Review: MOULIN ROUGE at Rochester Broadway Theatre League

If Rochester’s gloomy late-autumn weather has got you down, prepare to be whisked away to the bright lights and teeming intrigue of Paris’ underground nightlife, and explore the Bohemian ideals of truth, beauty, freedom, and love; “Moulin Rouge” has landed at the Rochester Broadway Theatre League.

Based on the 2001 film by Baz Luhrman, Moulin Rouge first came to the Broadway stage in 2019. From Stageagent: “The show follows Moulin Rouge star performer, Satine (Gabrielle McClinton), and an American man, Christian (Christian Douglas), as they navigate through a tumultuous love affair. The Moulin Rouge is going bankrupt and Harold Zidler (Robert Petkoff), the club’s owner, is willing to do whatever's necessary to save his beloved show and the jobs of all involved. He sets Satine up with The Duke (Andrew Brewer), a wealthy man looking for a woman to be his own. It is Harold’s hope that she is what will entice The Duke to put up the money to save the Moulin Rouge. Little does Harold know of The Duke's violent past when it comes to his relationships. This puts a massive obstacle in between Christian and Satine. It leaves all wondering, “Is it all worth it for love?”

As someone who typically finds Baz Lurhman’s overall aesthetic really off-putting, the stage adaptation of “Moulin Rouge” has the best of both worlds: the movie’s captivating music, lush orchestrations, sultry performers and top-quality choreography without the whip-sawing, overwhelming visuals.

In the vein of other popular musicals like “Six” and “Cats”, “Moulin Rouge” is less a narrative-driven story and more an experience. Yes, the show centers on the Satine/Christian love story and yes, we all find the Duke to be a treacherous villain, but the real appeal of “Moulin Rouge” is the world it creates, one of seductive Parisian decadence augmented by reimagined songs that we all know and love.

And while the cast is full of top-notch performers, the production’s Harold Zidler (Robert Petkoff) steals the show with his grandiosity and French witticisms, pulling all the attention and energy of the show into the palm of his hand and taking the audience on the journey with him. It’s really something to behold.