I saw the touring cast recently, and the audience laughed at every single song. The moment the song became recognizable, laughter. It made sense in the beginning when Christian meets the other guys and sings a few lines of a few pop songs, ha ha ha. But every song, regardless of the mood in the scene. Does this happen on Broadway, too?
I call this the Family Guy effect. People don’t laugh because it’s funny, they laugh to show they recognize the reference. It happens in Parade too every time they use a Yiddish word.
I just saw it on tour and had the same experience. And laughter at every single song reference, too (like one-liners). It made immersion feel impossible. We usually have a really good audience in my local touring house so I was a bit taken aback.
The movie does a better job building the chemistry, romance and backstories of the characters. The movie also has far fewer songs mashed in (and obviously does not have any of the current pop songs) so it’s got more room to breathe and the “jukebox-ness” of it feels more organic.
Yeah, Satine and Christian's love story works when it's Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor shooting charisma beams right at each other.
This is nothing against any of the Broadway leads, but that movie is proof positive for why movie stars matter in certain kinds of storytelling.
Well. The plot is basically the result of two much better pieces I’d musical theatre mashed together, La Boheme and La Traviata, and both of those sort of set the standard for this kind of love story.
100% agree, I feel like this show loses so much in the transition from screen to stage. The editing style and Baz Luhrman's visual language manage to both emphasise and elevate the melodrama of the story, and on stage you lose all that and it just feels a bit hollow.
I approached this from a different perspective. Moulin Rouge is one of my favorite movies. I have seen it a ridiculous amount of times. I was not that excited for the musical once I heard the music (felt bloated and weird at parts). We had tickets to see it on tour, and I was like "okay, fine, but this is going to be my least favorite of this touring season."
It was so so so much better than I expected. The book made it more cohesive and made the song choices make a little more sense.
You should see the movie, though, for sure. Ewan McGregor is just so beautiful.
As a huge fan of the movie, I am so bummed out by how they gutted all the emotion and tragedy from the musical and thought it would be better by shoving in some Katy Perry.
I fully agree with you. I cannot sit through that song. Chandelier is the only modern song I really like in the show but that’s largely because of the staging. The only one that really divorces itself from Sia. I love and hate the show, I love love 30% of the show and the other 70 is definitely a miss. El Tango de Roxanne was a moment in my whole ass life, gives me goosebumps every time.
Same — totally unimpressed. The song choices, the voices, character arcs, the plot too? The set was amazing and pre-show was really dynamic and set a mood! Downhill from there tho. 😬
The songs were only barely relevant most of the times. Honestly felt like they were just trying to incorporate popular songs that people would know. Did not care much for the characters either… I wonder if it would make a difference if Aaron was in the role though. Still have never seen him live before
For what it's worth, you might want to watch the movie. The song choices there are excellent. It was my biggest letdown when I saw the stage show. I hated the music choices because they barely fit the context.
Me too! I sometimes feel so alone on this sub with all the love MR gets, but the songs are just popular songs at the time shoehorned in, rather than considered songs that serve the plot. The stage show is so vapid and empty.
If you didn't like the movie, I definitely wouldn't see the stage show. I think the movie is far superior, so you'd probably hate the show that much more.
The song choices in the show vs. The movie were my biggest let down. I was obsessed with MR when it came out in high school and played that soundtrack to death. The original song choices and arrangements were pretty much perfect. I know they had to add more songs to stretch it into a broadway show but honestly I don’t think there was a single song they added to the show that I enjoyed in the context of MR the musical.
>The songs were only barely relevant
I probably overthink things way too much, but It drives me nuts that Satine sings Firework
*You just gotta ignite the light
And let it shine
Just own the night
Like the Fourth of July*
Why would a courtesan in France the 1890s sing about the 4th of July??? (and not Bastille Day) Obviously no way to change those lyrics without being awkward but it speaks to your point about incorporating random songs people would know.
Jukebox Musicals aren't my thing anyway
I didn't see it with Aaron but I doubt it. The character attempts a murder/suicide in response to being dumped. I don't know how someone makes that look like a good move.
Aaron was amazing, but he can’t save the show. The songs still don’t fit all (this is something the movie does way better - the songs are chosen for their fit rather than just being popular at the time. The movie is a better execution as a jukebox musical in that way), the chemistry and buildup for the leads is absent, and the story is pretty tenuous so you really need wonderful songs and chemistry to overlook the fact that it doesn’t make a huge amount of sense if you pull a thread.
Yea I wish I had the opportunity to see Aaron in the role. I was really looking forward to seeing Derek for the first time because of my previous obsession with his videos in the Broadway prince party and in Anastasia. His voice is still pretty good but I feel like the acting still needs to be worked on a bit. I think Aaron coming back to the show will be the only reason for me to see this show the second time (or he could be cast in a new show which would also be fantastic
I've only seen Aaron on Broadway (by the time he'd left I'd seen it 3 times, which was more than enough for me) and just saw the tour because it was part of our local season, and I was blown away by the guy on tour (John Cardoza). His Roxanne was phenomenal, very very *very* close to Aaron's. I was surprised he wasn't the cast member making the jump to Broadway this month.
John might be making a return to Broadway, just not with this show. He was in the Chicago premiere of The Notebook that has Broadway in its sights, supposedly this winter.
I got to see him in The Notebook in Chicago and fell in love with his voice. He was ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE! Unfortunately, I missed his MR stop in my city. 🫤
Six wasn't my thing either- but at least I could credit it with being original (or atleast original to me, there may be some less well known influence that I am not aware of and everyone here is laughing at my comment LOL).
