Moulin Rouge! The Musical, the new stage adaptation of Baz Luhrmann’s iconic film has opened at the Piccadilly Theatre in London’s West End. Book tickets to Moulin Rouge! The Musical.
Starring Liisi LaFontaine (Good Trouble, Dreamgirls) as Satine and newcomer Jamie Bogyo as her love sick admirer, Christian, Moulin Rouge! The Musical is directed by Alex Timbers with a book by John Logan, choreography by Sonya Tayeh, music supervision, orchestrations and arrangements by Justin Levine, costume design by Catherine Zuber, set design by Derek McLanes and lighting design by Justin Townsend.
Following repeated delays to their opening, mainly due to cast coming down with covid, this highly anticipated Broadway transfer has now opened to solid reviews.
There’s much to enjoy about this high energy show like the immersive feeling and downright spectacle of Derek McLane’s sets and Catherine Zuber’s ravishingly beautiful costumes. McLane’s transformation of the Piccadilly Theatre and Zuber’s costumes were universally acclaimed. Expect award nominations for these two.
Performances by the cast including Liisi LaFontaine, Jamie Bogyo, Clive Carter as Harold Zidler, Simon Bailey as The Duke and Jason Pennycooke as Toulouse-Lautrec were well received however the major sticking point for most critics was the rather thin plot. Not something most people worry about when they’re going to a jukebox spectacle. Should you go see it? Of course, it’s the spectacle we need right now. And just remember the critics were rather underwhelmed by Les Miserables and Wicked ….. and look how that turned out.
See below for a round-up of all major reviews including the Telegraph, Times, TimeOut, Guardian and more.
Book tickets to Moulin Rouge! The Musical at the Piccadilly Theatre.
Moulin Rouge! The Musical reviews
"The perfect way to celebrate our post-pandemic freedom"
The spectacular, Tony-winning adaptation of Baz Luhrmann's much-loved film is short on plot but more than makes up for it in entertainment
"Spectacular Escapism"
"It’s kitsch, joyful hedonism writ large, bursting with sparklers, streamers and technicolour vitality – and powered by a cast who know only too well that you should perform every show as though it could be your last. Irresistible entertainment."
"Ostentatious, absurd and ravishing"
"The film is an alchemical delight – romantic and craven, tawdry and glamorous."
"Wonderfully Wild"
"With pyrotechnics, a looming elephant, scenery to die for and a cast with energy to burn, this revival only falters when it tries to update the tunes"
"Crackerjack hits coated in several tons of rhinestones"
"As a spectacle, Moulin Rouge! has a lot going for it. Derek McLane’s design is the star of the show: the interior of the Piccadilly is draped in fifty shades of red, with a giant windmill and an equally imposing elephant standing guard on either side of the stage."
"Moulin Rouge! has sumptuous costumes by Catherine Zuber, sword-swallowing damsels and choreography by Sonya Tayeh that comes alive in the big ensemble number"
"Pure Sensory Overload"
"It’s a very fun night out, guaranteed to push the buttons of anyone who grew up on ‘Pop World’, 2manyDJs, or indeed, the films of Baz Luhrmann. But for all its tongue-in-cheek chutzpah, when the music stops you’re not left with much."
"The big numbers are ravishing"
"Alex Timbers’ production excels when it seduces the eye, not the mind or the heart: Derek McLane’s sets and Catherine Zuber’s costumes are essays in polychromatic fabulousness. There are more fishnets here than in the entire British trawler industry."
"Moulin Rouge! — jukebox musical is thin on plot but rich in spectacle"
"Peppered with good performances (Pennycooke’s Toulouse-Lautrec particularly notable), it’s a riotous night out. But that’s as good as it gets"
Piccadilly Theatre, London
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