“Moulin Rouge! The Musical” is closing after seven years on Broadway.
The upbeat jukebox musical will play its final performance on July 26 at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre. By then, “Moulin Rouge” will have played 2,265 regular performances and 24 previews, making it the 36th longest-running show in Broadway history. (That’s a feat in post-pandemic times where new musicals have been majorly struggling to stay open.)
Producers didn’t give a reason behind the closure. though the production has been playing to nearly full houses, “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” is enormously expensive to mount because of the music rights and the elaborate, glittering set. An adaptation of Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 musical “Moulin Rouge,” the show uses hits like Elton John’s “Your Song,” “Lady Marmalade,” Sia’s “Chandelier,” Katy Perry’s “Firework” and Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” to score a story about bohemians in the Parisian neighborhood of Montmartre who are trying to keep their nightclub in business.
“Moulin Rouge!” opened on July 25, 2019, to positive reviews. After nine months of strong ticket sales, the pandemic shut down the show along with rest of the theater industry. It reopened in September 2021 and won 10 Tony Awards, including the prize for best musical. “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” also earned Tonys for director Alex Timbers, book writer John Logan and choreographer Sonya Tayeh.
“Moulin Rouge!” recouped its investment in late 2022, the only musical production from the 2019-2020 season to do so. It also expanded across the globe with 15 worldwide productions, including a North American tour and stops in London’s West End, Germany and Korea.
“It’s truly been the honor of a lifetime bringing this exceptional show to Broadway. We couldn’t have done it without Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin’s trust in allowing us to adapt their iconic film for the stage and for their creative guidance and generosity throughout,” producer Carmen Pavlovic said. “Alex Timbers’ vision and leadership, along with the passion and artistry of our entire creative team, has been unmatched.”
Producers have teased they’ll be making “more exciting announcements” before the show closes over the summer.
“We’ve always said that ‘Moulin Rouge! The Musical’ is a celebration of Broadway and of the artists who, against all odds, make it possible. We look forward to six more months of celebrating the remarkable people who created this show and those who perform eight times a week. And before we take our final bow, we have more exciting announcements that we can’t wait to reveal,” Pavlovic said. “See you at the Moulin Rouge, Chickens!”
Source: variety.com
