If you love jukebox musicals and snippets of classic pop hits from the 70s to the early 2000s you might enjoy Moulin Rouge! The Musical. It’s a fun and entertaining show with a lot happening, and heavy on the sass. But, that is a very big might.
Moulin Rouge! The Musical is inspired by a 2001 movie of the same name starring Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor. You know the one, “Lady Marmalade.” It was a whole thing.
The whole idea of this production is raunchy fun.
Moulin Rouge tells the story of Satine a cabaret dancer/prostitute in Paris during its bohemian heyday. It’s set in the Montmartre Quarter of the city at the turn of the 20th century. And, like any good Hollywood musical, along comes a tall drink of American water looking to become a songwriter.
Cue the romance.
But, this isn’t just any romance. This is a tragic romance, after all. Satine grew up on the streets and the Moulin Rouge cabaret is her home, and the artists and dancers her family. When it is sold to the baddie, here the Duke of Monroth, she is thrown in with the deal.
Thus begins a terrible spiral. A play within a play that adds a bit of Shakespearean verve to the musical mix, and ends, well, I won’t spoil it for you. But, the plot has something. There is meat. It’s too bad the very weak book by John Logan never fully plumbs the depths here.
The plot unwinds over a long series of pop music medleys, which if you like jukebox musicals will suit your tastes just fine.
First, the good news.
Satine is played by Gabriela Carrillo and she is the best perform in this show. And it is not even close.
Carrillo has the vocal chops to tackle any and every song thrown at her, and there are, literally, dozens. But, beyond that, her acting is fantastic. Her performance visceral.
And, to be honest, she too often carries the show.
Robert Petkoff as Moulin Rouge emcee and owner Harold Zidler hits all the right notes. His acting chops and tremendous voice steal more than on scene. What I enjoyed most about his performance was how he was visibly torn between his beloved Moulin Rouge and his family and his love and caring for Satine. It’s moments like these that make this, or any, musical worth seeing. Sadly, we need more here.
Also worth noting is the performance of Danny Burgos as Santiago.
One of the highlights of the show was the first scene of the second act, which includes Santiago and Nini, played very well by Kaitlin Mesh. The scene features the song “Bad Romance,” and it kicks the second act into another gear. The choreography and the performances got me excited that the best was yet to come.
The lighting in this scene, like much of a production, hits the right note.
There are a few things holding this show back. But, none are more impactful than the performance of the male lead, Ryan Vasquez, as Satine’s lover and songwriter Christian.
When he hit that sweet spot in his range and the song was a good choice, he did well. But, there were far too many moments when either his performance wasn’t up to par for the lead of a major stage musical or the song was bad for him — why is he trying to sing Adele? There was also very clear issues with his ability to harmonize with Carrillo during the duets.
But, equally important, his acting. This is a character that is supposed to rock Satine’s world. To make her question her life choices and sacrifice all for their love. Not the case here. If the was a more minor role, then okay, we can look past it. But this is the male lead.
The baddie, the arch Duke who is supposed to be a slime ball, actually gets more and more attractive as the play continues and Christian falls off the rails. That’s not supposed to happen. But, I guess, hats off to Aaron C. Finley.
Overall, as a result of this, and some other inconsistencies, the show lacked pop overall. Lacked that sultry, sexy energy.
Still, there is fun, there are hit songs, there is a bold and brassy dancing and lighting, a red-forward set and an overall mood that, at least to some degree, taps into that bohemian vibe that people love. And that’s a good thing.
If your idea of a fun musical is more of the jukebox variety that makes you want to sing-a-long and just have a good time and forget your troubles, Moulin Rouge! The Musical will work for you.
For me, Carrillo’s performance is worthy of praise. But, overall, this show was not good enough.