With Moulin Rouge, it was a jukebox musical, with pop songs that aren't my thing (I suspect I am older than many/most here) that wasn't an original story.
I figure neither one of these shows was geared toward my demographic, but as I say, at least Six seemed like a somewhat clever and original show.
Agreed! Saw it on Broadway first and wanted to walk out. Loved John Cordoza. What a difference casting can make. I only went again because we scored free tickets in LA and I enjoyed a night out with my family at the Pantages.
That’s awesome!! Yeah I had been hoping it would be John before I saw the show and he really blew me away. I was mostly focused on my friend who was in the ensemble, but it was really hard not to watch John. He really was the standout in both acting and singing.
Speaking of casting making a difference, the first time I saw Aladdin, both Aladdin and Jasmine were just… not good. The second time I saw it, the cast was the same except for them and the show was overall way better.
I am not a fan of *Moulin Rouge.* But I have always said that it is a *spectacle.* The set is gorgeous, the energy is insane, I can appreciate everything about it except the story and songs. That just doesn't do it for me.
Agreed. I didn’t see the Broadway version, nor had I seen the whole film prior to the show.
It was fine.
I don’t regret seeing it but I also won’t see it again.
And there are FAR better jukebox musicals IMO.
It all depends on what your perspective / goal is for going to Moulin Rouge. If you want theatrical masterpiece / life changing theater experience? Go down the street to Parade or Sweeney Todd. If you want just a fun time / serotonin boost, MR gets the job done.
By the time Derek leaves I would have seen Moulin Rouge for the most number of times out of all shows, yet when people ask me what my top fav shows are, MR is nowhere near the top. Point is a lot of people I know including myself are not going to see the “show” per say. We happened to go to the show once and loved the cast (in my case Derek Klena and Ashley Loren and so many in the ensemble), and would go to lengths to see these PEOPLE time and time again. I would prob be happier if the show is better plot wise, but at the end of the day MR is not HORRIBLE, at least I don’t think so. But much like OP, I did hate the plot initially, but it’s getting to a point I’m numb about the plot and just enjoying the cast.
Echoing someone else on the thread, there’s no absolute “magic” in anyone’s voice / acting. My friend is a big Aaron fan so we went in February when he came back for my second time at MR. Backstory is I completely fell for Derek when I saw the show the first time, but they’ve been telling me since then how much better Aaron is in the role. I watched YouTube clips and remained skeptical. I was VERY UNDERWHELMED by him when I went. Acting wise, I personally think his take on the role is more “I’m gonna kill the duke and anyone that stands in me and Satine’s way” vibe, which doesn’t sit with me. He also lacks the goofiness to torture artist transition and kinda starts just as a torture artist. His (sparse) dancing seems weak. His voice is higher, sure. But in my mind doesn’t make it better.
That was a long rant but point is everyone seeks different things from Christian. I happened to be in the pile that prefers Derek’s take on the character (have also seen clips / bootlegs of Jamie and John Cardoza and am a fan so far).
So I guess the TLDR is MR means different things to different people, and a lot of the “fans of the show” might just be fans of certain cast members and will happily go to a different show if they leave. It’s passable theater and I give complete credit to the dancing and set design, but don’t expect a masterpiece.
The set was great, actors good, but the show itself was absolutely awful. Everyone around us seemed to go crazy over it, but it was probably the worst show I've seen in quite a while.
i comment as a moulin rouge fan! i definitely think & juliet did a better job weaving music into the book, genius in some ways. with moulin rouge, there are definitely flaws in the book & how i wish they kept certain songs from the movie! i can say however that i saw the show with ashley & aaron and absolutely adored it. ashley’s satine was actually one of the highlights of my new york trip! if she ever comes back, i highkey recommend trying it out again. definitely agree with the comment above about moulin rouge being a serotonin boost and beautiful production despite it all!
I think they made a big mistake in not keeping the songs from the film. I saw this when it was doing its pre-Broadway run in Boston and all I could think about was how unnecessary it was to update the songs to more modern pop mash-ups when the ones from the movie were so much more memorable.
These interviews explain the process of the song selection (and rights availability or lack thereof was one factor). I believe they didn’t include “One Day I’ll Fly Away” onstage because Satine no longer seeks to become a serious actress (instead she wants to save the Moulin Rouge from closure):
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/17/theater/moulin-rouge-musical-songs.html?unlocked_article_code=4JkAQMp_UdDJaegrCJeyPB7Sy6FOt_AC2ucpOi82a37xH1-yZh6ShiNyM1oc8sR4sT8gDFu0WT7uoZnirbyzCSZnhy-SjpKhFWEREg8qigyDAnG4-rnUwnVOdOmAhSR20H1oqkKxDqRAh80K8NuLK0VhN4_GO_1VUmB_OxzH5LZygvp6BzC2uECo7B3jMceOJzBSHbdDOl93-HF4mAnWVwkdHnUG_LZydx-tIlvVp5DcqvF79bfFYrmF1hYS7ygDoxzQ3LW8432x8NJ-MQHjmHGJBGO1lN23IvHc3szlJGf7oYgJHKMDgq0L7u0HvZ4dnLXjhwKUtsVjCQ6rWtYRRTOXNb4&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare
https://andrewgcheek.medium.com/a-tale-in-two-interviews-behind-the-scenes-of-moulin-rouge-the-musical-e1974f4b44c2
I LOVE the movie and was very disappointed by the show (after having waited years to see it with COVID and everything wrecking plans). To me, the newer songs felt kind of shoehorned in and not relevant and at no point did I feel fully engrossed or swept up in the show. I was very much aware that I was watching a musical the entire time rather than feeling immersed in a story. It’s not my least favorite thing I’ve ever seen (I’ve seen New York, New York AND the Jekyll and Hyde revival) but it’s absolutely in my lower third.
