Moulin Rouge! The Musical breathes new kinetic energy into the 2001 cult classic film
Photo by Matthew Murphy
When I was invited to Moulin Rouge The Musical I experienced The Mandala Effect pretty hard.
Moulin Rouge hasn’t been on Broadway yet? What do you mean it only became an actual theatrical musical in 2019? Moulin Rouge simply belongs on the stage, and when I sat down in the Kansas City Music Hall, I finally got to see the story the way the cult classic jukebox musical was intended to be seen– on stage.
As the lights dimmed and the beginning of “Lady Marmalade” played, I was struck with an explosion of lights, colors, and confetti. It was a campy, raunchy opening that mentally put you in the Moulin Rouge. This musical “updated” the setlist since the original 2001 Baz Luhrmann movie, mashing up and remixing songs. However, the changes don’t detour from the heart of Moulin Rouge. “The core are still the four bohemian values, we’ve got truth, beauty, love, and freedom,” says AK Naderer, who plays Nini.
My favorite performance from the night was “Backstage Romance,” performed by Santiago and Nini. The song starts as a Latin-inspired rendition of “Bad Romance” by Lady Gaga and then suddenly changes into a mashup of “Seven Nation Army,” “Toxic,” and “Tainted Love.” A truly insane series of songs that blend into a tension-fueled, passionate performance. The duo put in the work building their on-stage chemistry, always stretching together backstage. “Building a relationship with AK has been my favorite thing that I’ve done well in the last six months,” says Danny Burgos, who plays Santiago.
Though the musical performances alone are impressive, the lighting and stage design were lively and electric.“It’s very flashy, very in your face, very bright and colorful. I think our lighting designers did an amazing job of capturing exactly that,” says Burgos. “Even though we’re not in. We’re not in that film media. They were still able to capture the vibrancy and the brightness of a Baz Luhrmann movie, just on the stage.”
The many different set designs of this show all burst with color and light, constantly captivating your attention. Between the burning neons and gorgeous faux-Paris backdrops, the visuals were simply stunning. “It got me at the edge of my seat when I first saw it,” says Naderer. The supporting cast of the main characters, Fantine and Christian, have show-stealing moments with their dancing, costumes, singing, and comedic relief. In particular, the crowd-heckling Harold Zidler, played by Robert Petkoff, whose humurous delivery and timing never landed flat.
Absolutely brimming with powerhouse, full-ensemble dance breaks, the high-energy parts of the show particularly stuck out to me. The spirit on the stage was contagious, and many tapping feet and swaying heads could be found throughout the crowd. “My heart is such a big dancer’s heart, the choreography is so satisfying to dance, but also to watch. There’s such a force of energy that comes from the stage into the audience,” says Naderer.
Moulin Rouge won over people’s hearts and became a cult classic after its 2001 release, and the renaissance has been long overdue. Moulin Rouge The Musical provided the same flirty, gaudy, and insanely fun story as the movie, and it also portrayed the serious, more somber aspects with grace. “The fact that it is such a love-filled story, love fuels the entire plot quite literally,” says Burgas. Love, in so many forms, can be found throughout the show.
If you want to see the spectacle for yourself, tickets are available on their website. The remaining shows for the Kansas City leg of the tour are July 30 and 31, and August 1-4.
