“Moulin Rouge: The Musical” starts before the first big song medley begins. Scantily clad women and men interact in slow motion on a fully lit stage behind a hanging neon-lettered “Moulin Rouge.”
The set is done up in red – heavy on the “rouge” – with ever-smaller heart-shaped arches.
The performers exit slowly, and the show begins with a high-powered medley of songs. “Welcome to the Moulin Rouge” features a mash-up of songs you’ll recognize. Patti LaBelle’s “Lady Marmalade,” Outkast’s “So Fresh, So Clean,” Berry Gordy Jr’s “Money,” the Talking Heads’ “Burnin’ Down the House,” and David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance.”
The whole show is high-powered with terrific lead performers and a truly amazing ensemble. The choreography, costuming, and sets are captivating, and impossible to ignore.
The Providence Performing Arts Center has a winner for its final show of 2023.
“Moulin Rouge: The Musical” has a basis in history while being a” work of theatrical imagination.” The Moulin Rouge – translated: The Red Mill – was a nightclub opened in 1889 in Paris. The goal of its founders is “to allow the very rich to come and slum it in a fashionable district, where people live differently from other parts of Paris.’
Charles Zidler, one of the founders, is portrayed as Harold Zidler in the show by Robert Petkoff, who is perfect as the Moulin Rouge’s emcee and owner. His Zidler has just the right amount of smarminess that keeps him just this side of sleazy.
Falling on tough times, Zidler asks his lead performer, Satine (Gabrielle McClinton), to work her magic on the Duke of Monroth (Andrew Brewer) to convince him to invest in the club. Satine, says Zidler, is “the greatest courtesan in Paris.”
Thanks to a twist of mistaken identity, Satine focuses on Christian (Christian Douglas), a songwriter who believes that Satine is his ticket to fame and fortune.
By the time Satine realizes that Christian is not the Duke, it’s too late. They’ve fallen in love. As Christian says, “It’s a story of love. It’s a story of Satine.”
The story’s not tough to follow. Let’s just say that Satine and Christian are ill-fated star-crossed lovers, and the Duke is an evil man scorned.
The music is one of the show’s stars. It’s called a “mash-up musical” thanks to its use of well-known tunes. For instance, “The Sparkling Diamond” features “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend” from “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,” “Diamonds are Forever” from the James Bond movie of the same name, “Diamonds” by Sia, “Single Ladies” by Beyonce, and “Brick House” by the Commodores.
“Elephant Love” is a monster mash-up, featuring “All You Need is Love” by the Beatles, “One More Night” by Phil Collins, “In the Name of Love” by U2, “Love is a Battlefield” by Pat Benatar, “Don’t Speak” by No Doubt, “Everlasting Love” by Carl Carlton, “Fidelity” by Regina Spektor, “Torn” by Natalie Imbruglia, “Such Great Heights” by the Postal Service, “Love Lifts Us Up Where We Belong” by Jennifer Warnes and Joe Cocker, “What’s Love Got to Do with It” by Tina Turner, “Heros” by David Bowie, “Your Song” by Elton John, “I Will Always Love You” by Dolly Parton, “Can’t Help Falling in Love with You” by Elvis Presley, and more. Yes, more. You’ll go dizzy trying to follow along. Just enjoy it.
There are original songs, like “Tango de Roxanne” which does feature snippets from the Police’s “Roxanne,” and “Come What May,” which was written for the film version of “Moulin Rouge.”
Douglas’ Christian is at the top of his game vocally, managing the mashups beautifully, as well as the duet of “Your Song” with McClinton.
And a nod to the performances of Nick Rashad Burroughs as Toulouse-Lautrec and Danny Burgos as Santiago. They are a terrific comic duo bringing a little bit of fun to the show when needed.
I must admit that I’ve told everyone who asked that I loved the show. And I truly did. “Moulin Rouge: The Musical” c’est tres bonne!
(I remember that much French from grammar school.)
“Moulin Rouge: The Musical” runs through New Year’s Eve at the Providence Performing Arts Center. For tickets and information, call 401.421.ARTS or visit www.ppacri.org.
