SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Dec. 5, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — This night at the theater offers pop music delivered by Broadway-style power singers, a set that looks like the inside of a fancy chocolate box, provocative costumes, confetti cannons, and an intoxicating mix of romance and harsh reality.
The National Touring production of “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” pulls out all the stops to seduce its audience.
And everything worked for Friday night’s audience, leaving patrons cheering, dancing in their seats, and clapping well before the final bows.
The company is at the Eccles Theater through Sunday, Dec. 11, brought in by Zions Bank Broadway at the Eccles.
If you go, expect sensory overload to your eyes and ears. The show features bits of more than 70 songs, most less than two decades old, a few reaching further back.
Not all the songs are arranged as expected, so be ready for murmers of audience recognition and delight when it becomes clear what song is being sung, and how the modern lyrics fit the timeless story.
One warning: Two categories of people might find the fleeting bits of modern songs concerning. One, of course, is people disturbed by Lady Gaga and Elton John songs used to tell a tale set in Paris of the 1890s. But this is how the jukebox musical, based on the 2001 film, was conceived by Baz Luhrmann and Craig Pearce.
The second group of people who may be triggered is anyone who rides in a car with an oblivious spouse who feels the need to change the music on the radio every freaking five seconds. Nevermind how I know this.
But for everyone else, this Broadway touring show provides a fun ride. It’s set in the historic Moulin Rouge, considered the birthplace of the modern can-can dance, which showed a seductive amount of leg for its era, and which was performed by, let’s say, courtesans.
Every character who has ended up working at the venue has clawed their way up from far worse jobs and done things they aren’t proud of, and some, including the club’s star performer, Satine (Courtney Reed), are pretty exhausted from the effort.
But Satine is tasked by the owner of the near bankrupt Moulin Rouge to make nice with a rich potential patron (David Harris as the Duke of Monroth), whom she briefly confuses for a would-be songwriter (Conor Ryan as Christian) who also aspires to connect with her.
And from there, aspirations and complications only increase, and the audience learns Satine has been guarding a few secrets of her own.
Production values are high, and any complaints (like no attempt at accents) are minor and few.
And one tender scene near the end is so effective, it could even bring genuine tears to the eyes of a jaded theater critic facing a long ride home with her channel-flipping husband. Nevermind how I know this.
Reed and Ryan both have exceptional vocal skills and a strong chemistry together. Harris is slick and increasingly scary as the duke. Other cast standouts include Austin Durant as the big-talking, soft-centered Moulin Rouge manager; Libby Lloyd, an amazing dancer, as aspiring star Nini; and Andre Ward as vulnerable artist Toulouse-Lautrec.
If you can handle a few hours of sensory overload and energy off the charts, this rock concert/musical is one you won’t want to miss.
For venue information, performance times and ticket information, click here.
