A hit on Broadway when it opened in 2019, Moulin Rouge the Musical is sure to delight West End theatre goers too, when it opens at the Piccadilly theatre in the autumn of 2021.
The musical, which is based on the 2001 movie by Baz Luhrmann, was scheduled to open in London in March 2021. However, due to the Coronavirus Crisis, the show has been pushed back.
The production is the work of the Global Creatures Theatre Company, with direction by Alex Timbers, a book by John Logan, and choreography by Sonya Tayeh.
The Chief executive of Global Creatures, Carmen Pavlovic, had this to say about the forthcoming production: “Whilst we’re disappointed to be opening a little later than originally planned, we are committed to bringing Moulin Rouge! The Musical to London and look forward to being part of a revived West End.”
Baz Luhrmann’s film became a massive worldwide hit for the director following its release in 2001. The film cemented Luhrmann’s reputation for delightfully eccentric and gorgeously camp productions, coming hot on the heels of the director’s delightful adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.
An early example of the jukebox musical phenomenon, the movie featured a never ending array of pop songs, including Nat King Cole’s Nature Boy, Patti Labelle’s Lady Marmalade and Debarge’s Rhythm of the Night.
However, it the story at the heart of the production that captured the heart of many movie lovers with Ewan Macgregor giving a winning performance as the young English poet/writer, Christian, who falls hopelessly in love with the star of the Moulin Rouge cabaret, Satine (Nicole Kidman). The film was set at the legendary Parisian nightclub in the picturesque Montmartre quartier of Paris.
Moulin Rouge was nominated for eight Oscars at the 2002 Academy Awards ceremony. The production eventually won two awards – for Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design. The film would later rank 53rd in a poll of the greatest films of the 21st century for the BBC.
More information about Moulin Rouge The Musical can be found here.
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