Interview: Libby Lloyd from the MOULIN ROUGE! THE MUSICAL National Tour Presented by Broadway In Chicago

Libby Lloyd takes on the role of Nini, one of the principal club dancers, in the MOULIN ROUGE! THE MUSICAL national tour. The Tony Award winning musical is currently making its tour premiere here in Chicago. Lloyd reflected on bringing the iconic Baz Luhrmann jukebox movie musical to life for touring audiences and the thrill of live musical theater.

How does it feel to return to performing in live theater and finally launch the national tour of MOULIN ROUGE! THE MUSICAL?

It's so exciting. It's been a whirlwind for me. I actually was cast in my role three days before we started rehearsals. So big, big changes for me because I was not expecting to go on tour for a year. But here I am with this amazing company. And I'm glad that we're starting in Chicago. I have some good friends that live here. It's been fun to have their support in previews and on opening night to have some close friends that feel like family in the audience.

MOULIN ROUGE is obviously a rather iconic jukebox movie musical and the film is now over 20 years old. How does the musical as written and this touring production keep the story fresh and vibrant?

Well, the music first off is a big thing that's different from the movie to our musical. The movie has pop music that was around when the movie came out. So now our musical has pop music from this time period, relevant to when the musical came out.

It's really fun. I am shocked by some of the songs we were able to get in this show. There's top Billboard hits. What other musical has "Single Ladies" by Beyoncé in it?

The story, I think, is relevant now more than ever, about a woman working for herself and supporting her community and going through this really tough trial of health. I think that's really relevant nowadays with COVID being top of mind for everyone. We understand this concept of how a sickness can really make you think about what's important and try to tell those that you love that you love them before it's too late. The music, obviously ,but the story is as relevant as ever. I grew up watching the movie so I had high expectations when I saw [the musical on Broadway]. It's different from the movie and still good in its own way.

"Lady Marmalade" in particular is an iconic song, and especially the cover for the MOULIN ROUGE film soundtrack featuring pop divas like Christina Aguilera, Mya, Lil Kim, and Pink. What's it like performing that song on stage every night?

Oh, when the beat drops and we're standing there, we're holding a position and we're backlit. It's one of the most epic starts to a show. I feel so cool every night. Everyone knows that song; everyone loves that song. So when the audience hears the first line of the music, everyone cheers. That's an exciting moment, and I'm so thankful I get to be a part of that and open the show in such an iconic way. And let everyone know this is what you're in for.

The musical is also interesting because it's anachronistic: It's set in 1899 Paris, but the jukebox songs encompass some of the biggest pop hits from the past 40 years or so. How do you find your way into the show's reality and reconcile the two?

I think what Justin Levine, our music orchestrator, did really well is he made sure the songs aren't just for fluff. Like "Shut Up and Dance With Me," Satine [speaks the lyrics] before the song starts. So yes it's a pop song, but the story is woven through those songs.

I think the costuming [by Catherine Zuber] does such a good job to set you in that time period, to get you into that world and the set design [by Derek McLane]. It's all so beautiful that immediately you're dropped into that world so it doesn't feel contrived.

And speaking of the musical numbers, one of the elements of MOULIN ROUGE! THE MUSICAL that's particularly interesting is that in using contemporary and iconic pop hits, the soundtrack of the show effectively mirrors the soundtrack of the audience's lives. As a performer, how do you navigate the various meanings of the songs within the context of the show and also knowing the audience's connection to them?

I think it's fun to hear when the audience recognizes a song, and like you said, they love this song. You hear people cheer when the first few lines of a song start, or they laugh because they couldn't imagine that someone would be able to make this song fit into this part of a musical. We play along with that as well. There's time that we pause for the laughs because we know people will recognize the song. It's fun to hear it in a different context. It's a fun interaction between the audience and us on stage being like, "Ok, do you know this one? Do you know this one?"

This is also a high-energy, physically demanding show, and I've heard that's particularly true of the choreography. How do you sustain your energy for eight shows a week, especially after some time away from live theater?

That's definitely true, especially for my track. I have a highly featured dance track. We are so lucky that we have physical therapy. We have [a physical therapist] here on tour with us that knows all of the injuries we're going through, knows the tendencies with repetitive choreography, and knows that we need to focus on strength training or icing after the show.

I try to move my body in some way every day before the show. Before the show we do a warm-up, but even earlier in the day waking everything up again, making sure it's all functioning properly. I like to do dance cardio since it mimics everything I'm doing in the show.

It is very demanding. The choreography is stunning. When I saw the show on Broadway what drew me in was the choreography. I feel so lucky to do that. Keeping my body moving, honoring when things aren't feeling as good, and leaning into the things that feel really good.

What do you hope Chicago audiences take away from MOULIN ROUGE! THE MUSICAL?

Something I really love about the show is the sense of community. Everybody at the Moulin Rouge is there to help each other, to help the club survive, to support the opening act of the Lady Marmalades or the Sparkling Diamond (Satine). The sense of community is strong. And the same thing with the bohemians. I think that's something everyone really missed during the pandemic is being able to interact with one another on a daily basis. I really, really love that aspect of community that the show supports. I hope people can come see that show, and as Harold Zidler, [the owner of the Moulin Rouge], says, "You're welcome here." Everyone is welcome at the Moulin Rouge, but also in our audiences. I hope people feel safe and that they're able to enjoy it no matter where they're coming from. I hope they connect and see themselves somewhere on stage.

The iconic songs that everyone hopes for are [also] still there, like "Roxane" and "Come What May." Those iconic MOULIN ROUGE songs are there, and they're stunning.

See Libby Lloyd as Nini in the Broadway In Chicago engagement of the MOULIN ROUGE! THE MUSICAL national tour through May 14. Tickets start at $52.50. Visit BroadwayInChicago.com.

Interview responses edited for clarity.

Headshot courtesy of Broadway In Chicago

Interview by Rachel Weinberg