Moulin Rouge – The Musical at Murat Theatre

Set in the Bohemian period during the turn of the 20th century, Moulin Rouge! The Musical was heavily taken from French history. The show can be found in and is centered around the happenings of true-to-life nightclub in Montmartre, Paris, titled the Moulin Rouge, where the underground aristocratic life was revealed. By the late 1900s, the nightclub became renowned for its French Cabaret elegance – lively, free-spirited, and pure party entertainment. This Parisian venue that the musical was created from also influenced the production, with Baz Luhrmann and the Broadway play's team saying that they did take parts of the actual Bohemian time period, and it can decisively be witnessed in the production. The set, costumes, music score, and choreography (which sees a lot of can-can dance) all clearly are a clear inspiration from to the 2001 adaptation 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 period thought to be the height of beauty and spreading artistry, where the forbidden story of two lovers take place. Christian, an American writer who moves to Paris, France aiming for a successful career, meets Satine, the leading performer of the Moulin Rouge. The couple, despite many oncoming trials and tribulations, fall crazily in love and have to be a concealed affair with each other because of their lack of standing and power.

Ironically, the time of La Belle Époque was denounced by many not as a time period of peace and harmony. Historians believe that this decade were all about rising tension beneath the surface. the Broadway play, however, chose to present the time period in a more positive perspective by instead presenting the good 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, theatre fans have the chance to be part of the entertainment most likely also loved by the original patrons of the Moulin Rouge, as Moulin Rouge! The Musical will be produced at an equally lively and unforgettable venue, Murat Theatre at Old National Centre. With interior decor just as dazzling as the set design that it is holding, Murat Theatre at Old National Centre is the ideal fit for Moulin Rouge’s limited season on Thursday 16th January 2025. Seats are now available for purchase through the links that can be clicked on at the top of this site.