Review: MOULIN ROUGE at Orpheum Memphis

Truth. Beauty. Freedom. Love. The Bohemian ideals combined with a spectacular medley of tunes, some incredible choreography, and a love story for the ages. 

In 2001, Moulin Rouge rocked the world with a dazzling debut. The jukebox musical was co-written, directed, and produced by Baz Luhrmann, which follows a poet who falls in love with the star of the Moulin Rouge, the Sparkling Diamond herself, Satine. The film received positive reviews and even swept the Academy Awards, receiving eight nominations and winning two, including Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design. Moulin Rouge was the first musical to be nominated for Best Picture since Beauty and the Beast's nomination in 1991. It also received six nominations at the Golden Globes, winning three, including Best Motion Picture- Musical or Comedy. 

As a theatre kid, I was obsessed with the album. I would sit next to my CD player and listen to Ewan McGregor's smooth tenor voice, would rock out to "Roxanne", and would cry at "Come What May". When I heard that it was being adapted into a stage production, I was so worried that the original songs would be erased. But I was pleased to see that the originals were combined with some new, popular songs that make the show twice as fun as the film. The musical also heavily inspired by La Boheme, an opera by Giacomo Puccini which Baz Lurhmann directed at the Sydney Opera House in 1993. I remember choosing the material to write about for one of my History of Musical Theatre assignments, and spent weeks studying the source material. In the DVD menu, Lurhmann also revealed that he drew inspiration for another famous tragic couple, one that we also recently saw on the Orpheum Stage. If you guessed Orpheus and Eurydice, you guessed correctly. Like Orpheus, Christian is a musical genius, seemingly "touched by the gods". He also descends into a dark underworld of depravity and violence to rescue his love. History also comes to life in the musical. Harold Zidler shares a last name with Charles Zidler, who was of the owners of the Moulin Rouge. Satine is based on a French can-can dancer, while Fromage, Le Petomane, and Le Chocolat actually share their names with performers of the actual cabaret. 

In 2016, it was announced that a stage adaptation was in the works and in 2017, a workshop took place starring Aaron Tveit and Karen Olivo as Christian and Satine. Moulin Rouge was officially due to begin preview performances on June 27th, 2018 at the Emerson Colonial Theatre in Boston. It opened on Broadway on July 25th, 2019 but on March 12, 2020 the show was suspended due to the Corona pandemic and continued until mid-2021. It was actually the first show I saw shortly after Broadway reopened and I decided to take a spontaneous trip to New York City to see a few shows. Hadestown and Moulin Rouge were my favorites of the trip. 

According to Playbill, Moulin Rouge grossed around $2.2 million in October of 2019 and in May of 2022, it was reported that the musical had become the fifth highest grossing Broadway shows. In 2020, the production was nominated for fourteen Tony Awards, winning ten of them! Best Musical, Best Choreography, and Best Costume Design were just some of the catagories that Moulin Rouge swept. 

Many times when we sit in the audience, we are captivated by one or two performers but this show features such an incredibly talented cast, it was difficult to maintain focus. Even while the lead characters are belting their lungs out, the ensemble performers are dancing their hearts out right next to them. One of my favorites on the Broadway stage was Harold Zidler, and he quickly became one of my favorites in this production as well (portrayed by Robert Petkoff). Other notable mentions are Nini (AK Naderer), The Duke of Monroth (played by Andrew Brewer, who played the Duke deliciously evil while still holding a sense of charm), and Toulouse-Lautrec (portrayed by Nick Rashad Burroughs). Toulouse was one of my favorite characters in the film, portrayed by John Leguizamo, and I was nervous to see how the stage adaptation would protray him but I have never been disappointed in any of the productions I have seen. 

As I have said before, I am always nervous when I have seen a show on Broadway and then see the National Tour. Broadway has certain expectations and certain standards but if you have seen the Broadway production of Moulin Rouge, fear not, you will not be disappointed. The thing I was most disappointed in was the absence of the elephant, an elaborate set that would be extremely difficult if not impossible to take on tour. That being said, the performances are just as entertaining and exhilirating! Arianna Rosario captivates the stage from her first entrance as Satine to her tragic exit as she succumbs to her illness in Christian's loving arms. The same can be said for Christian Douglas, who captures the audience's hearts as the poor besotten composer, whose voice flows as smoothly as some of that choreography! Fan favorites are typically "Your Song" or "Shut Up and Raise Your Glass" but I absolutely loved "El Tango de Roxanne" (a combination of "Roxanne", "Tanguera", and "Chandelier") and "Crazy Rolling" (a mixture of "Crazy" and "Rolling in the Deep") The sheer power of Douglas's voice combined with the utmost heartbreak he is feeling gives us a chilling picture of a man unraveled by love to the point of insanity. 

Sonya Tayeh's choreography will have you wanting to get out of your seats and dance, but I also have to call attention to Justin Townsend's lighting design as well as the costumes, hair, and makeup by Catherine Zuber, David Brian Brown, and Sarah Cimino, respectively. All of them combined with Derek McLane's set design make the show a pure spectacle, never giving us a chance to catch our breath before the next number takes us forward into our journey through 20th century Paris.  

Run- walk- do the can-can- do whatever you have to get to the Moulin Rouge, I mean, the Orpheum Theatre before November 3rd. Please remember theatre etiquette when you get there, and stay off your cell phones/ don't sing along with the actors! It makes the show less enjoyable for those around you... and you are going to want to enjoy every moment of this incredible cast! 

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