Guest Reviewer Kym Vaitiekus Shares His Thoughts On MOULIN ROUGE THE MUSICAL

Saturday 7pm, 4 June 2022, Capitol Theatre.

Baz Luhrmann's revolutionary film comes to life onstage, remixed in a musical mash-up extravaganza. A theatrical celebration of truth, beauty, freedom and above all love.

Luhrmann created the 2001 film with a passion to reimagine the movie musical with a cinematic work based on the Moulin Rouge. The entertainment venue that opened in 1890. It's the birthplace of the Can -Can and the beginnings of the cabaret genre.

Luhrmann cleverly used popular music in mashup melodies that encapsulated they joy and entertainment of the movie musical while translating it a new language that we instantly understood.

Producers Carmen Pavlovic and Gerry Ryan have the honour of creating the first Australian produced musical to originate on Broadway. Winning ten Tony awards including Best Musical in 2021.

Director Alex Timbers along with book writer John Logan worked together to create this grand, immersive, concert style production. Timbers, after its first run in Melbourne, now brings this spectacular work to Sydney.

We follow Christian (Des Flanagan) the american in Paris seeking to express his passion through music and song. He attempts to engage Satine ( Alinta Chidzey) the headline attraction of the Moulin Rouge, in a new musical collaboration.

Satine mistakes him for the Duke ( Andrew Cook) who has been drawn to the bohemian venue by MC Harold Zidler (Simon Burke). Zidler is convincing the Duke to save the business from ruin with the promise of Satine's affections.

Satine's betrothal to the Duke and the plan to save the Moulin Rouge is stymied when Christian and her fall in love.

To captivate the Duke's investment, Christian, Toulouse-Lautrec, Santiago and Satine create a new musical for the Moulin Rouge.

A production that emulates the new love tryst and compounds the drama of all their lives.

Timbers, with this tale, has created a visual spectacular that takes us on a non-stop musical feast. The minute you walk into the auditorium you feel the energy, essence and decadence that the night will bring.

The story is told with astounding musical numbers, one after ther other. Each one has the presence and dynamics of a grand finale.

At one point during the show the audience applauded for a lengthy 5 minutes, the performers holding difficult poses with utter professionalism.

We enjoy a variety of theatrical styles, it's as if the creative team have an unlimited budget or have been told to act as if they do. Every head of department has used this opportunity, not to indulge in gratuitous excess but to give the gift of entertainment abundance. Their skills and creativeness are boundless.

Derek McLane's set design is pure glitz and glamour. An impressive stage for the dynamic dance sequences. It also cleverly moves through the various story locations, from creating the feel of a club venue in this large auditorium, to giving rise to the bohemian streets of Paris and at the same time, it is a stupendous stage for the concert style sequences.

McLane's set works wonderfully with Justin Townsend's lighting design. Townsend's work is phenomenal. He masterfully uses every technique in the book and does so with aplomb. His work is a visual smorgasbord creating looks from soulful moments to video clip imagery to the dynamics of a pop concert performance.

Peter Hylenski's sound design is equally impressive. With the collection of over 70 songs, it's the perfect mix of punch and clarity. The toe tapping mash-ups are skilfully crafted and worth the price of a ticket alone. The love lyric mash between Christian and Satine in ingenious.

Des Flanagan takes on his first mainstage lead role and captivates us all. His Christian is a heartful, captivating and beguiling soul. His presence on stage is beautifully commanding. Flanagan's role gives him the opportunity to display his powerful voice along with his engaging vast emotional range.

Alinta Chidzey's Satine's is beautiful and divine. Her voice is exceptional. Her rendition of Firework, one of the few numbers where a character is alone on stage, is sublime. Chidzey's singing is full of emotion, she commanded the stage and held the audience in her hands. Adding to the many highlights of the night.

In some of the dialogue scenes Satine was less delicate when expressing her feelings. The chemistry between Christian and Satine was also less intense than expected. Satine's battle with consumption was portrayed with a few coughs and with an occasional bloody handkerchief. Chidzey's role is physically demanding and in contrast to one dying of consumption.

During the night it seemed that these choices along, with a simpler story, were devices to move the drama along at pace, in the name of presenting the extraordinary musical numbers. And they are stupendous.

Having said that, Flanagan final scene gave us a powerful and emotive taste of the impact of love.

Simon Burke is perfect for the MC Harold Zidler. His expertise delivers a Zidler that is eccentric, charming, cheeky, devious and tender. It's a role that expressively displays Burke's extensive performance skills. More please.

Andrew Cook's The Duke is the ultimate self serving heartless business man. Cook commands the role with verve and intensity.

Ryan Gonzalez seizes the role of Santiago with gusto and dramatic passion.

Tim Omaji beautifully plays the heartfelt, determined and earnest Toulouse-Lautrec.

It's interesting to see the diversity casting extend to Omaji's role, where a tall strapping man is playing a short disable and famous artist. This choice is in keeping with the evening's theme to present the essence of the Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love in a concert style musical theatre extravaganza. With inventiveness and extravagance, this production takes the simple story line and interprets it into an entertainment feast.

Sonya Tayeh's choreography wonderfully captures the essence of the Moulin Rouge along with the masterful spectacle of dynamic and energetic sequences. Her work is bought to life by the miraculous ensemble. Their skill, effort, technique and passion is remarkable.

Not only the best ticket in town. This is extraordinary musical theatre. A glitz and glamour interpretation of the bohemian world of the Moulin Rouge that is pure entertainment.

Spectacular. Astounding. Phenomenal. Extraordinary.

Photography Michelle Grace Hunder and Daniel Boud

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