to the Moulin Rouge nightclub, all the way from Lima, OH (HEY, OHIO! That’s us!). Along with his friends Toulouse-Lautrec (Nick Rashad Burroughs) and Santiago (Gabe Martinez), present a musical to owner Harold Zidler (Austin Durant). The Moulin Rouge is hurting financially and is looking for alternative revenue sources. Zidler is hoping that there might be one person who might be able to save his struggling club. The Duke of Monroth (Denzel Tsopnang substituting in for Andrew Brewer) might be that saving grace. Zidler hopes that by setting up one of his dancers, Satine (Courtney Reed) “for the night,” the Duke might feel compelled to support Moulin Rouge. To make matters even more complex, Satine confused Christain for the Duke! But confusion can’t stop love! Duke or not, Satine falls for Christian which causes her to need to hide it from Zilder and the real Duke.
Sound a little complicated? It is! The story is ‘a lot all at once,’ but that doesn’t make it hard to follow. What good comedy doesn’t start with someone being mistaken as a Duke, while trying to pitch a musical to an unknowingly bankrupted nightclub? (You know? THAT classic tale!)
To add to the competing story, the music is very unique. Some songs like Katy Perry’s “‘Firework'” which are almost lyrically verbatim were included in the performance. Courtney Reed gave a thorough and powerful rendition of the song, belting the chorus with a passion unlike any other. Something unique to the musical is renditions that were created just for this show. For instance, “Backstage Romance” will sound very similar to the Lady Gaga version, but is sung as a duet and emphasized differently than the song’s original version. This style works perfectly throughout the whole show. One of the outstanding renditions of songs was “Sympathy for the Duke” (This confused me at first, but I got there!) It is immediately recognizable as a Rolling Stones song, but what one might not notice is a blending of “Sympathy for the Devil” and “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” which was a very clever way to perform these songs and also maintain lyrics that forward the story!
While enjoying the music don’t get so lost as to overlook the amazing dance numbers. Sonya Tayeh (Tony-winning, ‘Rent: Live,’ ‘The Lucky Ones‘) creates an amazing (and physically challenging) choreography. In a pre-show interview with cast ensemble member Camera Hobbs (READ), he went into detail about the intense physical requirements of the routines that allow him to skip the gym while on the road!
‘Moulin Rouge! The Musical is an energetic spectacle from start to finish. Whether it’s the fact that the show starts before everyone is even seated, or that the tunes will stick in one’s head for days to come, there is something for everyone! While at times the story might confuse some a little bit, it doesn’t last and everyone should be able to catch up. This updated production is the latest and greatest and it’s a big mistake to miss out while it is in town!
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