Moulin Rouge (professional) reviews

[SmoothLover]

If Aaron had been full of wonder and excitement about entering the world of the Moulin Rouge we would have seen it more through his eyes. There is a rush and an all encompassing thrill when one embarks on a journey of that kind, in his case as a writer and a romantic. It was missing from his performance which harmed the emotional aspects. He was the protagonist after all. M

[gray_area]

Finally got to see this show this past weekend after seeing it in Boston. Thought it was in great shape and found that I enjoyed it more over-all now on Broadway. Also felt like Olivo/Tveit played off each other better than they did in Boston. Brought my family who hadn't seen it before and they also has a blast.

[Dancingthrulife2]

Wayman_Wong said: "Spectrum News (NY1) has posted 3 videos about ''Moulin Rouge!'' In the first one, Frank DiLella chats with the lead producer and her nearly decade-long journey to get the show to Broadway; plus, DiLella dishes with Karen Olivo and Aaron Tveit about playing Satine and Christian and how they felt when Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban came to see them. In the second video, DiLella profiles Alex Timbers, who recalls how Baz Luhrmann offered him the shot to direct this stage adaptation. In the third video, critic Roma Torre raves about ''Moulin Rouge!'' and calls it ''a Broadway hit for the ages.''

https://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/on-stage/2019/09/07/-moulin-rouge---on-broadway"

"Tveit, a handsome face attached to a rich lyric tenor, has by contrast all the sexual charisma of a baked potato. His scenes with Olivo seem friendly, nothing more. He wants them to run off together – and what? Have a picnic?”

https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2019/jul/25/moulin-rouge-broadway-review

"Tveit’s pliant tenor handles the massive leaps from Richard Rodgers to Elton John and beyond. What he can’t do is bring any edge or sexual danger to Christian, now an émigré from Ohio." 

https://www.thewrap.com/moulin-rouge-broadway-review-alex-timbers-baz-luhrmann-aaron-tveit-karen-olivo/

"As the innocent lover-composer Christian, Tveit (“Next to Normal&rdquo has the depth of a stick figure." 

https://www.amny.com/entertainment/moulin-rouge-review-1.34264501

 

 

[Bettyboy72]

Saw this today. I was prepared to hate it and was worried it was going to be so bombastic that it would give me a headache. I came away really enjoying it.

I do agree with others that the sexual chemistry between Olivo and Tveit was limited BUT for me it worked. I mean Satine has been a sex worker since the age of 13. I felt that she and Christian connected as creatives and as kindred spirits. It wasn’t really about sex. It was agape love. I was very moved and wept at the end. I really bought into the arc. They were in love on a soul level. His initial approach to her was never about sex. It was about getting her to use her talent to elevate his work. That’s beautiful.

Also seeing this show ended my Karen Olivo curse. I’ve tried 10’ times throughout her career to see her and she was always out. I was cynical towards her going in but she had me in the palm of her hand and she broke my heart. I have forgiven her and I hope she will forgive me for some of my vitriolic posts about her attendance. From this day forward I will let that go.

The whole cast is top notch. Love Danny with all my heart. Also loved Robyn Hurder.

[mpkie]

schubox said: "There were just too many moments of telling, not showing that came off as lazy to me. Like the other dancer telling Satine how dangerous the Duke was, but we never really saw it. Richard Roxburgh conveyed more menace in a single scene than the Duke in the musical did for the entire show"

 

The scene was like:

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

Nini: "You have to be more careful" [...]
Satine: "Why are you telling me this?"
Nini: "I have been jealous of you since I first met you. But we're sisters."
Satine: "Thank you."

Garbage.

[mpkie]

DramaTeach said: "This show had one of the worst audiences I’ve encountered. "

Seconded! I hated his audience. People humming/singing along - no we don't CARE that you know the song. A couple in front kept moving their whole body/heads. This is NOT a dance-along.

Both guys on either side of me decided to have their crinkly snack during the show -- one during Act 1, the other during Act 2. Every two seconds: *loud crinkle*. To their credit they completely stopped (after snacking just a little more! lol what!), after I pointed at their snack and said,"It's distracting". And I could hear everyone else crinkling their loud ass snacks all throughout the audience.

There was a guy who kept clapping at the end of a scene but I think he could have been autistic or something, so obviously I gave it a pass but everyone else kept laughing at it or making comments when it happened.

I did recognize all the songs except one that only went on for a line or two, and I was not amused by the gimmick, I hated it as I'd rather it be a proper jukebox where the song is sung in its entirety. It confounds me why every song was funny? The audience laughed every time it was a line from a new song. One "number" was just a string of these one-liners, and the audience laughed. at. every. line. of. a. new. song. ?????

