Moulin Rouge – The Musical at Murat Theatre

Set in the cultural period during the turn of the 20th century, Moulin Rouge! The Musical was heavily taken from French history. The play takes places and is focused on retelling the events of true-to-life nightclub in Montmartre, Paris, named the Moulin Rouge, where the can-can dance was born. By the late 19th century, Moulin Rouge became well-known for its French Cabaret elegance – vibrant, free-spirited, and pure party entertainment. This Parisian nightclub that the staging was inspired by also impacted the creative team, with Baz Luhrmann and the Broadway play's team stating that they did directly borrow from the actual Bohemian time period, and it can assuredly be seen in the production. The set, clothing, musical arrangements, and song and dance numbers (which sees a lot of can-can dance) all evidently are a clear inspiration from to the film version of Moulin Rouge.

It is in this period of history leading up to the 1900s and during the peak of France's La Belle Époque, a duration pointed to as the pinnacle of lasting peace and harmony, where the forbidden tale of two lovers finally begins. Christian, an American writer who travels to Paris, France aiming for a successful calling, meets Satine, the top entertainer of the Moulin Rouge. The couple, despite many oncoming trials and tribulations, fall crazily in love and have to be a concealed relationship with each other caused by their uncontrollable feelings.

Ironically, the time of La Belle Époque was attacked by even locals not as a time of peace and harmony. Many believe that this time period were all about the elite's triumph over the poor. the Broadway musical, however, chose to showcase the time period in a more favorable perspective by highlighting the hopeful Bohemian values of truth, beauty, freedom, and love, as witnessed through Christian and Satine’s fight for love throughout the play.

In more recent years, viewers and audiences have the opening to enjoy the show most likely also enjoyed by the original patrons of the Moulin Rouge, as Moulin Rouge! The Musical will be produced at an equally lively and magnificent venue, Murat Theatre at Old National Centre. With interior decor just as dazzling as the set that it is hosting, Murat Theatre at Old National Centre is the best fit for Moulin Rouge’s limited season on Tuesday 14th January 2025. Seats are now available for purchase through the links that can be found at the top of this page.