Moulin Rouge! The Musical, gyrating furiously at the Hobby Center, is the perfect purchase if megastore Costco sold jukebox musicals. It is an industrial-sized, big-box entertainment that could feed a family of, say, 25.
Impressive like a Gulf thunderstorm, it bowls you over with its steamy tale of fin de siecle Paris at the infamous Montmartre cabaret, haunt of Toulouse-Lautrec, bohemians of both sexes, free love, and the nascent home of revolutionary “liberté.” The sly show teases sex, seduces with come-ons, lures you in with fishnets and bustiers (and those are on the chorus boys), twerks plenty of ass and crotch splits, and wants desperately to be ohh-la-la edgy. But while the story is as old as a stale croissant – two men, one woman – the production is the sexiest thing about it.
This is state-of-the-art Broadway at its best and most innovative. Watch that concentrated whiplash lighting from Justin Townsend; those lavishly scant costumes from Catherine Zuber that use ever color in the palette; the ginormous neon sign “L’Amour” planted behind the garret window by master set designer Derek McLane; the non-stop fiery choreography by Sonya Tayeh; the ravishing musical arrangements by Justin Levine; the Seine-fluid direction by Alex Timbers – Tony winners all in 2021, plus four more accolades, including Best Musical.
Although not nearly as elaborate as its Broadway incarnation – the Al Hirschfeld Theatre’s interior was completely overhauled at exorbitant expense to represent the famed Moulin in 1899 – this Broadway at the Hobby touring production, last seen in Houston in 2023, is still mighty garter-dropping. The flats may be flatter, and there’s no passerelle where La Chocolat, Nini, Baby Doll, and Arabia strutted their considerable wares in front of the orchestra pit, but the vibe is ever-present.
The show promises steam, and the opening delivers a lot of it, but it quickly dissipates as the story progresses into a stale pastiche of Camille, Orpheus, La bohème, and pallid variations of those classic early ‘30s Ernst Lubitsch sex comedies from Paramount. Where are the degenerates? Where’s the gender bending? Where are those Bohemians? We’re told they’re here, but we only get ciphers and the toxic masculinity of the villain, the Duke of Monroth.
Baz Luhrmann’s movie behemoth impressed with its perpetual mobile camerawork, always on the prowl, swooping over those CGI mansard rooftops of Paree. The film literally can-canned. The musical, to distract from the canned tale, does this too through its sterling choreography and split-second direction. It’s got to keep pushing forward, no time to let us stop and realize that this plot is puff-pastry thin and not nearly as tasty.
The gimmick of the film and the musical adaptation is the scores (?!) of samples of pop music that make up its soundtrack. Here’s a bit of “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friends,” á la Monroe, paired with James Bond’s “Diamonds Are Forever.” Or Katy Perry’s girl-powered “Firework,” then a Stones mix of “Symphony for the Devil” paired with “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.” Whatever works for the scene. But often this familiarity breeds giggles from the audience. Appropriately so, when Toulouse-Lautrec and Santiago sing a snippet of “The Hills Are Alive” as a comedy bit, but less so in a drama scene when eight bars of a song just seem out of place. The show keeps moving, though. Don’t stop. Don’t think.
The cast is good, many are holdovers from the Broadway run. Gabriella Carrillo is a steely Satine, the one lusted over by both innocent abroad Christian (Luke Monday) and debauched Duke (Aaron C. Finley). Fine voices all, wailing easily through the pop tunes. As Toulouse, Alex Nicholson hushes the hall with a haunting rendition of “Lonely Boy,” recounting his youth and his disability; and the most jubilant of all is Robert Petkoff as the cabaret’s master of ceremonies, Zidler. He eats the stage alive and has the time of his life preening and pimping.
But it’s the ensemble cast that must be praised. These singing dancers are the heart of the show, and their non-stop intricate performances are show-stopping in themselves. Sinuous as they grind in the background, or all-out frenetic at the lip of the stage, they give this musical the sexual kick we were promised at the beginning. Without them, this show would be without heat.
For opening night, Sarofim Hall at the Hobby Center was packed. For the first time in memory, the merchandise booth had longer lines than the bars. This is the seductive power of Moulin Rouge. Patrons were dressed in colorful garb, some with flouncy skirts and feathers in their hair. When a show draws cosplay, it’s something special and has hit a nerve. It’s certainly big and kaleidoscopic with prodigious visual wonders. At the end, there are walking sticks that explode confetti over the audience. It’s a party at the Hobby Center. Safe and non-threatening, wanna play? Unfortunately, that’s not what we were promised.
Moulin Rouge! The Musical continues through July 19 at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; 2 p.m. Saturday; 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday. at the HobWanna play? by Center, 800 Bagby. For more information, call 713-315-7625 or visit thehobbycenter.org or broadwayatthehobbycenter.com $50-$185.
