Review: MOULIN ROUGE! THE MUSICAL at Fox Cities Performing Arts Center

The Tony Award winning theatrical sensation, Moulin Rouge! The Musical, is without question the sparkling diamond of the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center Broadway Across America season!  A dazzling spectacle of a show, Moulin Rouge! takes creativity to a whole new level.  Going in, I must admit that I was skeptical of this adaptation of Baz Luhrmann’s cult classic film, but I left wondering why I had waited until now to engage with such an inventive, and explosive production.  Centered on the theme of “Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love” John Logan and his collaborators open a time capsule of pop culture that all can appreciate.  Some might argue that Justin Levine’s outstanding orchestrations woven into this engaging story make it one of the greatest and most ingenious “mixtapes” to grace the professional stage.

There is a reason that this piece of bohemian art took home Tony Awards for Best Scenic Design, Best Costume Design, Best Lighting Design, and seven other awards including Best Musical.  The design of this show immediately transports the audience to the eclectic atmosphere of the Moulin Rouge itself. Make sure you are in your seat at least 15 minutes early to immerse yourself in the environment established by pre-show performances from an incredible ensemble.  The use of color and texture enhanced the wildly unique and sultry world of the cabaret.  While being racy, the design of the show from the costumes to the choreography never crossed the line to be trashy.  When it comes to creating something visually seductive it’s easy to miss the mark, but this was a burlesque bullseye. 

The ensemble of the North American Tour deserves a standing ovation.  It became crystal clear very early on that each one of them can-can do anything, and they will.  Swallow swords? Sure... why not?  Dance the tango? Step aside Dancing with the Stars.  The precision of movement was unlike anything that has been seen in the Fox Cities PAC this season.  Simply put, this large ensemble of elite performers is just that… elite.  It gave me hope for future touring productions, knowing these types of dynamic performers are still going city to city across the country.

Featured in the show was Ak Naderer in the role of Nini.  Joining the cast from Austria, Naderer gave an exquisite performance, and showed that international experience and training does not fall flat on the American stage, but rather elevates it.  It was an absolute privilege to experience her work from the audience. “Backstage Romance” was without question one of the standout moments of the show as she and stage partner Danny Burgos, in the role of Santiago, go from tango to trouble in one of the most passionate and seamless sequences of the show.

Christian Douglas played the leading man, Christian, and lived up to this ironic namesake. Being that Douglas is a musician himself, stepping into the role of Christian, a composer, appeared to be no challenge for him.  Christian may be one of the most vocally demanding roles on the professional stage, but Douglas proved that command can conquer demand.  Navigating genres is no easy task, and Douglas showed that he has Tony-level abilities.  His technique was flawless and his delivery was believable on every level.  While the role of Christian has a foundational and undeniable light-hearted charm, there was a groundedness that Douglas held onto that made moments of Act Two leave the audience in emotional disarray.  The character was real and the audience could tangibly feel his passion for not only Satine but for his art.  Christian Douglas is a name to look out for in years to come.

Satine, played by Gabrielle McClinton, was genuine and truly a diamond.  While many moments showed that she had great command vocally, her movement cannot go unnoticed.  Very rarely do you see individuals in principal roles both dance and sing as well as McClinton does.  Her chemistry with Douglas was undeniable and she left the audience wanting the world for her.  She navigated the character development of Satine with such grace that the audience found themselves speechless during her character's closing sequences.  Add her to the list of true triple threat leading ladies.

Last but certainly not least, I must mention Luke Monday in the role of the condescending and narcissistic Duke of Monroth.  There is a certain presence that you want the villain of the show to have, and Monday embodied every ounce of who The Duke is.  There were moments that you would empathize with him, even though you knew you shouldn’t.  When a performer can make an audience wonder if they should feel bad for the antagonist or want to push him into the Seine, you know it was done right.  Monday has powerful and agile vocals that validate his credits in the playbill. 

Moulin Rouge! The Musical balanced and finished the PAC season in such a necessary way.  It took me about 36 hours to be ready to write about this show.  We look at the words “Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love” in our world today, and we often do not experience them all at once, rather we experience them independently of one another. Moulin Rouge! The Musical reminds us of that. That’s the importance of this show.  These four themes are not only central to the show, but the human experience.  This show, this message needs to exist. And it will… “Come What May”.

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