Hello!! This past weekend, Johnny and I had a wonderful date night seeing Moulin Rouge at Playhouse Square. We had an absolute blast and you can read more about the rest of our outing and peep a brand new OOTD later this week! Playhouse Square is my happy place and even though Moulin Rouge wasn’t my favorite, it was still phenomenal as per ushe with the shows put on there. Let’s get to the review:

Johnny and I went to Moulin Rouge knowing nothing about it. We have never seen the movie and the only songs that I was familiar with going in was Lady Marmalade and Because We Can. Long story short… The Moulin Rouge is a nightclub that is falling on desperate times. If a financial windfall doesn’t happen, it is sure to close. Luckily for the crew at the Moulin Rouge, a wealthy man called The Duke takes an interest in Satine, the “sparkling diamond” of the club. Satine knows what she needs to do to get The Duke’s money and as she awaits him in her boudoir, a mix up happens. *gasp*

Instead of The Duke coming into Satine’s room, Christian who is an aspiring songwriter and hoping to audition for Satine arrives first. It is instant love and a love triangle is born between Satine, The Duke, and Christian. The Duke agrees to fund a new play and as rehearsals are underway, Satine and Christian are sneaking around like teenagers. That’s not the only secret Satine is harboring, as she is in poor health. As opening night at the Moulin Rouge draws nearer, The Duke becomes more controlling, Christian and Satine’s love amplifies, and her condition continues to decline. Will the Moulin Rouge have to shut its doors? Will true love win? Go see the musical to find out! 😉

Before we discuss the good of the show, let’s get a few bugaboos out of the way. My main qualm actually had nothing to do with the performance itself, but the theater it was in. Moulin Rouge was showing at the Keybank State Theatre and the sound quality isn’t the best there. Johnny and I had great seats in the middle of the first row of the balcony and while we could hear the songs perfectly, all of the spoken lines were near impossible to hear. This was frustrating, to say the least, but unsurprising. Every show that I have seen at the Keybank is like that! *face palm*

My next gripe was both a good and a bad thing. More good than bad, it’s just a matter of preference for me. The songs in Moulin Rouge were all popular hits and each number would end in a mashup. You could basically turn on the radio and there is a 95% chance you would hear one of the songs from the show. I much prefer a musical with songs written specifically for it. But, on the other hand, it was fun to hear songs that you know instantly throughout the show. It was hard not to sing along!

Despite my personal preference for songs from musicals, the set list was full of bangers. Banger after banger lol. We’re talking Britney, we’re talking Beyonce, we’re talking Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Adele, Elton, and so much more. My favorite number was to Sia’s Chandelier when Christian goes on an absinthe bender. I also loved the tango set to Roxanne and the adorable love song mashup with songs that included I Will Always Love You, Heroes, and Pride (In the Name of Love) just to name a few.

And, finally, let’s discuss the wonderful performers who graced the stage. Courtney Reed as Satine was phenomenal. That girl could SANG and I was so impressed with her range and ability to capture the essence of each song perfectly. John Cardoza as Christian was a formidable leading man and I liked his sensitivity in contrast to Satine’s strength. Both Reed and Cardoza worked so well together and carried the show beautifully.

Another character that Johnny and I loved was Harold Zidler, the owner of Moulin Rouge, played by Austin Durant. He was hysterical and a really fun addition to every scene. While all of the performers held their own well, I wasn’t overly impressed with Denzel Tsopnang as The Duke. His character is not a good person. The Duke is controlling, menacing, and aggressive and I just didn’t feel that in his portrayal. He definitely fell flat in comparison to the rest of the cast, which was disappointing as it is such a major part.

Moulin Rouge was, overall, an awesome show. It wasn’t the best thing that I have seen, but I’m really happy that I got to see it. In fact, Johnny and I enjoyed it so much that we are going to watch the movie! If Moulin Rouge comes to your neck of the woods, I highly recommend getting tickets!

What is your favorite song from Moulin Rouge? Have you seen a musical recently? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah