Theater Review: Moulin Rouge! The Musical

Baz Luhrman’s Moulin Rouge! is a classic film. Adapting classics, generally, is very tricky business. So the question is: Does Moulin Rouge! The Musical on Broadway live up to the original? Yes and no.

When you enter the Hirschfeld Theatre, you’re actually entering the famed Parisian nightclub, Moulin Rouge. There’s a giant (fake) elephant; the windmill; the chandeliers. There are many scantily-clad dancers staring dispassionately out into the audience, waiting for the show to begin. The show begins with a crowd-favorite song from the original (“Lady Marmalade”), and for the next two-and-a-half hours audience members watch the love story between wide-eyed Christian (Aaron Tveit) and world-weary bombshell Satine (Karen Olivo) unfold.

You’re probably familiar with that story. Young, poor artist falls for the beautiful, star of the show performer. Alas, she’s promised to a wealthy, horrible Duke (Tam Mutu). Satine’s boss and the owner of the Moulin Rouge, Harold Zidler (Danny Burstein), encourages the Duke’s pursuit of Satine in order to secure patronage for the failing nightclub. In this version, though, the Duke is not squirrely and creepy; he’s super sexy and powerful (which made us wonder…would it be that bad to end up with him?). While Satine really does try to get the Duke (and his money) and keep her love affair with Christian hidden from him, she can’t have it all. Her really BIG secret comes out; she is dying of consumption. Through this all, there’s music and dancing, and, story-wise, Moulin Rouge! gives the characters a little more background. Diving into Zidler and Satine’s past is definitely one of the highlights.

Danny Burstein as Harold Zidler. Photo Credit: Matthew Murphy

Director Alex Timbers and his creative team was able to create a very opulent world. From Toulouse-Lautrec (Sahr Ngaujah) and Christian’s loft to the vibrant Moulin Rouge, the sets (by Derek McLane) are gorgeous. Catherine Zuber’s costumes are amazing, especially when Satine changes from performer to dripping with jewels in couture. Choreographer Sonya Tayeh created energetic, soulful dances. Basically, everywhere audiences look on stage, they’re met with brilliance. But here’s where things go a little wonky.

Although Justin Levine did a great job arranging and orchestrating the music, Moulin ROuge! has about 70-80 songs stuffed into the runtime. The sheer amount of incredibly recognizable pop songs thrown into the show make this truly feel like a jukebox gone haywire sometimes. What was so great about Baz Luhrman’s Moulin Rouge! was the heightened, frenzied spectacle paired with pop songs that a younger generation (like us!) may not have known. Some of the recent musical hits included are “Shut Up and Dance,” “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It),” “We Are Young,” “Raise a Glass,” “Don’t Speak,” and “Royals.” Here, audiences roar with laughter or exclaim whenever they hear something they know (which, during some mash-up numbers, feels like it’s every ten seconds). That makes the production feel a little too silly and campy.

The company of Moulin Rouge! The Musical; Photo Credit: Matthew Murphy

Then, the love story that is supposed to be the driving force of the story barely ignites until the very end. While Karen Olivo is a powerhouse (her surprising rendition of “Firework” will give you goosebumps) as Satine, giving her a female empowerment strength and toughness that didn’t exist in the original, she is not well-matched with her romantic partner, Aaron Tveit. Aaron Tveit is, naturally, handsome and has a voice that is out of this world delicious, but he falls short of embodying Christian. He struggles to have any chemistry with Olivo for most of the show; he comes alive when he gets to explore darker emotions. When he’s angry and sad, he’s on fire. Case in point: the entire “Roxanne” scene.

That said, the rest of the cast is wonderful. Danny Burstein is always a joy to watch, and Sahr Ngaujah’s Lautrec is lively. But, hands down, one of the best performances of the entire production is the opening number of Act II. Ricky Rojas (as tango dancer Santiago) and Robyn Hurder (as performer Nini) are magnetic and raw during the mash-up of “Bad Romance,” “Tainted Love,” “Seven Nation Army,” “Toxic,” and “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This).” Their dance is one for the ages.

Overall, despite a few missteps, Moulin Rouge! The Musical makes for a sparkling evening of fun, and you’ll dance and sing all the way home.

For more information and tickets to Moulin Rouge!, click here.

 
Header Photo Credit: Matthew Murphy