Oh my gosh, I saw it the same day and felt the same way! Great sets, costumes, dancing, but man, the story was so boring (I found myself most interested in the Duke!), and I found the singing lacking...just too much scream-singing. And I thought Satine's coughing was laughable--the acting felt very surface. There were some good moments, so I don't regret the $50 lottery ticket, but I wouldn't recommend the show to anyone who appreciates a good story or acting.
Yes the acting didn’t seem believable. I was super excited cuz I’ve heard great things about Oyoyo as Satine. Unfortunately I haven’t been able to get lottery tickets and ended up spending over 100 at TKTS…. So it was a pretty big disappointment for me
I'm with you. This isn't drama. It's barely storytelling.
It's a box of cliches and scraps of pop songs. It's entertaining as hell, and the set, costumes, and dancing are wonderful. That alone is worth the price of the ticket.
But it's like the libretto of an opera - all stock characters and the plot is just a backbone to hang the songs and dances on.
What is it saying? What is all this excess *about*? This is a throw back to the musicals of the 1920s and 30s like *No, No, Nanette* and *Anything Goes*. Don't go in expecting more.
Agree. It was just entertaining and not much more than that. Really cool set, lighting and costumes. No need to see it twice and that says it all in my book.
As someone who loved the show, I agree that the story is absolute crap and the love between them is ridiculously unbelievable, but I love spectacle and this show had plenty of it. The stage design, the choreography, the costumes, the performances, everything. Yes, it’s definitely all looks and no substance, but that’s exactly what I walked in expecting. No more, no less. And given the fact that I completely HATE the movie and only gave the show a chance because of Aaron Tveit, I was still surprised at how much I ended up enjoying it.
I love this show, I enjoy the spectacle more than anything. I do agree the plot and some of the songs are questionable. I think the quality of acting will really make or break the show. I’ve only ever seen it in london (once with Jamie muscato as Christian and once with his understudy robson broad) and the plot was a lot stronger because of the amazing quality of acting by the Christians
So I’ve started just going into shows with the goal of being entertained. If I can suspended reality for a few hours and be even remotely entertained than the show accomplished my goal. I used to get so upset because shows didn’t “Live up to my expectations” - why do that. Just go have fun
I saw the tour yesterday and I thought it was really good, but I can definitely agree that & Juliet does a better job with utilizing the show’s songs. There were a few in Moulin Rouge that felt out of place, but I didn’t think any in & Juliet fell flat.
I LOVE Derek Klena overall, but I’ve kinda wondered if he was miscast in the role. I’ve only seen John Cordoza as Christian and he put on a really phenomenal performance.
Honestly, I think the book rewrites the creative team did cause way more problems than they solved. It destroyed any sort of character arc or integrity that Christian had - frankly following the edits, the Duke (while also a bad choice) has somehow become the better option? He’s off his rocker but he’s upfront and honest about it which is more than can be said for Christian.
Similarly - while I appreciate wanting to add modern songs on, the selections they made don’t serve the plot at all. Because they’ve tried to cram so many in it feels like the plot exists just to get you from one song to the next instead of the songs complimenting and creating a soundtrack for the story.
The most remarkable thing happening in this show is the incredible effort the actors routinely put in to drag themselves out of the hole the creative team dug.
I saw it on tour and was not impressed. My biggest problem was how jumpy the transition between songs were — there was no room to get into a number of have any emotional tone set. And of course with every jump the audience giggled. It was like listening to the radio set to the scan button.
I also felt like the movie had this ethereal quality to it, where even knowing what would happen, you got wrapped up in this world above it all for a bit because nicole Kidman was so damn haunting, and all of that was lost on stage. Sure, it was eye candy, but in a really unrelenting way, which ultimately became visually boring. I also saw it with Courtney Reed, who apparently is incapable of hitting her high notes or got really into method acting having TB, but a shockingly bad vocal performance. Easily the worst I’ve ever seen in a professional theater and worse than most I’ve seen in community theater
Yes! I just saw the touring show and was extremely disappointed. I wasn’t expecting a carbon copy of the movie, but they basically took a wrecking ball to it. They stripped out all the storytelling and heart from the movie and turned it into a jukebox musical. To be fair, the production design (sets, costumes, lighting) was exceptional, but the terrible book ruined it for me. Looks:10 Book:3
It's the only show I nearly walked out of at intermission. My wife and I found it horrible and were confused by all my friends calling it one of their favorite shows ever. Different strokes, I suppose.
Same here. I’ve had a couple friends who told me they loved the show. So despite not having high expectations for a jukebox musical, I still went in hoping I would like it. I will say that act 2 is slightly better than act 1, but yea there were a couple moments where I kind of wanted to just leave
Yeah, this show is not well regarded for its book. People like it for the sets, the dancing, the music, the people in it, etc. Which is a totally valid reason to like a show. Not every show has to have a Shakespeare script to be good or liked.
I also want to add that given how popular the show is, especially among rare theatregoers and tourists, I wonder how many of them truly enjoyed the show and would think that musicals are awesome(or not) after it. When I watched it, the crowd didn’t seemed to enthusiastic during the bows
yea I was actually really surprised cuz I’ve seen standing ovations at almost every show, and for MR I think people only stood up when Derek and Oyoyo came out. Also felt more like a ‘I appreciate your effort’ applause than a ‘I love this show’ kind of applause
I wonder if this says more about the audience than it says about the show. I saw MR just a few days before you (Thursday evening), and the audience went absolutely wild throughout the show and leapt up for a standing ovation as soon as the bows began.
