Moulin Rouge – The Musical at Thelma Gaylord Performing Arts Theatre

Set in the artistic period during the end of the 19th century, Moulin Rouge! The Musical was heavily taken from French history. The show takes places and is focused on retelling the happenings of true-to-life nightclub in Montmartre, Paris, called the Moulin Rouge, where the can-can dance was born. By the late 19th century, the nightclub became famous for its French Cabaret style – vibrant, full of spirit, and a somewhat crazy lifestyle. This Parisian nightclub that the musical was created from also affected the creative team, with Baz Luhrmann and the musical's creative team saying that they did take pieces of the actual French period, and it can undoubtedly be viewed in the performance. The set design, clothing, classical renditions, and song and dance numbers (which features a lot of can-can dance) all obviously pay homage to to the 2001 adaptation of Moulin Rouge.

It is in this period of history leading up to the 1900s and smack in the middle of the French La Belle Époque, a period thought to be the height of high artistic and cultural development, where the romantic affair of two lovers finally begins. Christian, an American writer who travels to Paris aiming for a successful calling, meets Satine, the greatest performer of the Moulin Rouge. Christian and Satine, despite both external and internal challenges, fall deeply in love and settle for a hidden relationship with each other caused by their lack of standing and power.

Ironically, the time of La Belle Époque was criticized by even locals not as a period of peace and harmony. Many are convinced that this decade were all about rising tension beneath the surface. Moulin Rouge! The Musical, however, chose to showcase the decade in a more endearing perspective by highlighting the good Bohemian values of truth, beauty, freedom, and love, as perceived through Christian and Satine’s evolving love story throughout the musical.

In this decade, theatre fans have the chance to enjoy the entertainment most likely also enjoyed by the original patrons of the Moulin Rouge, as Moulin Rouge! The Musical will be showing at an equally colorful and outstanding venue, Thelma Gaylord PAT At Civic Center Music Hall . With interior decor just as beautiful as the set that it is staging, Thelma Gaylord PAT At Civic Center Music Hall is the perfect fit for Moulin Rouge’s limited season on Friday 6th September 2024. Seats are now available for purchase through the links that can be found at the top of this site.