Review: MOULIN ROUGE! At Straz Center For The Performing Arts Is A Dazzling, Romantic, Bohemian Affair

“...So that’s how a young man came to Paris to find himself. Instead, he found all of this. A place to belong. People to love. And a woman...a woman who showed him all that truly matters in life...Truth. Beauty.Freedom...Love.” -Christian

First a little history.... (found in the program)

“On October 6, 1889...The Moulin Rouge opens at the foot of the Montmartre hill. The aim of its founders, Joseph Oller and Charles Zidler, is to allow the very rich to come and slum it in a fashionable district, where people live differently from other parts of Paris. The place attracts men and women, the middle classes and rich foreigners passing through Paris, as well as artists and ordinary folk. The French cancan, a new dance inspired by the quadrille, enchanted the spectators. Nicknamed “The First Palace of Women” by Oller and Zidler, the cabaret quickly became a great success.”

Fast forward to October 2019, where they are happy to say The Moulin Rouge celebrated its 130th Anniversary!

For our purposes, the Musical based on the 2001 film of the same name, is a jukebox musical with book by John Logan. The Musical was written by Baz Luhrmann(Director of the film) and Craig Pierce. The Musical premiered in Boston on July 10,2018 at the Emerson Colonial Theatre. It made its Broadway transfer to the Al Hirschfeld Theatre starting previews on June 28,2019, holding its official opening night on July 25th.

Having been well received, Moulin Rouge swept the 74th Annual Tony Awards, where it walked away with 10 Awards from its 14 Nominations, including Best Musical.

In 2016, Global Creatures announced it was working on a stage adaptation of Luhrmann’s smash hit film, to be directed by Alex Timbers. Soon, in 2017, a workshop began with Aaron Tveit and Karen Olivo starring as Christian and Satine respectively. The workshop would run from October 30-December 15.

Set in the Montmartre Quarter of Paris, the musical centers around the character of Christian, a young composer having just arrived in Paris. Upon arriving, he meets and falls in love with Satine the star of the cabaret at The Moulin Rouge. The musical weaves together original songs featured in the film as well as popular music, that has been written in the 17 years since the film’s premiere.

Christian meets fellow Bohemians Toulouse-Lautrec and Santiago who are preparing to produce a new musical at the Moulin Rouge. The men are impressed with Christian’s talents for writing and composition.

In a case of mistaken identity, Satine assumes that she is meeting the Duke, when in fact she is meeting Christian, and soon she too falls in love.

Unknown to her colleagues and Christian alike, Satine, who joins them on their plight is hiding her worsening condition/battle with Consumption, or more commonly known as Tuberculosis.

Christian joins the men in their writing venture, and soon presents a “pitch” in front of The Duke of Monroth with hopes of financial backing.

Toulouse convinces Christian to profess his love for Satine, when we hear one of the greatest and most memorable lines from the film sang during Nature Boy,

“The greatest thing, you’ll ever learn, is just to love, and be loved in return...”

The Duke wishes to have more control in the affairs of not only the Moulin Rouge, but its star as well, and begins to control Satine.

The musical is a sweeping, and soaring romantic rendezvous with a tragic ending, all being accompanied by popular music of the last 17 years, and put onstage in a beautiful spectacle that is mesmerizing and almost bewitching.

The cast from top to bottom puts forth a stunning and bravura performance, that is harnessed and grounded in all that the Moulin Rouge stands for, Truth, Beauty, Freedom, and above all else... Love.

Gabrielle McClinton is beautifully captivating as Satine. She is our “Sparkling Diamond,” in every facet of the phrase. Emotionally grounded, and beautifully captured in stage presence and chemistry. Her moments with Christian will make your heart soar, and ache all at the same time. My only issue here, is she comes across almost too feeble in the beginning. We are only privy to the early stages of her sickness. She should be as strong out the gate as Christian, and in this instance there are moments where she seems to fade into the background. There is a stunning moment towards the end that will leave you breathless, where the company assumes an almost “ghost-like” figment of imagination, a very stunning closer, that must be witnessed.

As Harold Zidler, founder of the Moulin Rouge, and practically Emcee of the evening, Robert Petkoff is enigmatic, and his comedic-timing is a virtuous display of gravitas. From the Can-Can song, to Chandelier, Robert moves about the stage with ease and will have you in stitches. There is an almost Sweeney Todd moment later in the show that is shear-genius all puns intended. He captures an almost father-like relationship with Satine with effortless perfection, but it’s his back and forth with Christian, that really sells his plight.

