Moulin Rouge! The Musical!

 Moulin Rouge!
The Musical!
Al Hirschfeld Theatre
May 28, 2025

Photo courtesy of Moulin Rouge! the Musical!

The Broadway production of Moulin Rouge! is an extravagant, larger than life musical.  It engages all the senses.  The book, by John Logan, far exceeds the story of the Buz Luhrmann movie.  Sonya Tayeh deserves every award she won for her choreography when the show opened in 2019, including the Tony.  The set and costumes are spectacular.  Director Alex Timbers connected every detail to deliver an emotional and passionate journey that has lasting impact. 

Christian (played by Jordan Fisher) travels from Ohio to Paris to find his voice as an artist and composer.  He meets Toulouse-Lautrec (played by André Ward) and Santiago (played by Pepe Muňoz), who are working on a musical about their bohemian lifestyle.  They take Christian to the Moulin Rouge, where they hope to get their show produced.  Their plan is to meet the club’s star, Satine (played by Solea Pfeiffer) and present the show to the owner, Harold Zidler (played by Austin Durant).  Satine confuses Christian for The Duke of Monroth (played by Andy Karl), who Zidler expects Satine to charm in order to get money to keep the club afloat.  When Satine falls in love with Christian, she puts the future of everyone at the Moulin Rouge at risk.  

Photo courtesy of Moulin Rouge! The Musical!

The cast is amazing, and the ensemble is phenomenal.  Solea Pfeiffer is powerful as Satine.  Jordan Fisher delivers a naive, passionate, and vulnerable Christian.  André Ward is outstanding as Toulouse-Lautrec.  His character is wise, charming, and determined.  Andy Karl is demanding and controlling as The Duke of Monroth.  Austin Durant portrays Harold Zidler as pompous and pushy, with a genuine soft spot in his heart for Satine.  Their energies meld as the journey of their characters transport the audience to 1899 Paris. 

Moulin Rouge! won ten Tony Awards in 2020, including Best Musical.  It is playing at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre.  It is a must see production, full of truth, beauty, freedom, and love. 

Domenick Danza