In 2001, my beloved Uncle Marvin and I went to see a movie everyone had gone wild for. As fans of Broadway and Hollywood musicals, we thought Moulin Rouge! was crafted for us. Hand-delivered to theaters by director Baz Lurhmann and wrapped in a red velvet bow. Even the theme song spoke to me. Missy Elliot took LaBelle’s sublimely freaky “Lady Marmalade” and funked it up—creating a red wine-fueled bottle rocket that exploded the charts. Uncle Marvin and I love a good opera too. So we didn’t miss the ties to La Boheme or (for me) La Traviata. Is Santine more Mimi or Violetta? I think you know what I’m going to say.
The point is, this uncle x niece duo was ready. We went. We saw. We weren’t into it. I know we should have been. Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge! danced at the crossroads of Broadway, Hollywood musicals, and operatic storytelling. It was romantic. It was ridiculous. It was tragic. And everyone knew the words to every song. It had been made for people like us, but it wasn’t for us. We never watched it again.
Later my lovely friend, Professor Jeff Middents, broke down the genius for me. I got it. I mean I understood it. I just didn’t feel it. So when the invitation arrived to a preview of Moulin Rouge! The Musical here in DC, I went because I love The Kennedy Center, and when someone you love invites you on a date you put your shoes on and show up. It helped that my friend and namesake, the other Sherin, and my goddaughter Tara would be third and fourth wheeling my date night.
Well, in the words of the old men on the corner, with their brown paper bags and their hard-earned wisdom, “Things done changed.”
From the moment we stepped into the Opera House our hearts picked up their rhythms. The set design—consisting of concentric red hearts, formed into arches, in the same red as sin—was a visual appetizer. The blue elephant presiding over the theater, the neon windmill spinning, and the pair of dancers encircling one another as though the audience didn’t exist. And then four Burlesque dancers took the stage and Voulez Vous Coucher Avec Moi’d us to perfection.
Moulin Rouge! The Musical is a stunningly gorgeous production and you’ll be happy to sing along. The sets by scenic designer Derek Mclane are two chef’s kisses & a sprinkle of pixie dust. The music, arranged by orchestrator Justin Levine, is a meteor shower of blazing pop hits—so artfully put together world-famous DJs would fight him at the club.
My goddaughter, the ten-year-old Princess T, didn’t want the show to end. She was dazzled. And the performances were so tangible she felt for the characters. From Satine (Yvette Gonzalez-Nacer) and Christian (John Cardoza) to Toulouse-Lautrec (Nick Rashad Burroughs), Santiago (Gabe Martinez), and Harold Zidler (Austin Durant) through to our Ladies Marmalade: Andres Quintero, Harper Miles, Nicci Claspell, and Libby Lloyd—Princess T would have hugged them all, but she cried for Satine.
The other Sherin (pronounced share-rin) said Moulin Rouge! The Musical is the best production she’s seen and we’ve both seen a lot of Broadway first runs. The movie didn’t move me but the show was an experience. If you’re in DC, go sing, giggle & cry, and get a little naughty.
Moulin Rouge! The Musical is on stage now through Sep. 24 at The Kennedy Center
RIOTUS 