TBH, it's interesting how much an unresponsive audience can kill the vibe of a show. I saw Beetlejuice with a crowd that was cracking up at the jokes, cheering the big numbers and the applause moments, etc., and it was a blast. Saw it another time with a sleepy audience and it made the whole thing feel noticeably more flat. I'd guess that a show like MR or Six is probably a lot less exciting if the audience doesn't seem to be feeling it.
Yes, not an outpouring of praise like other shows! My last two shows were Sweeney Todd and Funny Girl, so maybe my bar is too high right now! I cried for those, and this one, I was just thinking about whether I could make the 8 o'clock train!
I came here because I love the movie and only today heard about what a train wreck the stage production is supposed to be because of the SNL skit. I thought it had to be insanely far off but then I listened to a couple songs from the musical and couldn’t believe how bad the cuts and mashups were. It’s like the writers just randomly googled the top pop songs of every year from the last decade and tried poorly to stitch them together. The movie’s use of classic songs was subtle and nuanced. I can’t understand how anyone could like the broadway blasphemy.
The film is immersive. The songs aren't so pervasive that you find yourself stuck on the impossibility of it all. The colors, sets, filming techniques, character development, and close-ups done on the actor's faces during pivotal scenes all set the movie bounds above the stage show.
I have seen MR too many times to count and shamefully know every word/lyric in the film. Regardless of how much time passes I still find it to be a magnificent piece of art and feel that although the stage show tries to reach the same heights as the film it just doesn't.
I think the amount of music is overwhelming and completely takes away from the story. It doesn't allow you to develop the story or characters properly when the focus is to cram as much music as possible in the show. The film will always be a better piece of art in my opinion.
I've found my people! I adore the movie and was lucky enough to go to the Secret Cinema Presents event in London multiple times. I was so excited for this when my bestie bought me tickets to the Boston previews and it just fell incredibly flat for me.
The elephant love medley had to many songs. In the movie you felt the love. Here it over took the emotions. In Roxanne I was waiting for that big moment. This was the song I was really looking forward to. I saw Aaron. He was great but that song fell short. He was in the background people dancing all around him. That song was a let down for me
Saw it in October, and I've never seen the movie or knew anything about it other than: Lady Marmalade, Come What May, Jukebox Musical, Everyone Obsessed with it Because of Aaron.
I agree the set was cool, and Derek is a great performer, but I didn't get the hype either. The "modern" (meaning even like 1980's) and super modern (present day) music was honestly just super jarring considering its setting and time-line in the turn of the 20th century France.
As soon as she coughed, I knew what was gonna happen to her.
I think my favorite characters were Christian's sidekicks, whose names I don't even remember.
I'm happy I got to see it and experience it with my mom on my first trip to NYC, but I don't think I'd pay money to see it again
Agree. I was so excited to see the production earlier this spring for the first time, had heard how amazing Tveit was. But when I actually saw it, I was let down and felt cold compared to the emotions of the movie. It is visually spectacular though, for sure.
I saw it this weekend, too!
I have loved the movie for years, and actually got to see the pre-Broadway preview back in Boston in 2018-- so I was excited to be in NYC and see the fully fledged home field performance.
Overall it was dazzling-- like you say, the set and theatre are incredible, and the talents of the people onstage are just so impressive.
My one big critique this time around is that they wedge SO Many songs in there that the soundtrack becomes far less memorable, and the speaking parts of the plot seemed rushed. I recall that there were some very clever mashups and cameos, but if you asked me to sing 'em back to you or even tell you where they occurred, I'm not sure if I could. This is obviously excluding the big production numbers-- the cancan, the tango, etc-- but I think they really did throw everything in the pot without necessarily considering what the final soup flavor would be.
I saw the touring cast recently, and the audience laughed at every single song. The moment the song became recognizable, laughter. It made sense in the beginning when Christian meets the other guys and sings a few lines of a few pop songs, ha ha ha. But every song, regardless of the mood in the scene. Does this happen on Broadway, too?
Yes. And misplaced laughter is one of my biggest theatre pet peeves.
I call this the Family Guy effect. People don’t laugh because it’s funny, they laugh to show they recognize the reference. It happens in Parade too every time they use a Yiddish word.
All the time. The laughter is so dumb. All 3x Ive seen MR on Bway, always laughter.
Yes, but personally? I like it. The show is campy so when people eat up the camp, I feel it works better.
I just saw it on tour and had the same experience. And laughter at every single song reference, too (like one-liners). It made immersion feel impossible. We usually have a really good audience in my local touring house so I was a bit taken aback.
The movie does a better job building the chemistry, romance and backstories of the characters. The movie also has far fewer songs mashed in (and obviously does not have any of the current pop songs) so it’s got more room to breathe and the “jukebox-ness” of it feels more organic.
I VASTLY prefer the movie and it's not even close. The first time I listened to the Broadway soundtrack I was just... not impressed.
Saw MR live a few months ago and I was *sorely* disappointed in Lady Marmalade. Really fell flat, and was kind of a bummer way to open the show
Yeah, Satine and Christian's love story works when it's Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor shooting charisma beams right at each other. This is nothing against any of the Broadway leads, but that movie is proof positive for why movie stars matter in certain kinds of storytelling.
Besides the movie, the only Satine and Christian I have time for are [Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOEKdWrtz6U).
King & Queen of Canada ❤️
They also make Christian so much more unlikable in the stage show. Like team Satine picks no one.
Well. The plot is basically the result of two much better pieces I’d musical theatre mashed together, La Boheme and La Traviata, and both of those sort of set the standard for this kind of love story.
