Review: Moulin Rouge! The Musical is DPAC’s Sparkling Diamond
Harper Miles, Libby Lloyd, Nicci Claspell and Andrés Quintero in the North American Tour of Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Moulin Rouge! The Musical is an experience. As patrons walk into the theater, they are transported to the Montmartre Quarter of Paris at the turn of the 20th century. The theater is bathed in red and gold light, and the infamous windmill of the Moulin Rouge club in Paris stands tall and proud as it glows in the corner of the room, spinning slowly as it beckons you to your seat. Performers slink around the stage as they execute intricate tricks while the theater slowly fills. The illusion of being welcomed to this enticing club is quite captivating.
Directed by Alex Timbers and based on the 2001 movie of the same name (directed by Baz Luhrmann and written by Luhrmann and Craig Pearce), Moulin Rouge! The Musical features a book from John Logan and music supervision, orchestrations, and arrangements from Justin Levine.
The opening number alone is something spectacular, full of color, light, and fun. Backed by the rest of the company, Nini (Libby Lloyd), Baby Doll (Andrés Quintero), Arabia (Nicci Claspell), and La Chocolat (Harper Miles) build a world of fantasy and desire as confetti rains from the ceiling. Similar to the film, the music in this jukebox production is made up almost entirely of popular music woven together, encompassing 70 songs credited to 160 songwriters (per the Moulin Rouge! The Musical website).
The cast of the North American Tour of Moulin Rouge! The Musical
The musical tells the story of Christian (John Cardoza), a young composer who has come to Paris. He meets Toulouse-Lautrec (Nick Rashad Burroughs) and Santiago (Gabe Martínez), two fellow artists who dream of seeing their work performed at Moulin Rouge. After learning of Christian’s musical talent, they team up and ask him to present a song to the club’s headlining cabaret singer, Satine (Courtney Reed). Christian falls madly in love with her before learning she is promised to The Duke of Monroth (Andrew Brewer) in a desperate attempt to save the club’s failing financial situation.
The cast of the North American Tour of Moulin Rouge! The Musical
From start to finish, the production is a master class in entertainment and showmanship. Cardoza is spectacular as the lovable Christian, bringing the perfect balance of sexy leading male and charming boy in love with a velvety voice and cheeky smile. His number “Shut Up and Raise Your Glass” with Satine is adorable and seductive, blending popular songs “Shut Up and Dance,” (Walk the Moon), “Raise Your Glass” (Pink), and “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)” (Whitney Houston). The stage becomes a party as Christian and Satine meet for the first time.
John Cardoza as Christian and Courtney Reed as Satine in the North American Tour of Moulin Rouge! The Musical
In contrast to his sweet naivety from Act I, Act II Christian slowly becomes unhinged, giving Cardoza a chance to showcase his vocal and emotional range. His rendition of “El Tango De Roxanne” is dark, edgy, and full of visceral anguish as the haunting, pounding beat echoes in your chest, seamlessly blending Sia’s “Chandelier” with “Roxanne” (The Police). As the music transitions to “Crazy Rolling” (“Crazy” from Gnarls Barkley and “Rolling in the Deep” by Adele), Cardoza gets a manic glint in his eye as he pours out the gut wrenching notes from the depths of his soul. This flow of songs and display of emotion is why people go to the theater. I can only describe it as utter perfection and a true honor to watch.
Courtney Reed in the North American Tour of Moulin Rouge! The Musical
In contrast to Christian’s hopeful and refreshing optimism, Satine is jaded and broken. Reed shines even brighter than the diamonds she sings about (“The Sparkling Diamond”), gliding across the stage with an effortless grace, seductive air, and cautiously hopeful smile. She exudes power and sex appeal in a delicate sort of way, bringing a grounded sense of integrity and what I can only describe as chutzpah to the character. Her rendition of Katy Perry’s “Firework” proved to be a pleasant surprise as she transformed it from an upbeat pop song to a classic, raw, musical theater “I Want” song as it grew in power and strength, coupled with musical theater orchestrations and riffs. As she slips back and forth from giggly girl in love to sparkly seductress, Reed is truly lovable and a joy to watch.
While the Duke is the villain of the production, Brewer is an unsung hero. His physicality and stage presence are rivaled only by that of his alluring vocal talent. Although he doesn’t sing as much as the others, he brings a bad boy sort of energy and vibrato to his scene “Sympathy For The Duke” (featuring “Sympathy for the Devil,” “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” and “Gimme Shelter,” all by the Rolling Stones) with Reed.
Rounding out the leading players are Burroughs, Martínez, and Austin Durant as Harold Zidler, the director of the club. Each is given their own moment to show off throughout the production, starting with Burroughs and his hilarious, flamboyantly fabulous ode to Lorde’s “Royals.” However, he also brings a grounded, calming energy, particularly in his moving speech to the Duke about being treated as an equal, eliciting a well-deserved round of applause from the audience. Martíez on the other hand is the king of tango, alongside Lloyd, thanks to Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance.” I don’t know if I ever would have thought to slow this song down and use it for a tango, but as the number grows in passion and intensity, both Martínez and Lloyd steal the show. That is, until Zidler finally gets to belt his own moment of Sia’s “Chandelier” as he consoles the explosive Christian.
The cast of the North American Tour of Moulin Rouge! The Musical
The technical elements of this production are sheer perfection. One truly cannot ask for anything better. To scenic designer Derek McLane, costume designer Catherine Zuber, lighting designer Justin Townsend, choreographer Sonya Tayeh, and all those involved in creating seamless mashups and truly joyful musical numbers, thank you. Together, you have created something enchanting and magical in this exquisite story about truth, beauty, freedom, and love.
Moulin Rouge! The Musical will run at the Durham Performing Arts Center through Sunday, May 14, 2023. If you only see one musical in your entire life, let it be this glamorous, glitzy, lovable production. Tickets can be purchased here. Please note that children under the age of six are not allowed at this performance, although Moulin Rouge! is not recommended for viewers under the age of 13. Parental discretion is advised. This production makes use of strobe lights, haze, and fog.
Additional production photos can be found below. All photo credit to Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade.
