Broadway: Moulin Rouge! The Musical

Moulin Rouge! exceeds every expectation with spectacular set design, choreography and talent leaving audiences both satisfied and wanting more, more, more!

Last weekend, I saw Moulin Rouge! on Broadway, marking the first show I’ve seen on Broadway and in NYC since 2019. This show has been high on my list since it opened, as a fan of the film from which the stage musical was adapted. I took the chance to see it while many of the original cast members were still in their roles, catching a glimpse of the insanely talented cast that nailed 10 Awards at the 74th Annual Tony Awards. Moulin Rouge! takes the cake for the full audience experience.

Based on the 2001 Baz Luhrmann film of the same name, Moulin Rouge! tells the story of Christian, a songwriter who finds himself in the Montmartre quarter of Paris at the turn of the 20th century, falls in love with Satine, the starring cabaret actress at the now iconic Moulin Rouge. The jukebox musical weaves together both popular songs that were featured in the 2001 film and recent chart-toppers from the 17 years following the film’s premiere. The melodramatic piece features wild characters, impressive choreography and dramatics for the theatre fan in all of us.

It was an absolute pleasure to watch Tony-winner Aaron Tveit in his element as Christian, taking the helm of the narrative. With a bit of dramatic flair, he takes on Christian as his own and balances the campy book with emotion and drama, playing the character with such grace and strength. Tveit’s standout numbers for me were “Come What May,” “El Tango de Roxanne,” and “Crazy Rolling.” It was amazing to get to see Tveit in this role before he departs the production on May 8.

Natalie Mendoza is the Sparkling Diamond Satine. I haven’t heard much about her since the show reopened last fall, and I honestly don’t know why. She immediately steals the show with her entrance in “The Sparkling Diamond” — And rightfully so! Mendoza has a great stage presence and a powerful voice, and falls very easily into Satine. She adds great nuance to the character with her visual acting, and played very well with Aaron Tveit (Christian), Tam Mutu (The Duke), and Bobby Daye (Harold Zidler U/S). Satine is not a role for the faint of heart, and Mendoza gives it her all—in a sparkling corset— in a performance that was simply divine.

Jessica Lee Goldyn is eye-catching as Nini. Aside from being fantastic with the Lady M’s, there were so many times during the show where my eye was drawn to her, even when there’s constant movement on stage. She plays marvelously with Ricky Rojas (Santiago) on stage in a teasing game of cat and mouse. Of course, her featured moment in “Backstage Romance” was a standout in the show, but Goldyn brings her spirit and spunk to Nini, rounding out an incredibly talented cast.

The choreography of the show is phenomenal and absolutely must be noted. The Tony for best choreography was most definitely well-deserved, but this was some of the best I’ve seen in a long time. Not only is is upbeat, constant movement, it uses the space to create an atmosphere of the experience. “Backstage Romance” and “El Tango de Roxanne” steal the show with some of the best choreography, and incredible movement watching a dense ensemble move as a unit. Moulin Rouge! probably has one of the larger ensembles currently on Broadway and I especially enjoy watching shows with larger ensembles moving together.

Something I really enjoyed about the mounted production on Broadway was the way it creates an experience from the moment you walk through the doors of the Al Hirschfeld. I’m not sure if anything was done to the lobby in particular, but it had the feeling of this show from the moment you walked in. Then, in the house, the use of lighting and set design makes you feel like you have stepped into this journey with the performers on stage. I liked the use of atmosphere and the extended stage to make the audience feel the break in the fourth wall. The set really caters to this element of the design, and I loved the extension of the stage both in the center of the theatre and on the sides. I think to opened up the production and allowed audiences to feel like they were at the Moulin Rouge in Montmartre. The show is already so wild and chaotic, it just adds to the entire experience.

I caught this show at the right place and time for me. Immediately after leaving the theatre, I didn’t know how I had gone so long without seeing the show, but I think by fate the stars aligned to see it exactly when I needed it. I had been needing something to get out of a rut and this show was the perfect experience. It was just that—an experience, where for 2 hours and 40 minutes I got to just enjoy incredible performances and just live in the moment. To me this is one of favorite experiences to have with a live performance. It’s dramatic, it’s chaotic, it’s unexpected and it plays with your emotions—and I loved it.

The musical premiered in July 2018, at the Emerson Colonial Theatre in Boston. Moulin Rouge! opened on Broadway at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre, with previews starting on June 28, 2019, and officially opening on July 25, 2019.

On March 12, 2020, the Broadway production was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic and officially resumed performances on September 24, 2021. At the 74th Tony Awards, Moulin Rouge! won 10 awards, including Best Musical, from a total of 14 nominations. The musical has current productions on Broadway, US National Tour, West End and Australia.