I wanted to love it but the cards were not in its favor given I loathed the movie. I think anyone who loved the movie would like this show. I personally thought that Aaron Tveit was the only good thing in it, his voice and look worked very well for the character, so I'm surprised to see people didn't enjoy his performance. Actually, the choreography was quite good, too. The curtain call number was super fun and I wish that was the show I saw instead.

I agree that Aaron and Karen have zero chemistry. Also their voices sound awful together.

[Jarethan]

YvanEhtNioj said: "I was in the center mezzanine and the only other people standing were the ones in the last row. I'm talking about literally in the entire mezzanine..everyone sat down."

I would have thought that the thing to do at that point was for YOU to sit down, so all the people behind you you'd see the show without having to look around you.  I am sorry if this offends you, but you are not at Yankee Stadium.  If everyone is sitting, you should sit.

I think that is also a reason for all the stupid, moronic standing ovations that happen for virtually every show, whether a brilliantly performed masterpiece or a mediocre piece of junk.  I would like to get back to the days when a SO was earned, not obligatory.

[ArtMan]

I saw this on Sunday.  I loved every minute of it.  I purposely did not look at the playbill, so each time a new song was sung, it was a pleasant surprise.  The sets were breathtaking and the costumes gorgeous.  The acting, singing and chemistry, in my opinion, was topnotch.  Had only one ensemble member out.  It was the best show of five I saw this trip.  I have an acquaintance who wants to see this, but I know will hate it because of the score.

[Miles2Go2]

Still crawling out from under the stupor of my hangover of my Broadway overdose from yesterday so I’ll try to keep this short and sweet.

Moulin Rouge! - wow. Saw last (Saturday) night. I wasn’t prepared to love this as much as I did. Of course, the set and what they’ve done with the theater itself is amazing. Also, loved the guy in the thong during pre-show. He almost made me forget tall hot guy Timothy Hughes from Hadestown the night before. I also liked the incidental music they have playing during the preshow. I know some people have found it annoying. Songs that didn’t really connect with me on the cast recording totally connected with me in the theater when I understood them in the context of the show. I also found Aaron and Karen to have chemistry which was a nice surprise after all the grumblings on here. Aaron’s voice is so beautiful. Karen’s is SO POWERFUL!!! Danny Burstein is EVERYTHING. Give that man his Tony now!!! I full on sobbed (first time with trip) during Your Song and at the death scene. A lot of that with Your Song has to do with my history with that song if you recall an earlier post of mine in the MR thread. I also, didn’t find the mashup encore jarring at end as it’s pretty clear it’s the actors performing for us, not the characters. Maybe it’s my The Bohemian Writer cocktail (with absinthe) in first act and my Sparkling Diamond cocktail in Act 2, but I think this has a shot not only at aTony nomination for best musical, but maybe a win. I know it’s got a lot of competition coming next year so we’ll see. I just don’t know that it’s outside the realm of possibility. I also know that some of my buy-in comes from my goodwill carryover from the movie as well as the transcendent power of pop (at least for me) that helped me survive a pretty unhappy childhood.

[NOLAguy]

Just a quick question, where is the orchestra located for Moulin? I'm guessing somewhere backstage? 

[Jarethan]

Saw this for the first time in NYC today, after seeing it twice in Boston. Enjoyed it as much as the first two times. Here were three things I enjoyed more: Tveit’s performance; Olivo’s performance; and the set in the theatre. I thought
Tveit had no stage presence originally. That is not an issue now...he has grown into the role...good presence, handsome, and incredible voice. Olive just seemed better to me. I still think she is too old for him, but my friend today commented that that was the case with the lead characters in La Traviate, so i’ll Give up on that gripe.

A lot has been said about the sets, but not enough. All discussion focuses on the heart-shaped set, and the elephant. The minor sets are incredible. This show would deserve a set design Tony if there was no heart-shaped motif and overall theatre design.

This performance it was Danny Burstyn who was out. His replacement gave a fine performance; however, anyone who has not seen Burstyn will not understand what they are missing. Burstyn was the soul of the show; his understudy is a talented performer.

All three times I have seen this show I have realized there are weak points; when the highs are as high as they are in this show, I can deal with a few lows.

[Pjayactor]

Today was my first time to see it! I love the film. I was so looking forward to seeing Danny – and he was out. So I think while I’m visiting this weekend I will try to go back and see him. I am glad I saw the show… Full of energy… The best looking cast on Broadway… You will love it. At today’s performance, the one thing I could’ve done without, is the audience recognition and slight laughter when they recognize asong even in the most tragic of moments.

