MOULIN ROUGE! THE MUSICAL Broadway At The Paramount December 16, 2022 Eclectic Arts Media
MOULIN ROUGE! THE MUSICAL
Book by: John Logan
Directed by: Alex Timbers
Premera Blue Cross Broadway At The Paramount
Seattle, WA
Review: Media Night on Friday December 16, 2022
When the Broadway At The Paramount 2022/2023 season was first announced, “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” stood out on the schedule for me. I had seen bits and pieces of the beloved film and from the visuals alone, I guessed that this musical would be something to visually see. Thankfully, due to some rearranging of my schedule, I was able to attend media night last evening.
Having not seen the film in its entirety, please keep that in mind when reading my review. It will be from the point of view of basically a newbie.
There was electricity in the air upon entering the lobby of the Paramount Theatre. The building was decked out in holiday decor (on the marquee outside as well) which only added to the buzz amongst the patrons. Some of the decorations were suitable for the show as well (the red ribbons). Many “girls night out” groups were spotted as well as the wide mix of families, couples, friends, and every other demographic you can think of.
As soon as you entered the theatre you saw the brightly lit stage which only heightened the anticipation. Before the show officially started, the production did something different (and I liked it). They made PA announcements like the show was about to begin with various ensemble actors posing and walking around the stage, much like you were at the real Moulin Rouge and the show was about to start. It was reminiscent of concerts where a tease would get the audience ready for the house lights to go down, etc.
Act I was pure eye candy for all involved. Everything sparkled, popped, and made you want to watch the performances. The music of course was center stage before the story truly began. It was a bit of “name that tune '' as there were so many pieces of known music utilized throughout the production, many that were not in the film (updated for the musical).
The story of Satine (Courtney Reed) and Christian (Andrew Brewer at our performance) was nothing new. The girl with the hard luck background, the wide eyed optimist boy who falls in love with her. The story in the musical was really second fiddle to the music and the stage show.
Act 2 was less about the stage show and more about the storyline which I found a bit hard to believe. There was so much light-heartedness in the first act, almost to the point of parody when it came to the music and the lyrics that propelled the story forward, that the seriousness of the scenes in the second act were met with laughter (which wasn’t really intended). I actually wished they would have taken the route of a few other musicals and kept the entire show a bit more on the light and fun side instead of trying to have one act fun and the other act more serious. I was told that the film is very different from what the musical presented last night. I will see for myself shortly once I view the film.
The performances were bold and I enjoyed all of the songs, even if I didn’t “get the joke” on many of the more modern pieces used. If you’re like me and don’t listen to modern mainstream pop music, you’ll miss out on some of the laughs as well.
Overall, for what it was, “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” was a spectacle for the eye but a bit of a disappointment for the heart. After the show, many people clearly loved what they just saw but I do wonder if that’s because they love the film and overlooked some of the shortcomings of the musical. At the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter. If you had a fun time, and I did for the most part, that’s all that really matters.
“Moulin Rouge! The Musical” runs through Sunday January 1st. Tickets are available here: TICKETS!
Happy Holidays,
Mark Sugiyama
Eclectic Arts Media
Connect with Eclectic Arts Media: Social Media Links Here
Book by: John Logan
Directed by: Alex Timbers
Premera Blue Cross Broadway At The Paramount
Seattle, WA
Review: Media Night on Friday December 16, 2022
(The cast of the North American Tour of Moulin Rouge! The Musical, photo by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade)
When the Broadway At The Paramount 2022/2023 season was first announced, “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” stood out on the schedule for me. I had seen bits and pieces of the beloved film and from the visuals alone, I guessed that this musical would be something to visually see. Thankfully, due to some rearranging of my schedule, I was able to attend media night last evening.
Having not seen the film in its entirety, please keep that in mind when reading my review. It will be from the point of view of basically a newbie.
There was electricity in the air upon entering the lobby of the Paramount Theatre. The building was decked out in holiday decor (on the marquee outside as well) which only added to the buzz amongst the patrons. Some of the decorations were suitable for the show as well (the red ribbons). Many “girls night out” groups were spotted as well as the wide mix of families, couples, friends, and every other demographic you can think of.
(Courtney Reed as Satine in the North American Tour of Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Photo by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade)
As soon as you entered the theatre you saw the brightly lit stage which only heightened the anticipation. Before the show officially started, the production did something different (and I liked it). They made PA announcements like the show was about to begin with various ensemble actors posing and walking around the stage, much like you were at the real Moulin Rouge and the show was about to start. It was reminiscent of concerts where a tease would get the audience ready for the house lights to go down, etc.
Act I was pure eye candy for all involved. Everything sparkled, popped, and made you want to watch the performances. The music of course was center stage before the story truly began. It was a bit of “name that tune '' as there were so many pieces of known music utilized throughout the production, many that were not in the film (updated for the musical).
The story of Satine (Courtney Reed) and Christian (Andrew Brewer at our performance) was nothing new. The girl with the hard luck background, the wide eyed optimist boy who falls in love with her. The story in the musical was really second fiddle to the music and the stage show.
Adéa Michelle Sessoms and Jennifer Wolfe in the North American Tour of Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Photo by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade
Act 2 was less about the stage show and more about the storyline which I found a bit hard to believe. There was so much light-heartedness in the first act, almost to the point of parody when it came to the music and the lyrics that propelled the story forward, that the seriousness of the scenes in the second act were met with laughter (which wasn’t really intended). I actually wished they would have taken the route of a few other musicals and kept the entire show a bit more on the light and fun side instead of trying to have one act fun and the other act more serious. I was told that the film is very different from what the musical presented last night. I will see for myself shortly once I view the film.
The performances were bold and I enjoyed all of the songs, even if I didn’t “get the joke” on many of the more modern pieces used. If you’re like me and don’t listen to modern mainstream pop music, you’ll miss out on some of the laughs as well.
Overall, for what it was, “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” was a spectacle for the eye but a bit of a disappointment for the heart. After the show, many people clearly loved what they just saw but I do wonder if that’s because they love the film and overlooked some of the shortcomings of the musical. At the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter. If you had a fun time, and I did for the most part, that’s all that really matters.
“Moulin Rouge! The Musical” runs through Sunday January 1st. Tickets are available here: TICKETS!
Happy Holidays,
Mark Sugiyama
Eclectic Arts Media
Connect with Eclectic Arts Media: Social Media Links Here
(Harper Miles, Libby Lloyd, Nicci Claspell and Andres Quintero in the North American Tour of Moulin Rouge! The Musical, photo by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade)
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