Through Sun 7/ 2
Moulin Rouge! The Musical at Playhouse Square is a great big summertime treat for Cleveland.
Yep. It’s as big and brassy as rumor (and reviews) have it. Totally lives up to the hype. Imagine taking all your favorite songs, from light(ish) opera to popular pop, mixing them up in a Vitamix blender, tossing them through a lush heart-shaped backdrop, and then sharing your creation onstage via remarkable, nimble, nubile (and oft near-nude) dancers, and singers.
It’s all that, and, as a bonus, there’s a sing-along after the “finale.” (Or at least there was when I went, June 9, “Media Night” — I suspect it’s the same every performance.)
A little background: Moulin Rouge! The Musical opened on Broadway in 2019, just before the Covid shutdown, and then reopened in 2021. It swept the 2020 Tony Awards, winning 10, including Best Musical. Tony winners for the show included Alex Timbers (director), John Logan (book), Sonya Tayeh (choreography), Justin Levine (music supervision, orchestrations and arrangements), Derek McLane (sets), Catherine Zuber (costumes), Justin Townsend (lighting), Peter Hylenski (sound), and Matt Stine (Music Producer).
Based on Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 film of the same name, it’s set in 1899 Paris, in the bohemian Montmartre District [fast translation: “hippie” district]. In a story similar to La Boheme’s, struggling artists (is there any other kind?) work together to create a musical for the Moulin Rouge (a cabaret/nightclub).
There’s also a familiar love theme driving the action. The young and handsome Christian (from Lima, Ohio and a newcomer to Paris) falls in love with the chanteuse Satine (Courtney Reed), a Moulin Rouge star. She is experienced in the ways of the world (and with the ways of rich men). Reed creates such a lovely and persuasive Satine, we are sorry to hear her frequent coughs because we know, yes, she’s fatally ill.
(A dying soprano? To be sure, an old gimmick, but give it a chance — especially if you [like me] didn’t like the film Moulin Rouge. In-person staging avoids its bothersome frenetic clips because the slower pace allows actors and music to breathe.)
As noted above, the show’s a true feast for musical theater nerds and lovers of pop songs and includes bits of almost one hundred different and easily recognized favorites.
Part of Moulin Rouge! The Musical’s appeal comes when one realizes “Oh, I know that one.” For me, it especially fun when the romantic hero “Christian” (played by understudy Christian Douglas) is challenged to write a song on the spot. He responds by leaping up and singing “The Hills are Alive” (from The Sound of Music). Douglas’s voice and manner were captivating, and it was easy, as the predictable story lumbered on, to share Satine’s fascination with the aspiring composer.
Other outstanding and engaging performers included Libby Lloyd (as Nini, Satine’s best friend) and Gabe Martinez (Santiago). Their tango had everything and then some.
The flashy, beautiful red-hued stage featured hearts within hearts against a brightly lit sparkly background. The small orchestra, conducted by keyboardist Andrew Graham, provided enthusiastic and professional support for the show’s continuous playlist and dances.
All these elements contributed to create a club atmosphere. Like any club, it did get loud at times, depending on where you were sitting. At one point, I got a warning on my watch that sound was at a dangerous-for-hearing-loss decibel level — oh well, it was a fun party.
BOTTOM LINE: Deserving of its numerous awards and designed to tickle musical fancies (and fantasies) Moulin Rouge! The Musical offers a dazzling old-school extravaganza featuring fantasy and musical escape. (I’d say it’s not for young children unless they are interested in sexuality and nudity—and their guardians approve.)
[Written by Laura Kennelly]
Cleveland, OH 44115