[SouthernCakes]

Orchestra is under stage left

[CT2NYC]

Jarethan said: "This performance it was Danny Burstyn who was out. His replacement gave a fine performance; however, anyone who has not seen Burstyn will not understand what they are missing. Burstyn was the soul of the show; his understudy is a talented performer."

"Burstein," not "Burstyn."

[Jarethan]

Thanks. I must have had Ellen Burstyn on the brain. I really did know how it was spelled. Just a mega brain-fart.

[Wayman_Wong]

For fans of ''Moulin Rouge!,'' the BUILD series has done a deep dive into the making of the show. Their video interview features star Aaron Tveit, director Alex Timbers and music supervisor Justin Levine. They dish about the development of the show from screen to stage, and the challenge to getting the rights to the various pop/rock songs (and the stipulations involved). Levine, in particular, outlines how the Broadway version of ''The Elephant Love Medley'' differs from the movie version, and what it was like to deal with the Rolling Stones. Plus, Tveit gushes about co-star Karen Olivo and the ''surprising'' reaction of how well singing Adele works in Act II.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VS7okRkLnNU

[Miles2Go2]

Karen Olivia and Aaron Tveit performing on Late Show with Stephen Colbert tonight.

[RippedMan]

Funny some of us think they had chemistry and some of us don't. I thought Tveit gave one of the most bland/worst performances I've seen in awhile. Great voice, but just zero chemistry with the people he is connecting with, which made me not buy into the story and therefore I felt at an arms length the whole time and didn't connect emotionally to the show. But yeah it's a fun show to watch. 

And I've zero doubt that this will get a ton of Tony awards. It just won't. 

[Chowd95]

Miles2Go2 said: "Karen Olivia and Aaron Tveit performing on Late Show with Stephen Colbert tonight. "

I was at the taping when they performed this (which was actually last Monday the 4th). Made me really excited to see the show itself but I ended up despising it lol. 

[Wayman_Wong]

Here's the video of Aaron and Karen doing ''Your Song'' from ''Moulin Rouge!'' on ''The Late Show.'' They clearly enjoy singing together, and it's fun watching them watch each other. To me, their chemistry is incredible, & their voices blend beautifully. (How wonderful they were backed by an orchestra & got a standing O.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poLtclnVdnk

 

[Wayman_Wong]

And here's Colbert chatting with Aaron & Karen before they sang. The Broadway stars dished about how they really work in harmony.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FdAQXizIgI

[BWAY Baby2]

I absolutely loved the show- thought it was inventive, sexy, contemporary and very creative- the most upbeat show ever. But, I would say- if you do not love contemporary music- if you really love symphonies and operas and really do not love more commercial sounds- I think you might hate this. 

[Chowd95]

BWAY Baby2 said: "I absolutely loved the show- thought it was inventive, sexy, contemporary and very creative- the most upbeat show ever. But, I would say- if you do not love contemporary music- if you really love symphonies and operas and really do not love more commercial sounds- I think you might hate this."

I have no problem with contemporary music. The reason I hated this show was that they didn't give any moment musically time to breathe. The "love song" near the end of the first act was just one lyric after another from anything that had the word "love" in the title, and was played for laughs instead of emotion. Those songs are popular for a reason. They have catchy hooks and bridges with great key changes that make you want to hear them over and over. Moulin Rouge felt like listening to someone with ADHD flipping through a playlist. 

[IHeartNY2]

Was lucky enough to see it for the 3rd time Friday and loved it even from way in the back. It's the fun and escape we all need right now.

[IAMREADING]

finally won the lottery. an extremely entertaining spectacle!

the opening number was WOW! it reminded me of the opening of the cher show in which you’re kind of in the audience of a cher concert and not a show about cher.. moulin rouge at times felt just like you were in the audience of the moulin rouge cabaret burlesque type show at the workplace musical centers around. it was very entertaining. i loved the dancing. not since chicago has there really been dancing i enjoyed watching this way and it made me excited for west side story.

when karen came down for Diamonds I was just in awe. really great. i also really enjoyed the act 2 opener and toxic. and when karen came into chandelier was so good. she’s a great dancer! this role seems exerting.

the audience did laugh at the beginning of almost every pop song sung seriously but it quiets down quick and it’s nice to hear these talented voices singing.

i agree that the ending is anticlimactic then the post ending number is wow high energy all over again.

i didn’t think about it during the show but reading your posts, i agree the stars don’t have much chemistry. but i found their plot to be the b plot to all of the pizaz.