Can you think back to a night when you were at the theatre and every single particle of your being was absorbed in the ambience, music, emotion and sheer exhilharation of what you were experiencing? Well, that’s how you’ll remember a night at Moulin Rouge! The Musical, now showing at the Capitol Theatre in Sydney.

From the moment you walk in the theatre and take in the magnificent set complete with cabaret club lights, French boudoir furniture, chandeliers, the giant blue elephant and the iconic windmill – you feel like you’re in the Moulin Rouge, ready for the show to begin.

It’s 21 years since the film – Moulin Rouge – was released. Directed by our own Baz Luhrmann, the film starred a very young Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor. It was one of those films that stayed with you and despite the fact neither of these actors were known for their singing voices, somehow it all worked and made sense.

And now today, we have Satine back within our sights and yes, she has the unenviable job of saving her cabaret nightclub from being closed down. She needs to entice the Duke (played by Andrew Cook) to help finance the nightclub so it can stay open.

As Satine tries to do this, she’s sidetracked by the beguiling Christian. Fresh from America, he’s a song writer and he keeps singing new songs to her as he falls in love with her and everything she stands for.

The cast brings all of this to life and the actors are superb. Alinta Chidzey plays Satine admirably so it’s easy to see why all of these men are falling at her feet. Des Flanagan is brilliant as Christian – playing his role with such heartfelt earnestness it’s enough to inspire you to fall in love all over again. The chemistry between Satine and Christian elevates the story above that of a mere love story – to the point where it’s the love story of all time.

In fact, we should remember that Your Song has always been revered. For example, Meghan O’Keefe wrote for Decider wrote in 2018: ‘Life has worn me down. I am now a cynical mound of dust armed with the knowledge that the world is a gaping chasm of unhappiness. And yet, there is still one cinematic moment that lifts my weary heart and entices me to believe in the awesome power of love again… Of course, I’m talking about when Ewan McGregor sings Your Song to Nicole Kidman in Mouline Rouge!’ 

In answer to this – Alinta Chidzey and Des Flanagan perform Your Song with their own chemistry and the song is absolutely everything it should be – a fervent declaration of the power of true love and an act of earnest defiance at the same time. Chidzey and Flanagan lift our hearts up from our everyday lives and inspire us about the power of love all over again. Now, this has to be one of the most romantic moments in the history of musical theatre.

Moulin Rouge! The Musical – brings in a jukebox of popular songs

As well as uplifting romantic love scenes, the musical has some extravagant dance scenes and all of these are perfectly entertaining and supported by well-executed music arrangements. As we said earlier – this is theatre which hypnotises and satisfies you in the most uplifting way.

The musical adaptation – directed by Alex Timbers – brings in 75 new popular songs – making it what some have called a ‘jukebox musical on steroids’. Sometimes it’s just a single line and at other times there are extended variations of popular tunes. From Beyonce to the Rolling Stones, it seems every song you’ve ever loved is up there on stage at some time or other – and it all blends in and seems effortless.

At the same time, Andrew Cook plays The Duke with sizzling charm and we start to see how this is all going to unravel. Harold Zidler plays the club’s owner – Simon Burke – and he often takes over the stage with his charisma and brilliant humour. Burke’s jokes and effervescence pull everything together and make the story whole.

But we can’t forget Tim Omaji and Ryan Gonzalez, who play Toulouse-Lautrec and Santiago. They both deliver these characters to us with real emotional authenticity. Omaji’s quiet rendition of Nature Boy and Gonzalez’s blistering version of Bad Romance are both highlights of the night and bring much to the overall musical.

Moulin Rouge! The Musical is a success in many ways. In fact, it’s hard to put into words how much a musical like this can affect you. Perhaps this is because this musical moves you on so many levels it could be that you just have to see it, to understand its full effect. The haunting, romantic words from Your Song come to mind and all we can say is – “How wonderful life is, now you’re in the world!”

Venue: Capitol Theatre in Sydney, NSW
Director: Alex Timbers
Cast: Alinta Chidzey, Des Flanagan, Simon Burke, Tim Omaji, Andrew Cook, Ryan Gonzalez, Samantha Dodemaide, Olivia Vasquez, Ruwa Ngwenya, Christopher J Scalzo

For more from The Carousel on the latest theatre, visit here.