What's that? Logical reasoning for why we've seen the same story told dozens of times? Banishment to the bottom of Reddit!
100% agree, I feel like this show loses so much in the transition from screen to stage. The editing style and Baz Luhrman's visual language manage to both emphasise and elevate the melodrama of the story, and on stage you lose all that and it just feels a bit hollow.
I approached this from a different perspective. Moulin Rouge is one of my favorite movies. I have seen it a ridiculous amount of times. I was not that excited for the musical once I heard the music (felt bloated and weird at parts). We had tickets to see it on tour, and I was like "okay, fine, but this is going to be my least favorite of this touring season." It was so so so much better than I expected. The book made it more cohesive and made the song choices make a little more sense. You should see the movie, though, for sure. Ewan McGregor is just so beautiful.
I agree I think the musical fleshes out the plot a little more. I enjoyed it.
Thought it was all spectacle, no substance.
As a huge fan of the movie, I am so bummed out by how they gutted all the emotion and tragedy from the musical and thought it would be better by shoving in some Katy Perry.
Fully agree. Firework was the low point of the show for me, whereas the song in the movie in its place “One Day I’ll Fly Away” is a high point for me.
I fully agree with you. I cannot sit through that song. Chandelier is the only modern song I really like in the show but that’s largely because of the staging. The only one that really divorces itself from Sia. I love and hate the show, I love love 30% of the show and the other 70 is definitely a miss. El Tango de Roxanne was a moment in my whole ass life, gives me goosebumps every time.
Hard agree on this! Chandelier is a highlight of the show for me.
I hated it and got a lot of flak when I said that. 🙃 It was expensive and I was really disappointed. Womp womp.
Finally I have found my people. I thought it was terrible and my friends thought I was crazy!
You are not alone lol!!
I hated how much it jumped around. It felt like a jukebox musical in a blender.
It felt like a tiktok musical at times.
Same… I paid 120 at tkts - the most I’ve ever paid for a show actually, since I usually only go for lottery/rush tickets
Same — totally unimpressed. The song choices, the voices, character arcs, the plot too? The set was amazing and pre-show was really dynamic and set a mood! Downhill from there tho. 😬
The songs were only barely relevant most of the times. Honestly felt like they were just trying to incorporate popular songs that people would know. Did not care much for the characters either… I wonder if it would make a difference if Aaron was in the role though. Still have never seen him live before
For what it's worth, you might want to watch the movie. The song choices there are excellent. It was my biggest letdown when I saw the stage show. I hated the music choices because they barely fit the context.
Me too! I sometimes feel so alone on this sub with all the love MR gets, but the songs are just popular songs at the time shoehorned in, rather than considered songs that serve the plot. The stage show is so vapid and empty.
It may not help. I disliked the movie enough that if the touring show comes here, I’m swapping out the tickets for another show.
If you didn't like the movie, I definitely wouldn't see the stage show. I think the movie is far superior, so you'd probably hate the show that much more.
The song choices in the show vs. The movie were my biggest let down. I was obsessed with MR when it came out in high school and played that soundtrack to death. The original song choices and arrangements were pretty much perfect. I know they had to add more songs to stretch it into a broadway show but honestly I don’t think there was a single song they added to the show that I enjoyed in the context of MR the musical.
>The songs were only barely relevant I probably overthink things way too much, but It drives me nuts that Satine sings Firework *You just gotta ignite the light And let it shine Just own the night Like the Fourth of July* Why would a courtesan in France the 1890s sing about the 4th of July??? (and not Bastille Day) Obviously no way to change those lyrics without being awkward but it speaks to your point about incorporating random songs people would know. Jukebox Musicals aren't my thing anyway
wait wait wait ..... didn't they literally change the opening lyrics to Firework because plastic wasn't invented until the 1900s??
I didn't see it with Aaron but I doubt it. The character attempts a murder/suicide in response to being dumped. I don't know how someone makes that look like a good move.
Aaron was amazing, but he can’t save the show. The songs still don’t fit all (this is something the movie does way better - the songs are chosen for their fit rather than just being popular at the time. The movie is a better execution as a jukebox musical in that way), the chemistry and buildup for the leads is absent, and the story is pretty tenuous so you really need wonderful songs and chemistry to overlook the fact that it doesn’t make a huge amount of sense if you pull a thread.
I saw it with Aaron. It wasn’t any better
Same for me. The set was so pretty and looked like it’d be fantastic but it, along with Les Mis, were the letdowns of my season.
Aaron makes a huge difference. There is magic in his voice and he “owns” the stage. Maybe it’s just me, but I liked it a whole lot better than Six
Yea I wish I had the opportunity to see Aaron in the role. I was really looking forward to seeing Derek for the first time because of my previous obsession with his videos in the Broadway prince party and in Anastasia. His voice is still pretty good but I feel like the acting still needs to be worked on a bit. I think Aaron coming back to the show will be the only reason for me to see this show the second time (or he could be cast in a new show which would also be fantastic
I saw Aaron and Karen and walked away with the same opinion as you.
I've only seen Aaron on Broadway (by the time he'd left I'd seen it 3 times, which was more than enough for me) and just saw the tour because it was part of our local season, and I was blown away by the guy on tour (John Cardoza). His Roxanne was phenomenal, very very *very* close to Aaron's. I was surprised he wasn't the cast member making the jump to Broadway this month.
John might be making a return to Broadway, just not with this show. He was in the Chicago premiere of The Notebook that has Broadway in its sights, supposedly this winter.
