The story of a bright-eyed writer who travels to the legendary birthplace of cabaret in 1900 Paris to help a ragtag Bohemian theatre troupe produce their stage show Spectacular Spectacular and in the process falls in love with a famed trapeze-using prostitute, Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge! is already pretty theatrical. (That exclamation point in the title is not just for show.) In the summer of 2019, the story will get a real-life Broadway adaption: The show starts previews on June 28 and will open July 25 at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre.
Joining producer Carmen Pavlovic will be several cast members staying on from the show’s original Boston run, including Karen Olivo and Aaron Tveit. Danny Burstein (a six-time Tony nominee), Sahr Ngaujah (Fela), Tam Mutu (Doctor Zhivago, Encores!’s Hey, Look Me Over!, and The New Yorkers), Ricky Rojas (Burn the Floor), and Robyn Hurder (Nice Work If You Can Get It) will also star.
One of the most delightful parts of the vibrant and romantic 2001 film was that, despite its early 1900s backdrop, the musical re-created pop hits from throughout the late 20th century. Accordingly, the new stage adaptation is set to feature many songs from the movie, but it will also add pop music from the intervening years since the film came out. While Luhrmann and co. went with the Police, David Bowie, Elton John, and the like, we can look forward to finding out which iconic artists a 2019 rendition will cover.
