Review: MOULIN ROUGE!: THE MUSICAL at The Kennedy Center

The glitz. The glamour. The excitement. There’s one place known throughout the world for all these things- the Moulin Rouge. The legendary Parisian cabaret has been immortalized in film and then in Moulin Rouge! The Musical, a Tony Award-winning Broadway musical that is currently on tour at the Kennedy Center. The Kennedy Center production has all of the sparkle and energy one could ask for to bring the Moulin Rouge to life on stage.

Based on Moulin Rouge!, the 2001 Oscar-winning Baz Luhrmann film, Moulin Rouge! The Musical (with a snappy but sappy book by John Logan) tells the story of struggling songwriter, Christian (Luke Monday) who inadvertently becomes enamored with Satine (Gabriela Carrillo), the beautiful starring act at the Moulin Rouge cabaret at the turn of the twentieth century. In a case of mistaken identity, Satine seduces Chrisian, thinking he is a wealthy duke. Convincing the real Duke (Aaron C. Finley) that his encounter with Satine was about a new show for the Moulin Rouge, Christian collaborates with fellow artists and revolutionaries, Toulouse Lautrec (Alex Nicholson) and Santiago (Danny Burgos) as well as Moulin Rouge boss, Harold Zidler (Robert Petkoff) to put on a show starring a secretly-ill Satine.

Moulin-Rouge! The Musical is a jukebox musical, featuring portions, or full renderings, of  more than 70 different songs, spanning decades. Part of the fun of the show is the way it cleverly incorporates these songs, to varying results under Justin Levine’s creative musical supervision and arrangement (He also provided additional lyrics). The musical adds a substantial number of songs to those used in the 2001 movie, with a number of songs from the 2010’s decade being featured (Rolling in the Deep, Shut Up and Dance and Raise Your Glass to name a few). The show is sure to be nostalgic for audiences of all ages, even if it might cause you to cringe occasionally on how the songs are being incorporated.

The production values for this dazzling production are through the roof and validate the slew of Tony Awards the original production won. The burlesque and formal wear themed costumes by Catherine Zuber are spectacular and sexy, with a special shout out for the wonderfully zany head pieces worn by some of the ensemble. The vibrantly colorful lighting design by Justin Townsend is so glorious that it is a true pleasure to look at the stage throughout the production.

The scenic design by Derek McLane conjures up the grandeur and eroticism of the famed Moulin Rouge and the magical streets of Paris. The heart, elephant and diamond themes pervade the set, heightening the grandeur and romance. The mostly crisp sound design by Peter Hylenski boosts the talented musicians and performers. All of these incredible elements come together nicely under the solid direction of Alex Timbers.

The singing is strongest in the solo performances and duets, but the group numbers still thrill with an excellent ensemble and stunning choreography by Sonya Tayeh. The many thrilling dance numbers by the company include a rousing  performance of Lady Marmalade that both opens and closes the show.

Ms. Carrillo makes a sparkling Satine, a real diamond. She shines on Sparkling Diamond, a diamond-themed medley, particularly on “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend,” as well as later on Katy Perry’s “Firework.” Mr. Monday is strong in voice as Christian, especially in his gorgeous rendition of Elton John’s “Your Song.”

They sound wonderful together when they sing their many duets. While their chemistry is not always sizzling, their singing is gorgeous. They particularly sparkle in the charming Elephant Love Medley in which they both sing a medley of over a dozen well-known songs that have the word “love” in the title, such as (Love Lift Us) Up Where We Belong and What’s Love Got to Do with It.

Mr. Petkoff is a powerful Zidler. He has a star moment in his performance of Sia’s Chandelier while Mr. Nicholson’s Toulouse Lautrec soars with Nature Boy.

Other highlights include the second act opener, Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance (infused with Britney Spears’ Toxic) sung by the ensemble and Roxanne sung by Monday and the company, which features an incredible tango by Burgos’ Santiago and Kaitlin Mesh’s Nini.

Although the character development in the show does not go much beyond skin-deep, the themes of Moulin Rouge! The Musical: truth, beauty, freedom and love are displayed in full force in this dazzling production that is a feast for the eyes and ears.

 Moulin Rouge! The Musical is playing at the Kennedy Center through June 28. Performance run time is approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes, including a 15-minute intermission.