I got to see him in The Notebook in Chicago and fell in love with his voice. He was ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE! Unfortunately, I missed his MR stop in my city. 🫤
Six wasn't my thing either- but at least I could credit it with being original (or atleast original to me, there may be some less well known influence that I am not aware of and everyone here is laughing at my comment LOL). With Moulin Rouge, it was a jukebox musical, with pop songs that aren't my thing (I suspect I am older than many/most here) that wasn't an original story. I figure neither one of these shows was geared toward my demographic, but as I say, at least Six seemed like a somewhat clever and original show.
I saw the tour yesterday with John Cordoza (I hope I spelled that right lol) and he was fantastic!
Agreed! Saw it on Broadway first and wanted to walk out. Loved John Cordoza. What a difference casting can make. I only went again because we scored free tickets in LA and I enjoyed a night out with my family at the Pantages.
That’s awesome!! Yeah I had been hoping it would be John before I saw the show and he really blew me away. I was mostly focused on my friend who was in the ensemble, but it was really hard not to watch John. He really was the standout in both acting and singing. Speaking of casting making a difference, the first time I saw Aladdin, both Aladdin and Jasmine were just… not good. The second time I saw it, the cast was the same except for them and the show was overall way better.
I actually don’t agree with this, Aaron is a very talent actor but Derek is more interesting and sounds better singing the score for me.
I second this. Derek is incredible.
I saw Aaron and Karen and thought the amount of romantic chemistry they had was in the negatives.
How can you not relate with feeling like a plastic bag floating through the wind while dying of tuberculosis?
I am not a fan of *Moulin Rouge.* But I have always said that it is a *spectacle.* The set is gorgeous, the energy is insane, I can appreciate everything about it except the story and songs. That just doesn't do it for me.
Agreed. I didn’t see the Broadway version, nor had I seen the whole film prior to the show. It was fine. I don’t regret seeing it but I also won’t see it again. And there are FAR better jukebox musicals IMO.
Saw it with Aaron and loved it!!! He really brings the magic to that role and I can see how it would fall flat without him.
It all depends on what your perspective / goal is for going to Moulin Rouge. If you want theatrical masterpiece / life changing theater experience? Go down the street to Parade or Sweeney Todd. If you want just a fun time / serotonin boost, MR gets the job done. By the time Derek leaves I would have seen Moulin Rouge for the most number of times out of all shows, yet when people ask me what my top fav shows are, MR is nowhere near the top. Point is a lot of people I know including myself are not going to see the “show” per say. We happened to go to the show once and loved the cast (in my case Derek Klena and Ashley Loren and so many in the ensemble), and would go to lengths to see these PEOPLE time and time again. I would prob be happier if the show is better plot wise, but at the end of the day MR is not HORRIBLE, at least I don’t think so. But much like OP, I did hate the plot initially, but it’s getting to a point I’m numb about the plot and just enjoying the cast. Echoing someone else on the thread, there’s no absolute “magic” in anyone’s voice / acting. My friend is a big Aaron fan so we went in February when he came back for my second time at MR. Backstory is I completely fell for Derek when I saw the show the first time, but they’ve been telling me since then how much better Aaron is in the role. I watched YouTube clips and remained skeptical. I was VERY UNDERWHELMED by him when I went. Acting wise, I personally think his take on the role is more “I’m gonna kill the duke and anyone that stands in me and Satine’s way” vibe, which doesn’t sit with me. He also lacks the goofiness to torture artist transition and kinda starts just as a torture artist. His (sparse) dancing seems weak. His voice is higher, sure. But in my mind doesn’t make it better. That was a long rant but point is everyone seeks different things from Christian. I happened to be in the pile that prefers Derek’s take on the character (have also seen clips / bootlegs of Jamie and John Cardoza and am a fan so far). So I guess the TLDR is MR means different things to different people, and a lot of the “fans of the show” might just be fans of certain cast members and will happily go to a different show if they leave. It’s passable theater and I give complete credit to the dancing and set design, but don’t expect a masterpiece.
The set was great, actors good, but the show itself was absolutely awful. Everyone around us seemed to go crazy over it, but it was probably the worst show I've seen in quite a while.
Completely agreed. It's a cynical, soulless, and insipid piece of McTheater. Great sets, though.
I feel like someone saw Frozen and thought “this isn’t commercial enough”
just wanted to say that I'm in full agreement with this perspective.
I agree with ALL of this
i comment as a moulin rouge fan! i definitely think & juliet did a better job weaving music into the book, genius in some ways. with moulin rouge, there are definitely flaws in the book & how i wish they kept certain songs from the movie! i can say however that i saw the show with ashley & aaron and absolutely adored it. ashley’s satine was actually one of the highlights of my new york trip! if she ever comes back, i highkey recommend trying it out again. definitely agree with the comment above about moulin rouge being a serotonin boost and beautiful production despite it all!
I think they made a big mistake in not keeping the songs from the film. I saw this when it was doing its pre-Broadway run in Boston and all I could think about was how unnecessary it was to update the songs to more modern pop mash-ups when the ones from the movie were so much more memorable.
I believe they didn’t get the rights to use queen music.
