The cast is helmed by Broadway veterans Aaron Tveit as the idealistic, amorous Christian and Karen Olivo as the pragmatic, headstrong Satine. One can rest assured that these leads deliver vocally. Olivo, who has graced the stage in In the Heights, West Side Story, and Hamilton, is a powerhouse and Tveit, who previously appeared in Broadway’s Wicked, Next to Normal and Catch Me if You Can, has arguably one of the best contemporary voices in musical theater. “Come What May,” the show’s famed duet, is unsurprisingly a Grammy-worthy auditory experience. The supporting cast features other seasoned performers including Danny Burstein as the manager of the Moulin Rouge, Tam Mutu as the Duke, and Sahr Ngaujah and Ricky Rojas as Christian’s friends. All play their roles with commitment to their respective characters, who are admittedly caricatures of theatrical stereotypes (ie. the flamboyant cabaret owner, the evil-for-the-sake-of-evil villain, the comical sidekicks). The ensemble also deserves praise as they enthusiastically throw themselves into every exhausting dance number.
Like the original film, Moulin Rouge is a jukebox musical that relies on an eclectic mix of pop music. One can only imagine the royalty fees incurred by this show which probably translate into the three-figure price of your ticket. Although not the first to utilize pre-existing music (ie. ABBA in Mamma Mia, Four Seasons in Jersey Boys), Moulin Rouge sets itself apart in its use of pastiche, referencing multiple borrowed songs in medleys and mashups. In the medleys, references are made to songs from different decades. “Elephant Love Medley,” a number lifted from the original film, incorporates, in rapid-fire succession, love anthems over time from “Can’t Help Falling in Love” (1961), to “I Will Always Love You” (1973), to “What’s Love Got to Do” (1984), to “Fidelity” (2007), just to name a few. The mashups are also innovative transformations of their cited works. Although some song combinations are predictable (ie. “Toxic” and “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)”), others are unexpected and refreshing. My personal favorite is the first-act mash up of Walk the Moon’s “Shut Up and Dance,” P!nk’s “Raise Your Glass,” and Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody”!
Ironically, what makes pop music so interchangeable and plain, per say, is what contributes to the success of the mashups and medleys. From a music theory perspective, pop music employs similar harmonic progressions (check out “Four Chord Song” by Axis of Awesome for a good example), which allows songs to functionally meld with ease.
Thematically, Moulin Rouge is an upheaval of the ideals. The plot screams of the quintessential Golden Age musical where boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl, but something prevents their love from culminating. The themes- truth, freedom, beauty, and love- are explicitly plastered on the poster and Playbill. Yet, these themes are challenged as the story progresses and ultimately spoiled. For instance, truth is bastardized to a point where deception seems to be a more fitting substitute. From the beginning, we are distracted by the over-the-top opening number which presents the Moulin Rouge as a thriving, exciting operation only to learn that the cabaret is struggling financially. Christian and Satine meet under the circumstance of mistaken identity and then attempt to deceive the Duke by hiding their relationship. In a twisted self-referential way, the high production value of the show is a fortunate smoke and mirrors for some glaring plot holes and unresolved conflict, which otherwise would have irked me.
In challenging ideals, tradition, and expectations, the show continuously blurs the lines between reality and fantasy. From the moment you enter the theater, your notions of reality are off-kilter. The Al Hirschfeld Theater is transformed to resemble the Moulin Rouge (yes, you can add the renovation costs to the price of your ticket). Red mood lighting engulfs the theater and a giant windmill and elephant loom overhead in the boxes. Cabaret tables fill the space between the stage and a catwalk. The ensemble engages the audience, prowling the stage, dancing, and even swallowing knives (real or fake?). Even the ushers tell the audience to refrain from taking photos before the show, something that is usually allowed pre and post curtain. Has the show already started?
What is important to note is that Moulin Rouge as an objective piece of musical theater is not perfect- the plot is conventional, the secondary characters are hollow, and the music is borrowed. Yet, it thrives in its ability to entertain and turn something tried-and-true into a new masterpiece. I love that it does not attempt to be deep with meaning or lessons learnt. As my review may indicate, I probably reaped more from this two-and-half hour show than was intended, but we can blame my Williams College side for that.
Given the positive reception from the public and critics alike, I am keen how Tony Awards will respond to such a show. While the committee has recently favored more minimalist shows with grit and meaning such as Once, Fun Home, The Band’s Visit, and the recent revival of Oklahoma, I wonder if it will give way to a show like Moulin Rouge, that savors its grandeur and frivolity. Regardless, I am sure it will remain a popular attraction to the masses. After all, who doesn’t like to party?