Courtesy of Moulin Rouge! The Musical. Running until Sept. The stage show, following the same format as the film, tells a love story set in Paris between star performer of the Moulin Rouge troupe Satine Courtney Reed and hopeless romantic songwriter Christian, played by swing member Jack Cahill-Lemme in the matinee performance July This leaves Satine wrestling with the decision to either elope with her one true love or live a life of luxury with the Duke, while also grappling with a rapidly progressing illness.
Upon entering the theater, audiences are immediately pulled into the vibrancy of the Moulin Rouge. Illuminated layered hearts gleam center stage with the signature windmill and a giant, decorative elephant placed on both sides in an all-red color scheme, a nearly identical set reminiscent of the original film.
The production continues to dazzle with its extravagant visuals and entertainment factor throughout its dual acts. Along with the seamless transitions between scenes, the art direction is deserving of a standing ovation in itself. While the production value appears to be the clear focus of the creatives, both the writing and song choices, on the other hand, are left in the dust.
The cast β namely Reed and Cahill-Lemme β make do with the material given, as evidenced by their beautifully harmonized vocals, but they lack the romantic chemistry and development needed to effectively pull off the love story with wordy and unnatural dialogue. The few compositions are fully transformed to effectively encapsulate the bohemian, burlesque style of the show, instead of obvious remnants of the original, modern-day arrangements.
As the curtains come to a close, the diluted narrative, to a degree, is compensated for with the electrifying and dynamic experience provided by the cohesively talented cast. Apply: www. Thursday, March 13, By Talia Sajor July 21, p. Which in the end, is what the Moulin Rouge is all about.