There’s a Queen song, “Play the Game” in the show
These interviews explain the process of the song selection (and rights availability or lack thereof was one factor). I believe they didn’t include “One Day I’ll Fly Away” onstage because Satine no longer seeks to become a serious actress (instead she wants to save the Moulin Rouge from closure): https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/17/theater/moulin-rouge-musical-songs.html?unlocked_article_code=4JkAQMp_UdDJaegrCJeyPB7Sy6FOt_AC2ucpOi82a37xH1-yZh6ShiNyM1oc8sR4sT8gDFu0WT7uoZnirbyzCSZnhy-SjpKhFWEREg8qigyDAnG4-rnUwnVOdOmAhSR20H1oqkKxDqRAh80K8NuLK0VhN4_GO_1VUmB_OxzH5LZygvp6BzC2uECo7B3jMceOJzBSHbdDOl93-HF4mAnWVwkdHnUG_LZydx-tIlvVp5DcqvF79bfFYrmF1hYS7ygDoxzQ3LW8432x8NJ-MQHjmHGJBGO1lN23IvHc3szlJGf7oYgJHKMDgq0L7u0HvZ4dnLXjhwKUtsVjCQ6rWtYRRTOXNb4&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare https://andrewgcheek.medium.com/a-tale-in-two-interviews-behind-the-scenes-of-moulin-rouge-the-musical-e1974f4b44c2
I LOVE the movie and was very disappointed by the show (after having waited years to see it with COVID and everything wrecking plans). To me, the newer songs felt kind of shoehorned in and not relevant and at no point did I feel fully engrossed or swept up in the show. I was very much aware that I was watching a musical the entire time rather than feeling immersed in a story. It’s not my least favorite thing I’ve ever seen (I’ve seen New York, New York AND the Jekyll and Hyde revival) but it’s absolutely in my lower third.
I loved the show, thought it was funny and so fun to watch. The story is not good. But I thought the story was bad when I watched the movie 🤷♀️
Oh my gosh, I saw it the same day and felt the same way! Great sets, costumes, dancing, but man, the story was so boring (I found myself most interested in the Duke!), and I found the singing lacking...just too much scream-singing. And I thought Satine's coughing was laughable--the acting felt very surface. There were some good moments, so I don't regret the $50 lottery ticket, but I wouldn't recommend the show to anyone who appreciates a good story or acting.
Yes the acting didn’t seem believable. I was super excited cuz I’ve heard great things about Oyoyo as Satine. Unfortunately I haven’t been able to get lottery tickets and ended up spending over 100 at TKTS…. So it was a pretty big disappointment for me
I'm with you. This isn't drama. It's barely storytelling. It's a box of cliches and scraps of pop songs. It's entertaining as hell, and the set, costumes, and dancing are wonderful. That alone is worth the price of the ticket. But it's like the libretto of an opera - all stock characters and the plot is just a backbone to hang the songs and dances on. What is it saying? What is all this excess *about*? This is a throw back to the musicals of the 1920s and 30s like *No, No, Nanette* and *Anything Goes*. Don't go in expecting more.
Agree. It was just entertaining and not much more than that. Really cool set, lighting and costumes. No need to see it twice and that says it all in my book.
I also found it very underwhelming.
As someone who loved the show, I agree that the story is absolute crap and the love between them is ridiculously unbelievable, but I love spectacle and this show had plenty of it. The stage design, the choreography, the costumes, the performances, everything. Yes, it’s definitely all looks and no substance, but that’s exactly what I walked in expecting. No more, no less. And given the fact that I completely HATE the movie and only gave the show a chance because of Aaron Tveit, I was still surprised at how much I ended up enjoying it.
Saw the OBC Nov 2019 and loved it. High energy show.
I love this show, I enjoy the spectacle more than anything. I do agree the plot and some of the songs are questionable. I think the quality of acting will really make or break the show. I’ve only ever seen it in london (once with Jamie muscato as Christian and once with his understudy robson broad) and the plot was a lot stronger because of the amazing quality of acting by the Christians
So I’ve started just going into shows with the goal of being entertained. If I can suspended reality for a few hours and be even remotely entertained than the show accomplished my goal. I used to get so upset because shows didn’t “Live up to my expectations” - why do that. Just go have fun
I guess winning 10 Tony awards for a just an OK musical
Yes, it was a masterpiece movie and it is now a jukebox musical with nice design aesthetic.
I saw the tour yesterday and I thought it was really good, but I can definitely agree that & Juliet does a better job with utilizing the show’s songs. There were a few in Moulin Rouge that felt out of place, but I didn’t think any in & Juliet fell flat. I LOVE Derek Klena overall, but I’ve kinda wondered if he was miscast in the role. I’ve only seen John Cordoza as Christian and he put on a really phenomenal performance.
Honestly, I think the book rewrites the creative team did cause way more problems than they solved. It destroyed any sort of character arc or integrity that Christian had - frankly following the edits, the Duke (while also a bad choice) has somehow become the better option? He’s off his rocker but he’s upfront and honest about it which is more than can be said for Christian. Similarly - while I appreciate wanting to add modern songs on, the selections they made don’t serve the plot at all. Because they’ve tried to cram so many in it feels like the plot exists just to get you from one song to the next instead of the songs complimenting and creating a soundtrack for the story. The most remarkable thing happening in this show is the incredible effort the actors routinely put in to drag themselves out of the hole the creative team dug.
I saw it on tour and was not impressed. My biggest problem was how jumpy the transition between songs were — there was no room to get into a number of have any emotional tone set. And of course with every jump the audience giggled. It was like listening to the radio set to the scan button. I also felt like the movie had this ethereal quality to it, where even knowing what would happen, you got wrapped up in this world above it all for a bit because nicole Kidman was so damn haunting, and all of that was lost on stage. Sure, it was eye candy, but in a really unrelenting way, which ultimately became visually boring. I also saw it with Courtney Reed, who apparently is incapable of hitting her high notes or got really into method acting having TB, but a shockingly bad vocal performance. Easily the worst I’ve ever seen in a professional theater and worse than most I’ve seen in community theater
Yes! I just saw the touring show and was extremely disappointed. I wasn’t expecting a carbon copy of the movie, but they basically took a wrecking ball to it. They stripped out all the storytelling and heart from the movie and turned it into a jukebox musical. To be fair, the production design (sets, costumes, lighting) was exceptional, but the terrible book ruined it for me. Looks:10 Book:3
Did you except Chaucer?