Nick Rashad Burroughs as Toulouse is the perfect Bohemian. An artist through and through, you believe in his plight. His vocal moments are strong especially in Nature Boy. His friendship with Santiago and Christian shows great camaraderie.

As the Duke of Monroth, Andrew Brewer is the perfect antagonist. You hate to love him, and love to hate him. From first entrance, his presence leaps from the stage, and you are immediately invested in his plight. His Sympathy for the Duke is a great moment of the night.

Sarah Bowden is wonderful as Nini. Her moments with both Satine and Santiago are wonderful. Her skill at Choreography is unmatched here, and she moves through the space with the right amount of grace, and flexibility, and leaves everything in her wake.

Danny Burgos is the perfect Santiago. As one of the Principal Dancers in the Company he moves about the space with a purpose, and embraces every moment to moment to its full potential. His moments with Toulouse and Christian show great friendship. The passion in his eyes, and in his movement with Nini is an incredible moment.

As our Rouge girls, La Chocolat (Harper Miles), Baby Doll (Max Heitmann), Arabia (Nicci Claspell), and Nini (Sarah Bowden), perfectly, and collectively resemble everything the Moulin Rouge represents. Bringing to the stage in full-technicolor one of the most recognizable pop songs of the last decade, our Lady Marmalade fantasies are perfectly rendered here.

Rounding out the incredible Company, are Kamal Lado (Pierre), and Ensemble members Sam J. Cahn, Nicci Claspell, Darius Crenshaw, Jimena Flores Sanchez, Tommy Gedrich, Max Heitmann, Cameron Hobbs, Chloe Rae Kehm, Tyler John Logan, Harper Miles, Tanisha Moore, Brayden Newby, Elyse Niederee, Kent Overshown, Stefanie Renee Salyers, Adea Michelle Sessoms, and Preston Taylor.

Featuring the incredible work of Swings, Carina R. Avila, Eric Allen Boyd, Jada Simone Clark, Mark Doyle, Tyler Eisenreich, Tamrin Goldberg, E.J. Hamilton, Jordan Fife Hunt, Nathaniel Hunt, Melissa Hunter McCann, Kenneth Michael Murray, Halli Toland, and Jordan Vasquez.

All coming together to complete a fully realized world in which the characters reside, leaving everything on the stage, and the audience breathless in their wake.

The award for Best-In Show, goes to our Christian. Christian Douglas is so captivating as our young composer. His stage presence is grounded in heart, and his moment-to moment is so clear from start to finish. His vocals are other worldly, and yes, he will and does “opt-up,” several times, for all of us captivated by El Tango de Roxanne. His journey to capture Satine’s heart is felt in every part of his plight, and their chemistry will leave you breathless. You cannot find time to look away, he is magnetic and his presence reverberates throughout the room.

Flanked by exceptionally crafted Choreography by Sonya Tayeh, this Company moves through the space as a well-oiled machine.

The musical is brilliantly directed by Alex Timbers, and features an incredible accompaniment from the orchestra led by Andrew Graham. The Orchestra gets a hell of a workout throughout the piece, often turning songs on a dime from one to the next.

This is where Moulin Rouge gets messy. There is so much music packed into 2.5 hours that it sometimes seems as if the musical doesn’t know which path it will be taking next. Its an outlandish, and beautifully rendered entanglement of exceptional Choreography and the most recognizable music from the last 17 years.

All culminating to the most beautiful show to grace Morsani Hall so far this season. Which is where the absolve comes into play. You forgive the messiness, the inherent nature that even the performers can sometimes come across lost in the moment, because that is what Moulin Rouge does best. It creates one hell of a beautiful spectacle that sweeps you off your feet one minute, and drops your heart out of your chest the next. Taking us on a magnificent journey so far out of our present state, and worldview, and into the hearts and lives of these characters. With stunning costume design, breathtaking set design, exquisite choreography, and music that will have you dancing and singing the whole ride home.

The perfect Valentines gift is a ticket to the Bohemian-side of life. “Come What May,” Moulin Rouge will be around for time to come, and as it continues to excite audiences across the country, and make us all believe in Love, being the greatest gift of all, an ideal some have seem to forgotten. The Moulin Rouge, “Where all your dreams come true!” Visit www.strazcenter.org for tickets, onstage of the Carol Morsani Hall through February 18th.

“Come What May, I will love you, Until my dying day, Come What May...”

PHOTO CREDIT: Matthew Murphy

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