New Company Rehearsals At MOULIN ROUGE! Germany Interrupted by World War II Bomb

The new company of Moulin Rouge! in Cologne, Germany is preparing to debut tomorrow, April 4th, 2024 at the Musical Dome. The company was forced to evacuate yesterday while preparing for tonight's invited dress rehearsal when a World War II era bomb was discovered in the Rhine river, right beside the theater.

Local officials designated an evacuation zone of 500 meters, forcing the company to pause while the 500 kilogram bomb was removed.

The explosive was discovered during construction work on the shipping channel near the Kennedy embankment in Deutz. The river was closed to traffic while crews worked to safely remove the bomb Wednesday afternoon.

The city of Cologne was a significant target during World War II, having been bombed over 200 times. Over the years, many unexploded munitions have been discovered throughout the city.

This was not Germany's only bomb from the era discovered this week. Today, crews are working to diffuse a bomb in Amberg.

The new cast of Moulin Rouge! in Cologne features Marcella Adema as Satine, Jonas Hein as Christian, Gavin Turnbull as Harold Zidler, Alvin Le-Bass as Toulouse-Lautrec, Antonio Orler as Duke of Monroth, Vini Gomes as Santiago, Azzura Adinolfi as Nini, Jahlisa Norton as La Chocolat, Noei Lee as Arabia, and Ibi as Baby Doll. Marina Maniglio is the Satine alternate. 

Photo Credit: Johan Persson