‘MOULIN ROUGE! THE MUSICAL’: Karen Olivo & Aaron Tveit. Photo: Matthew Murphy

MOULIN ROUGE! THE MUSICAL
Book by John Logan
Based on the 2001 Twentieth Century Fox film Moulin Rouge!
written by Baz Luhrmann & Craig Pierce & directed by Baz Luhrmann
Music supervision, orchestrations, arrangements & additional lyrics by Justin Levine
Choreography by Sonya Tayeh
Directed by Alex Timbers
Al Hirschfeld Theatre
302 W. 45th Street
877-807-9130, https://moulinrougemusical.com/

By Scott Harrah

Baz Luhrmann’s iconic 2001 film Moulin Rouge! was perhaps the first “jukebox musical” of its kind for Hollywood, released the same year as the ultimate jukebox phenomenon Mamma Mia! on Broadway. In this brilliant stage adaptation, book writer John Logan and director Alex Timbers keep the same storyline but have added many new songs. Set designer Derek McLane has turned the Al Hirschfeld Theatre into a gorgeous replica of the legendary Montmartre nightclub in Paris, complete with a red windmill and glitter galore, like a brothel on steroids.  Moulin Rouge! The Musical “can, can, can” and will give mega-shows like Hamilton and Book of Mormon some stiff competition as far as having hard-to-get, expensive tickets, and the show has already broken box-office records since previews began earlier this summer.

Baz Luhrmann’s brilliantly busy film was always more about style than substance, so if the show’s narrative seems paper-thin and hollow, it’s only because this adaptation is staying true to the film. However, to really enjoy the musical, forget about Nicole Kidman’s Satine, Ewan McGregor’s Christian and John Leguizamo’s Toulouse-Lautrec because the geniuses behind this glorious stage version have completely recalibrated and retooled this reboot for a 2019 audience. Everything about the show is interactive and decadent from the moment one steps inside the Hirschfeld, with men and women sporting corsets and high heels bumping and grinding on stage before the show even begins. The show starts with a proverbial bang, with four sassy ladies belting out “Lady Marmalade,” the cover of the LaBelle song that Christina Aguilera, Lil’ Kim, Pink and Mya and Missy Elliot took to the top of the pop charts when the film opened 18 years ago.

Here, we have the golden-voiced Tony winner Karen Olivo as Satine, and her interpretation of the aging Parisian cabaret courtesan is much darker and less glamorous than Ms. Kidman’s but is equally heartbreaking.  When she descends upon the stage from a swing that comes down from the ceiling, belting Shirley Bassey’s “Diamonds Are Forever,” amped up by powerful mikes, it’s as thrilling as seeing Beyoncé, Madonna or any pop superstar making a grand concert entrance. Ms. Olivo’s lush vocals are one of the musical’s greatest assets. Aaron Tveit—who has come a long way indeed since Catch Me If You Can more than a decade ago—is great as the idealistic, broke young songwriter Christian, yet both he and Ms. Olivo do not have a lot of chemistry together, but somehow they make it work. Come to Moulin Rouge! The Musical for the “wow” factor of the music, Sonya Tayeh’s dazzling choreography and all the eye-popping spectacle, but just like the movie, don’t expect great drama.

The story revolves around how Harold Zidler (the delightful Danny Burstein), the quirky owner of Moulin Rouge, is facing financial ruin with the club in 1899. The only hope of saving the business is the smarmy Duke of Monroth (Tam Matu), who has plenty of cash to invest but demands the affections of Satine in return. This is a problem because Christian falls madly in love with her, so she must choose between him and the villainous duke.

Much of the fun experiencing Moulin Rouge! The Musical, besides Catherine Zuber’s splendid costumes, is hearing all the song snippets from recent hits like Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” and Rihanna’s “Only Girl (In the World),” to name a few.  Some of the movie’s few original songs remain, most notably “Come What May,” Christian and Satine’s haunting love ballad, but it is truly a shame that Satine’s solo number, “One Day I’ll Fly Away,” was cut as that song was a show-stopper for Nicole Kidman in the film.

In addition, too many newer songs have been added to mention, but the opener in Act II, Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance,” contains one of the most thrilling pieces of sexy choreography you have seen in a long time.

Other iconic parts of the film, like Australian pop star Kylie Minogue as the “Green Fairy” trilling “The Sound of Music,” could not be included for obvious technical reasons. However, Ms. Olivo does a great job doubling as the little fairy (here, she descends from the ceiling in one number) when Christian decides to drown his sorrows in the trippy alcoholic concoction absinthe.

Some of the supporting cast members are not as powerful as others. For example, Sahr Ngaujah (Fela!) seems too strong and able-bodied as Toulouse-Lautrec, the physically challenged painter whose portrayal by John Leguizamo was far superior in the film. However, it would be petty to quibble about the minor shortcomings of this stage adaptation because, thanks to the precise direction of Alex Timbers and his crackerjack team, Moulin Rouge! The Musical is a pop-culture pastiche, and a colorful, energetic, endlessly creative ride from beginning to end. It will certainly enjoy a well-deserved long, vibrant run on Broadway.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published August 1, 2019
Reviewed at July 31, 2019 press performance.

