Sumptuous and spectacular and filled with as many instantly recognizable pop hits as in four or five jukebox musicals put together, Moulin Rouge! The Musical is all this and more.

  Like the 2001 Baz Luhrmann movie musical on which it is based, the 2020 Best Musical Tony winner recounts the tale of Christian (Conor Ryan in the National Tour now playing at the Pantages and coming to Costa Mesa in November), freshly arrived in turn-of-the-20th-century Paris, who finds friendship among the Bohemians of Montmartre, love with seductive Moulin Rouge star Satine (Courtney Reed), and (in the musical) a job writing songs for night club impresario Harold Zidler’s (Austin Durant) latest extravaganza.

Unfortunately for our young lovers, Zidler plans to loan Satine out to the wealthy and powerful Duke of Monroth (David Harris) for shall we say “private services,” an offer Satine dare not refuse because if she says no, it will bring about the end of not only her career but Moulin Rouge itself.

And if that weren’t already enough to put Christian and Satine’s budding relationship in jeopardy, there’s also the matter of the latter’s pesky cough to cast even more doubt on the possibility of a happily ever after.

In adapting Luhrmann and Craig Pearce’s screenplay for the Broadway stage, book writer John Logan has made more than a few changes which might irk those unwilling to see their favorite movie changed even the slightest.

Christian is now an expat song writer from Lima, Ohio, and though his best bohemian bud is still Toulouse-Lautrec (André Ward), the film’s “Unconscious Argentinean” not only has a name now (Santiago, played by Gabe Martínez) but his own backstage romance with blonde bombshell Nini (Libby Lloyd).

Not that Logan’s book contributes all that much to the musical’s success given how little little emotional impact Christian and Satine’s love affair evokes on stage. The star-crossed lovers fall for each other at first sight and since there’s not much buildup along the way to “I love you,” you pretty much have to take their word for it.

 What makes Moulin Rouge! The Musical take off and soar are the dozens upon dozens upon dozens of pop hits that book writer Logan and director Alex Timbers have cleverly strung together, one show-stopping song-and-dance sequence after another choreographed to stunning, Tony-winning effect by Sonya Tayeh. (There’s an Act Two production number whose prolonged ovation may set a Pantages record.)

Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Sia, Lorde, Beyoncé, Britney Spears, Rihanna, and Adele are just some of the pop divas whose songs get performed in Moulin Rouge! The Musical, in addition to a couple dozen more songs that already formed part of the original movie soundtrack (including “Lady Marmelade,” “Material Girl,” “Your Song,” “Nature Boy,” and the Golden Globe-nominated “Come What May”), adding up to a veritable rock concert’s worth of Top Ten hits.

Perhaps equally important to Moulin Rouge! The Musical’s success is its drop-dead gorgeous production design, an eye-dazzlingly spectacular display of the richest and most saturated reds and yellows and purples I’ve seen since Aladdin, the combined contributions of scenic designer Derek McLane and costume designer Catherine Zuber (each of whom won a Tony) and Tony-nominated lighting designer Justin Townsend.

Under Timber’s Tony-winning direction, Reed’s Satine is a sultry, big-voiced stunner and Ryan’s Christian oozes edgy sex appeal to match his Broadway-caliber pipes.

Supporting players are uniformly fabulous, from Durant’s larger-than-life Zidler to Harris’s suitably serpentine Duke to Ward’s heartrending Toulouse-Lautrec to Martínez’s sizzling Santiago to Lloyd’s luscious, leggy Nini, with Los Angeles stage favorite Nicci Claspell (Arabia), Harper Miles (La Chocolat), Andrés Quintero (Baby Doll), and Sharrod Williams (Pierre) adding their own pizzazz to the mix.

Last but not least, Adrienne Balducci, Andrew Brewer, Sam J. Cahn, Darius Crenshaw, Alexander Gil Cruz, Alexis Hasbrouck, Tyler John Logan, Tanisha Moore, Brayden Newby, Kent Overshown, Adéa Michelle Sessoms, Jenn Stafford, Denzel Tsopnang, Jennifer Wolfe, and Ricardo A. Zayas add up to one of the most dynamic song-and-dance ensembles you’re likely to see and hear all year, backed by music director Andrew Graham, touring musicians Jennifer Oikawa and Mark Pardy, and an otherwise all local orchestra contracted by Eric Heinly. (Peter Hylenski’s crystal-clear high-decibel sound design is another national tour plus.)

Yvette Gonzalez-Nacer alternates with Reed in the role of Satine. Jack Cahill-Lemme, Alexa De Barr, Tamrin Goldberg, Jordan Fife Hunt, dance captain Justin Keats, Ayden Pratt, dance captain Amy Quanbeck, and Travis Ward-Osborne are multi-tasking swings, especially vital these Covid days.

Moulin Rouge! The Musical features arrangements and additional lyrics by music supervisor Justin Levine.

The national tour remains fresh thanks to resident director Abbey O’Brien, associate director Matt DiCarlo, and associate choreographer Camden Gonzalez. Jeff Norman is production stage manager.

Musicals like Fun Home, Next To Normal, and Spring Awakening may work even better in intimate settings than they do on a Broadway-scale stage, and are likely to cost a theatergoer a whole lot less to see in a 99-seat house.

Not so Moulin Rouge! The Musical, whose production values alone make it worth shelling out big bucks, and even those opting for less pricey seats in the back of the balcony can rest assured they’ll get more than enough spectacle and glitz for their hard-earned cash. Expect to have your breath taken away.

Pantages Theatre, 6233 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles.
www.broadwayla.org

–Steven Stanley
July 7, 2022
Photos: Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade

Tags: Baz Luhrmann, John Logan, Los Angeles Theater Review, Pantages Theatre