Gabrielle McClinton as Santine and the cast of the North American tour of "Moulin Rouge! The Musical."(Photo by Matthew Murphy for Murphy Made)
Harold Zidler, your host for the evening of "Moulin Rouge: The Musical," peeks his rouged cheeked face out from between the large red curtain. “Welcome, you gorgeous collection of reprobates and rascals, artistes and arrivistes, soubrettes and sodomites. No matter your sin, you are welcome here.” He's a maniacal cross between the Wizard of Oz, a Cirque du Soleil clown and Cabaret's cynical emcee. Zidler wants to extend a welcome to the audience (his "chickens"), who have been thrust into his Paris club late in the 19th century, and which is on the verge of bankruptcy.
Amidst a cacophony of thumping music, Zidler says: "This is where all your dreams come true. You are the Moulin Rouge!"
The national touring company of "Moulin Rouge: The Musical" is at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale through Sunday, March 17.
But this Moulin Rouge is more of a trip down memory lane the mixtapes of a recent (not current) present, of decades past and then even further back. A mash up of 70 songs (some performed in full, others only snippets) spanning 160 years of music.
Using the same formula as Baz Luhrmann's iconic 2001 film, "Moulin Rouge: The Musical" updates its catalog (the Broadway show opened 18 years after the movie, so a revise was in order). It retains some of Luhrmann's soundtrack most especially there's Jacques Offenbach's "Can Can," the Police's "Roxanne" and "Every Breath You Take," Madonna's "Material Girl" stays but "Like a Virgin" is out; Elton John's "Your Song," which has a reprise. is one of the constants. The storyline gives the lead character credit of having penned the lyrics as he sings to his beloved: "How wonderful life is while you're in the world."
There's a trio of Rolling Stones hits, but Nivana is out. Plenty of updates up the ante on the surprises: Katy Perry's "Firework," Britney Spears' "Toxic," Rhianna's "Diamonds," Beyonce's "Single Ladies," Sia's "Chandelier," Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy," and Adele's "Rolling in the Deep."
As of yet, no Taylor Swift songs, despite the Eras Tour phenomenon, have been inserted, but with the popularity of "Moulin Rouge: The Musical" not abating anytime soon nor Swift's ascent, we wouldn't be surprised. May we suggest "Champagne Problems"? After all, this is set in Paris.
Christian Douglas as Christian in the North American tour of "Moulin Rouge! The Musical" at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts through March 17. (Photo by Matthew Murphy for Murphy Made)
While "Moulin Rouge" borrows from virtually everything even its storyline is a bit of a mash up, the plot lifted from "La Boheme/"Rent," the star-crossed "Romeo and Juliet"/"West Side Story" lovers, and a mistaken identity twist that goes back even further than Shakespeare to the Greeks and Romans, "Moulin Rouge" remains an eye popping original. There's spectacle at every turn. Catherine Zuber's costumes and Derek McLane's sets assure that.
The story follows an aspiring American writer/composer named Christian, played in the national tour by Christian Douglas who is every bit a leading man with a tenor range that can sing everything from a Broadway classic to rock 'n roll.
Andrew Brewer as The Duke of Monroth in the national tour of "Moulin Rouge! The Musical" now at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts through March 17. (Photo by Matthew Murphy for Murphy Made)
Christian is just off the boat from Lima, Ohio, and has landed in Paris to pursue his dreams. He ends up quickly finding his muse at the Moulin Rouge nightclub in Satine (Gabrielle McClinton) is a courtesan and the club's main event "the sparkling diamond." McClinton, who bears a resemblance to Meghan Markle and Zendaya, gives the character a depth of vulnerability as she hides her illness from everyone who is depending on her, and McClinton handles the pop score with ease. If only there were more sparks between Douglas and her.
Robert Petkoff as Harold Zidler and the cast of the North American tour of "Moulin Rouge! The Musical." (Photo by Matthew Murphy for Murphy Made)
Nick Rashad Burroughs as Toulouse-Lautrec in the North American Tour of "Moulin Rouge! The Musical" at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts. (Photo by Matthew Murphy for Murphy Made)
After a mix up Santine thinks she's meeting the Duke of Monroth (Andrew Brewer) for an unforgettable romp that Zidler (Robert Petkoff) promises in hopes that he will invest his money and save the club but it's Christian she takes up to her elaborate elephant boudoir, one of the many splendid set creations by McLane.
There's a subplot of a group of Bohemians who are trying to put on their own show led by Toulouse-Lautrec (a hauntingly good Nick Rashad Burroughs) and the Argentine tango dancer Santiago (the scene stealing Danny Burgos). Santiago has also taken up with one of the Rouge dancers, Nini (Sarah Bowden). Bowden leads the magnificent ensemble. All 18 deserve a mention for each are called on to do some spectacular feats and they deliver. They wow at every turn splits, flips and provocative moves. Bowden's tango pas de deux with Burgos, both make magic out of Tony Award-winner Sonya Tayeh's choreography, is breathtakingly sultry. Many in the ensemble double in the singing ensemble, as well, which also calls for plenty of vocal acrobatics.
Sarah Bowden abd Danny Burgos in the North American tour of "Moulin Rouge! The Musical." (Photo by Matthew Murphy for Murphy Made)
It seems no one can get enough of "Moulin Rouge." While the national tour was here in our own backyard, March 9th's "Saturday Night Live" featured Boca Raton native Ariana Grande (starring in the upcoming movie of the hit musical "Wicked") in a spoof of "Rouge" and its peculiar song choices. Meanwhile, on Broadway, 1980s music icon Boy George has fans of Culture Club flocking to the Al Hirschfeld Theatre where George made his debut as Zidler on Feb. 6 and will remain through May 12.
Back here in Broward, while you're chatting with friends or gathering for a selfie inside the theater before the lights go down, don't miss what's already going on onstage. Some of the characters have already come out to play including two showgirls who perform a sword swallowing act. It's a glimpse of what's to come in the madcap "Moulin Rouge: The Musical." And frenzied fun it is.
“Moulin Rouge: The Musical" runs through March 17 at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave., Fort Lauderdale. Tickets are $45-$196. For information, call 954-462-0222; browardcenter.org
