Review: MOULIN ROUGE! at Broadway At The Hobby Center

Baz Luhrmann’s revolutionary film comes to life onstage, remixed into a musical mash-up extravaganza. Directed by Tony Award winner Alex Timbers, MOULIN ROUGE! THE MUSICAL is a theatrical celebration of Truth, Beauty, Freedom and, above all, Love. Featuring a book by Tony Award winner John Logan, music supervision, orchestrations and arrangements by Tony Award winner Justin Levine, and choreography by Tony Award winner Sonya Tayeh, the production brings the beloved film to the stage in dazzling fashion.

First off, I cannot believe Baz Luhrmann's 2001 film is already 25 years old. The anticipation leading up to its release was enormous. I saw it on opening night with a horde of equally excited friends, then another four or five times over the following weeks. It was unlike anything we'd seen before (although the hype was certainly fueled by Luhrmann's take on Romeo + Juliet five years earlier), delivering a spectacular story that seamlessly blended original music with familiar pop songs into a gorgeous portrait of the Belle Époque and the tug-of-war between Parisian aristocrats and bohemians.

This musical absolutely delivers on the spectacle. Everything is dripping in decadence and rich color. Costumes, sets, lighting and sound collide to transport us into the vibrant, high-energy world of the Moulin Rouge and the streets of Paris. In an effort to modernize the production, numerous contemporary pop songs have been added, some with tremendous success and others feeling a bit shoehorned in…but more on that later.

To be perfectly honest, I preferred this tour production to the original Broadway production I saw when it opened. It feels tighter, more cohesive, and the performers are far more engaging, with noticeably stronger chemistry. Gabriela Carrillo is fantastic as Satine. Her voice is beautiful, and her stage presence and energy are captivating. She dances, acts and sings almost nonstop from her entrance in "Diamonds Are Forever," cleverly mashed up with the original "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend." Opposite her, Luke Monday shines as Christian, the bohemian songwriter who falls hopelessly in love with her. Monday's soaring tenor effortlessly carries him through both the beloved songs from the film and the newer pop additions. Together, Carrillo and Monday share an infectious chemistry, and whether they are tenderly crooning or comedically sparring, they are impossible to look away from.

Setting aside my absolute love for the original film, I understand the desire to update it for the stage, both to inject some modernity and to give Broadway its own signature stamp. However, I think the production occasionally goes a little too far. Some wonderful songs from the film have been replaced by newer material, and while that works beautifully in moments like Sia's "Chandelier," other additions pull us completely out of the story's 1899 setting. Granted, we're already suspending disbelief, (obviously none of the music is period appropriate) but the film did a much better job of weaving contemporary songs naturally into its world. At the emotional climax, Christian is at his breaking point, kneeling with his head in his hands. When he suddenly launches into Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy," I don't think the intention was for the audience to start chuckling.

Back to the performances, though. As mentioned, "Chandelier" has been incorporated into the score, and Robert Petkoff, as Harold Zidler, absolutely slays it. He steals scenes throughout the evening, but this is unquestionably his defining moment. I still smile and get goosebumps thinking about it. Aaron C. Finley brings both menace and an outstanding voice to the Duke of Monroth, a far more intimidating character than his more comedic film counterpart. Although he appears in fewer musical numbers than many of the principal cast members, he commands the stage whenever he appears, making the Duke's control over both the Moulin Rouge and Satine unmistakably clear.

Alex Nicholson and Danny Burgos portray Toulouse-Lautrec and the tango-dancing Argentine, Santiago, respectively. While both characters have evolved from their film counterparts, they retain the spirit and charm that made them memorable. Individually and together, they bring terrific energy to the stage, and alongside Christian they form an endlessly entertaining trio as they scheme to have their show approved by Satine and Zidler before attempting to stage it under the ever-watchful eye of the Duke.

MOULIN ROUGE also boasts an ensemble of nearly 20 performers, and every one of them contributes to the show's electric atmosphere. From intimate duets and soaring quartets to explosive full-company dance numbers, they bring the Moulin Rouge to vibrant, exhilarating life.

Because the film became such a cultural phenomenon all those years ago, it's impossible not to compare it to the musical adaptation. Looking around the theater before curtain and during intermission, though, I was delighted to see both longtime fans of the film and Broadway enthusiasts eager to experience this bold reimagining. Whichever camp you fall into (I happily belong to both), this tour is an outrageous, eye-popping theatrical extravaganza that delivers exactly what audiences come to MOULIN ROUGE expecting: spectacle, romance and a whole lot of sparkle.

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