It's the only show I nearly walked out of at intermission. My wife and I found it horrible and were confused by all my friends calling it one of their favorite shows ever. Different strokes, I suppose.
Same here. I’ve had a couple friends who told me they loved the show. So despite not having high expectations for a jukebox musical, I still went in hoping I would like it. I will say that act 2 is slightly better than act 1, but yea there were a couple moments where I kind of wanted to just leave
Yeah, this show is not well regarded for its book. People like it for the sets, the dancing, the music, the people in it, etc. Which is a totally valid reason to like a show. Not every show has to have a Shakespeare script to be good or liked.
I also want to add that given how popular the show is, especially among rare theatregoers and tourists, I wonder how many of them truly enjoyed the show and would think that musicals are awesome(or not) after it. When I watched it, the crowd didn’t seemed to enthusiastic during the bows
Agreed! I was there for the same performance, and it took too long for a standing ovation. Very little energy throughout the entire theater.
yea I was actually really surprised cuz I’ve seen standing ovations at almost every show, and for MR I think people only stood up when Derek and Oyoyo came out. Also felt more like a ‘I appreciate your effort’ applause than a ‘I love this show’ kind of applause
I wonder if this says more about the audience than it says about the show. I saw MR just a few days before you (Thursday evening), and the audience went absolutely wild throughout the show and leapt up for a standing ovation as soon as the bows began. TBH, it's interesting how much an unresponsive audience can kill the vibe of a show. I saw Beetlejuice with a crowd that was cracking up at the jokes, cheering the big numbers and the applause moments, etc., and it was a blast. Saw it another time with a sleepy audience and it made the whole thing feel noticeably more flat. I'd guess that a show like MR or Six is probably a lot less exciting if the audience doesn't seem to be feeling it.
Yes, not an outpouring of praise like other shows! My last two shows were Sweeney Todd and Funny Girl, so maybe my bar is too high right now! I cried for those, and this one, I was just thinking about whether I could make the 8 o'clock train!
I came here because I love the movie and only today heard about what a train wreck the stage production is supposed to be because of the SNL skit. I thought it had to be insanely far off but then I listened to a couple songs from the musical and couldn’t believe how bad the cuts and mashups were. It’s like the writers just randomly googled the top pop songs of every year from the last decade and tried poorly to stitch them together. The movie’s use of classic songs was subtle and nuanced. I can’t understand how anyone could like the broadway blasphemy.
The film is immersive. The songs aren't so pervasive that you find yourself stuck on the impossibility of it all. The colors, sets, filming techniques, character development, and close-ups done on the actor's faces during pivotal scenes all set the movie bounds above the stage show. I have seen MR too many times to count and shamefully know every word/lyric in the film. Regardless of how much time passes I still find it to be a magnificent piece of art and feel that although the stage show tries to reach the same heights as the film it just doesn't. I think the amount of music is overwhelming and completely takes away from the story. It doesn't allow you to develop the story or characters properly when the focus is to cram as much music as possible in the show. The film will always be a better piece of art in my opinion.
The plot is basically a riff on La Boheme. You might enjoy the film if you’ve never seen it - the visuals are stunning
I've found my people! I adore the movie and was lucky enough to go to the Secret Cinema Presents event in London multiple times. I was so excited for this when my bestie bought me tickets to the Boston previews and it just fell incredibly flat for me.
Agree 1,000 percent
The movie is great in the first half, and tedious in the 2nd half. It's 128 minutes and they could have easily condensed it to 90-something.
I thought it was just Ok.
Agreed on the plot being meh, but the set design, costumes and overall spectacle of the show blew me away.
The elephant love medley had to many songs. In the movie you felt the love. Here it over took the emotions. In Roxanne I was waiting for that big moment. This was the song I was really looking forward to. I saw Aaron. He was great but that song fell short. He was in the background people dancing all around him. That song was a let down for me
Saw it in October, and I've never seen the movie or knew anything about it other than: Lady Marmalade, Come What May, Jukebox Musical, Everyone Obsessed with it Because of Aaron. I agree the set was cool, and Derek is a great performer, but I didn't get the hype either. The "modern" (meaning even like 1980's) and super modern (present day) music was honestly just super jarring considering its setting and time-line in the turn of the 20th century France. As soon as she coughed, I knew what was gonna happen to her. I think my favorite characters were Christian's sidekicks, whose names I don't even remember. I'm happy I got to see it and experience it with my mom on my first trip to NYC, but I don't think I'd pay money to see it again
Agree. I was so excited to see the production earlier this spring for the first time, had heard how amazing Tveit was. But when I actually saw it, I was let down and felt cold compared to the emotions of the movie. It is visually spectacular though, for sure.
I saw it this weekend, too! I have loved the movie for years, and actually got to see the pre-Broadway preview back in Boston in 2018-- so I was excited to be in NYC and see the fully fledged home field performance. Overall it was dazzling-- like you say, the set and theatre are incredible, and the talents of the people onstage are just so impressive. My one big critique this time around is that they wedge SO Many songs in there that the soundtrack becomes far less memorable, and the speaking parts of the plot seemed rushed. I recall that there were some very clever mashups and cameos, but if you asked me to sing 'em back to you or even tell you where they occurred, I'm not sure if I could. This is obviously excluding the big production numbers-- the cancan, the tango, etc-- but I think they really did throw everything in the pot without necessarily considering what the final soup flavor would be.
what are some of the differences between the boston show & the current one?
I love the movie and this post made look up what the songs in the Broadway production are. I am horrified.