VIDEO: Hangin' on 45th Street with MOULIN ROUGE!'s Natalie Mendoza!

Natalie Mendoza is in the midst of a full circle moment. In 2001, she starred as "China Doll" in Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge! Now she's onstage eight times a week, leading the company of the Tony-winning Broadway show of the same name.

"Twenty something years ago I auditioned for the role of Satine," explained Mendoza in a recent interview with BroadwayWorld's Richard Ridge. "To be actually playing the character that I originally auditioned for is totally mind blowing."

Natalie admitted that her first show was an emotional one. "I was welling up with tears. It was so emotional. It was such a beautiful reminder of how what we do as actors completely relies on the relationship we have with our audience. It reminds you of the value of community not just backstage, but the audience is a part of that community too."

watch as she chats more about joining the company, reuniting with director Alex Timbers, and more!