Moulin Rouge! The Musical and winner of ten 2021 Tony Awards, a fun, visually spectacular musical extravaganza, is now in its 5th year at London’s Piccadilly Theatre.
Portraying the life and loves of the Moulin Rouge in Paris in its heyday, the show dazzles with all the magic of a Parisian Cabaret, brought to life with flamboyant costumes and glitzy lighting. An enormous Royal Blue elephant, part of the decor is attached to the front of a circular balcony.
Incorporated into the musical is the story of Christian, a poor writer who travels to Paris in the 1890s to find himself and join the Bohemian revolution.
Christian dreams of writing a major play. He is encouraged to stage a musical extravaganza in an attempt to save the Moulin Rouge by the brilliant and starving painter Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and the greatest tango dancer in all Paris, Santiago.
Henri introduces him to Harold Zidler, its owner, where he sees and falls in love with Satine, star of the Cabaret. Satine is also coveted by the Duke of Monroth, the theatre’s wealthy and entitled patron who thinks he can buy anything he wants.
The emblematic and well-known dance, the French Cancan originated at the Moulin Rouge, and is performed by the dancers with a display of colourful costumes and exuberance.
The musical features over seventy songs, many from the movie as well as recent hits from the past 20 years. These include songs by well-known artists such as Rihanna, Adele, and Beyoncé. Memorable ones for me include ‘How Wonderful Life is When you’re in my World’ and ‘I will always love you’.
To emulate a nightclub, table seats at the front of the stalls, extremely close, are surrounded by the action on the stage.
Since 1889, The Moulin Rouge of Paris has been a dazzling and spectacular universe, a symbol of the Parisian way of celebrating. Starting life as a popular cabaret and dance hall, the venue became an iconic music hall in the Roaring Twenties, and from then and until now, a theatre where numerous famous French and international artists have appeared.
Baz Luhrmann’s iconic film starring Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor is brought to life on stage remixed into a musical. A world where Bohemians and aristocrats rub elbows and revel in the electrifying enchantment of romance, glitz and grandeur.
Dates:
A world tour includes dates for Liverpool, Sunderland, Southampton and Plymouth.
Mon – Sat 7.30pm
Thurs & Sat 2.30pm
Running time 2hr 45 mins including an interval
Piccadilly Theatre, 16 Denman Street, London W1D 7DY.
www.moulinrougemusical.com