By Lucy Thompson | Arts Angle Vantage Reporter
Presentation Academy, Class of 2026
“Moulin Rouge! The Musical” first captures attention with its gorgeous lighting. Before the curtain rises, the bright neon red Moulin Rouge sign shines as it’s enveloped by a big red heart with intricate gold molding.
Arianna Rosario (Satine) and Christian Douglas (Christian) in the North American Tour of “Moulin Rouge! The Musical.” Photo by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman. Courtesy PNC Broadway in Louisville.
This breathtaking musical about passion and heartbreak tells a tale about love and having it stolen from you.
“Moulin Rouge! The Musical,” based on the 2001 Baz Luhrmann movie, opened at the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts on Feb. 18 and runs through March 2. The show is directed by Alex Timbres, with music supervision, orchestration and arrangements by Justine Levine and choreography by Sonya Tayeh.
The story spotlights two main characters, Christian (Christian Douglas), a man originally from Ohio who comes to Paris, France, to write songs, and Satine (Arianna Rosario), a woman who is the moneymaker of the Moulin Rouge. They are in love with each other, but there is the very wealthy Duke of Monroth (Andrew Brewer), who is needed to save this Parisian club that is going bankrupt. This beautiful musical is about a couple that wants to be together. Fate, however, has something different in store for them.
Rosario’s dancing, singing and overall performance were incredible from her first appearance as Satine in the number “The Sparkling Diamond,” shining in a costume of diamonds with white spotlights glowing beautifully surrounding her. Her strong and powerful voice was entrancing, and her performance gave the songs meaning. She tugged at the heartstrings when she collapsed in a heart-stopping scene.
Christian Douglas (Christian) in the North American Tour of “Moulin Rouge! The Musical.” Photo by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman. Courtesy PNC Broadway in Louisville.
The music was so loud and booming, but “El Tango de Roxanne” was so powerful, in particular, because Christian Douglas as Christian beautifully sang this piece with passion that showed his love for Satine. During the song, the lighting switched from red to white to portray how deeply he felt about losing his Satine to a man she doesn’t even love. The red light represented his anger and the white symbolized his pure love for Satine.
The stunning and sparkly costumes graced all of the people working in Moulin Rouge. Those who did not work at the club donned costumes showing their wealth or how little wealth they had. Power and wealth are evident in the three-piece suit of the Duke of Monroth (Andrew Brewer) with its long jacket.
The lighting was beyond words and was perfectly timed during songs that needed the extra emotion. That was on display with the introduction of the Duke of Monroth, where the lighting turned purple, symbolizing his royal status. While in the Moulin Rouge, a giant curtain backdrop of a red heart with gold outlining dominated the set. In the street scenes of Paris, gray buildings populated the background and showed the little wealth many people had.
This musical has all one could want in a musical — passion, love and heartbreak. If you haven’t already, go see this incredible musical with fantastic actors, beautifully intricate sets, and lighting with strong emotion while it’s still in town, especially if you are a “Moulin Rouge!” fan.
Lucy Thompson (she/her), a junior at Presentation Academy, is active in theater and a member of the golf team at her school. In theater, she has participated in set building, prop design, and stage managing. Thompson aspires to study psychology and become a psychologist after high school.
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