‘MOULIN ROUGE! THE MUSICAL’: Tam Matu. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘MOULIN ROUGE! THE MUSICAL’: The company. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘MOULIN ROUGE! THE MUSICAL’: Ricky Rojas & Robyn Hurder. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘MOULIN ROUGE! THE MUSICAL’: (left to right) Sahr Ngaujah, Aaron Tveit & Ricky Rojas. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘MOULIN ROUGE! THE MUSICAL’: Karen Olivo & Tam Matu. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘MOULIN ROUGE! THE MUSICAL’: (left to right) Jacqueline B. Arnold, Robyn Hurder, Holly James & Jeigh Madjus. Photo: Matthew Murphy

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LARA & DOCTOR ZHIVAGO: Kelli Barrett & Tam Matu. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

DOCTOR ZHIVAGO
Book by Michael Weller
Music by Lucy Simon
Lyrics by Michael Korie & Amy Powers
Based on the novel by Joseph Pasternak
Directed by Des McAnuff
Choreographed by Kelly Devine
Broadway Theatre
1681 Broadway at 53rd Street
(212-239-6200), www.DoctorZhivagoBroadway.com

By David NouNou

1957 introduced us to the epic Russian novel Doctor Zhivago. Simply put, it’s the Russian version of our Gone With the Wind. Then in 1965, David Lean gave us the epic grandiose motion picture version; both of them by today’s standards border on the tedious. Now in 2015, we have the granddaddy of them all, the musical version is the epic version of boredom and tedium. Here the definition of those two words is Doctor Zhivago.

Set against a background of war and revolution, where an eternal love is formed might sound like an ambitious and a tempting idea to some writers and composers. After all, an epic Victor Hugo novel was turned into an epic musical. What the creators here failed to realize is the book and score in that musical propelled the storyline forward and kept the action constantly moving. The book here is sophomoric and the score is about as exciting as listening to wallpaper paste dry. It turns into almost three hours of unrelenting drab tedium. Inserting the now famous song “Somewhere My Love” or “Lara’s Theme” from the movie sung by nurses on the battlefield in the middle of Act I makes the scene so absurd and ludicrous that one yearns just to hear the entire magnificent melodic Maurice Jarre score from the movie and dispense with the entire abysmally dreary repetitious songs sung here.

We have the orphaned Yuri Zhivago going to live with the Gromekos. Yuri (Tam Mutu) grows up and marries Tonia Gromeko (Lora Lee Gayer), his childhood friend, and on the eve of his wedding a revolution is going on outside. He leaves the wedding to tend the wounded and while on this mission of mercy, he meets the love of his life, Lara (Kelli Barrett). She is on her way to find Viktor Komarovsky (Tom Hewitt), who during her youth took advantage of her maidenhood and taught her the pleasures of lovemaking and she carries this guilt throughout her life. On this particular night, she is out to kill him and he is attending Yuri’s wedding party. She bursts into the party tries to shoot him but misses, no charges are pressed, and Yuri is totally enthralled by Lara and seems to have forgotten he is getting married that night. Lara ultimately marries the revolutionary, Pasha Antipov (Paul Nolan Alexander). On their wedding night, Pasha tells her he’s a virgin and she tells him about her life of sin with Viktor. In a furious fit, Pasha goes to war, climbs up the ranks and becomes the feared and dreaded Strelnikov (he’s even more sinister than Inspector Javert; you know, from the other epic musical).

Yuri, now a celebrated poet and doctor, is off mending the wounded at the war. Viktor is also there fighting for the overthrow of the government; he is very adaptable. He switches allegiances at the drop of a hat. Madness is all around, uprisings, starvation, famine communism, cannons being fired, people getting killed all over Russia, and you know that Russia is a humongous place but Yuri and Lara keep bumping into each other in all parts of Russia and their love is eternal as mentioned in the song “On the Edge of Time.” I’ve told you enough. I don’t want to spoil the rest of the pleasures that await you.

All this could be accepted, not forgiven, had the leads had any charm, charisma, personality anything appealing. Was there a shortage of leading men in America that they had to get Tam Mutu from England? Three men in love and obsessed with Lara, in this case Kelli Barrett; what did she possess that just never came across the footlights? Paul Alexander Nolan, who was quiet good as Jesus in the recent revival of Jesus Christ Superstar, starts out pleasant enough as Sasha but as Strelnikov is shrill and ludicrous barking out orders and shooting people. Oh, the revolution does take a toll on people. I must admit that Tom Hewitt had a grasp of his character, Viktor, and played him well.

I know all directors can have a misfire, but when it happens to one someone the likes of Des McAnuff, it is mind boggling how this musical was so out of control. After all, he was the visionary who was responsible for such musicals as Tommy, Jersey Boys, Big River and a splendid revival of How to Succeed...I know it’s a challenge to tackle the impossible, but even Mr. McAnuff must have sensed the odds against this pointless travesty.

Even the design aspects of this show are at odds with themselves: the sets represent nothing but stacked-up chairs and sometimes they are on fire; the costumes are too lavish for the impoverished Tonia and the Gromekos after the fall of the Czar when they didn’t even have enough food to set on the table. Just look at the picture of her in that gorgeous beige suit and hat; what woman wouldn’t kill for that outfit? And that is the show’s representation of a poor woman. The sound effects were too loud, I guess to try to keep us awake. So it goes, one misfire after another: story, book, score, players, direction, all forms of designs. Enough said, I think you get the picture.

ONE DREARY EVENING: Sophia Gennusa & Kelli Barrett in ‘Doctor Zhivago.’ Photo: Matthew Murphy

THE GOOD DOCTOR: Tam Matu as Doctor Zhivago. Photo: Matthew Murphy

RUSSIAN REVOLUTION SET TO MUSIC: (left to right) Paul Alexander Nolan, Kelli Barrett, Tam Matu & Lora Lee Gayer. Photo: Matthew Murphy

IMPOVERISHED, BUT ABLE TO AFFORD THAT CHIC SUIT & HAT: Lora Lee Gayer. Photo: Matthew Murphy

VIKTOR: Played well by Tom Hewitt. Photo: Matthew Murphy

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published April 25, 2015
Reviewed at press performance on April 24, 2015

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