MOULIN ROUGE will be finally be a stage musical

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Posted: 9/1/16 at 9:07am

About time!

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Breaking-News-Baz-Luhrmanns-MOULIN-ROUGE-Headed-to-the-Stage-as-a-Musical-with-John-Logan-Alex-Timbers-20160901

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 9/1/16 at 9:57am

Here's my thoughts on that...
http://karereviews.weebly.com/moulin-rouge-stage-adaptation-in-the-works.html

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 9/1/16 at 10:12am

It already was a stage musical in Germany in 2008 under the title La Belle Bizarre du Moulin Rouge.

http://www.musicals-online.com/musicals-online/Moulin_Rouge_2008.html

[ggersten]

Posted: 9/1/16 at 10:31am

Does this mean Baz has given up or is just done with Strictly Ballroom?  (Although I see there is an upcoming regional UK Production in December)

[Tag]

Posted: 9/1/16 at 10:32am

^There's also a major Toronto run next Spring/Summer.

[smidge]

Posted: 9/1/16 at 10:57am

Jeffrey Karasarides said: "Here's my thoughts on that...
http://karereviews.weebly.com/moulin-rouge-stage-adaptation-in-the-works.html

Jeffrey, your column reflected my thoughts exactly on Moulin Rouge. I saw it in the theaters, and rented it a second time to see if I was missing something. I absolutely hated it. I have no problems with highly stylized films and certainly love musicals. But this was a frantic mess. This would definitely be a wait and see stage show, but I have serious doubts about revisiting Moulin Rouge.

 

[theatregoer3]

Posted: 9/1/16 at 11:35am

Timbers is the PERFECT fit for this project. Way better than Frozen. Very excited for this.

[BakerWilliams]

Posted: 9/1/16 at 11:45am

"The movie felt very cartoonish!"

 

um...... yeah. It's a cartoon. It's supposed to be cartoonish. There's a moon that sings opera and boobs made of jello.

 

Probably my favorite movie of the 21st century (up there with Syndromes and a Century), but I'm wary about a stage adaptation. The oppressive camerawork is what makes the movie so great (and Jim Broadbent's performance)

[JennH]

Posted: 9/1/16 at 11:53am

theatregoer3 said: "Timbers is the PERFECT fit for this project. Way better than Frozen. Very excited for this.

 

"

That's EXACTLY what I said! My first thought was if  this is what he left it for or was let go from Frozen for instead (since we don't really know which it is), than so be it because his style is TOO perfect for this! He's no worse for the ware obviously

 

And to Jeffery, I totally get why this film is disliked and your thoughts on it were pretty apt. I just think it's one of those films that while TOTALLY campy, it's one of those loved cult classic types. No matter how bad it is/was, it somehow ended up being loved anyway.

I think with reworking of the script and lessening the 'campiness' I truly think this will be a great stage property and I'm happy something I've been saying for years should happen, is finally happening. Plus I'm glad the MT world will at long last get its counterpart to La Traviata. I'm nerdy like that, I do have a love for opera as well, and that one is one of my favorites. 

[brdway411]

Posted: 9/1/16 at 11:55am

Just what we need, another Jukebox musical. 

[Kad]

Posted: 9/1/16 at 12:08pm

brdway411 said: "Just what we need, another Jukebox musical. "

I'll take Moulin Rouge over another rearrangement of the Berlin or Gershwin estates. Or a hackneyed bio-musical about a singer/musical group with their music shoehorned into the plot. Or, honestly, a bad new musical.


There's nothing wrong with a show that uses pre-existing music as long as the end result is *good*.

 

Updated On: 9/1/16 at 12:08 PM

[quizking101]

Posted: 9/1/16 at 12:24pm

This is probably not coming for a few years, so these may not be valid then, but if I had to cast this right now:

Christian - Aaron Tveit
Satine - Sierra Boggess
Zidler - Brian D'Arcy James
The Duke - Will Chase

Don't shoot, I'm just spitballing

[Valentina3]

Posted: 9/1/16 at 12:32pm

I don't want to see Aaron Tveit falling for Sierra Boggess. She is a decent fit for Satine, but he looks too boyish next to her. How about a Renee E Goldsberry and Jonathan Groff pairing?

I would love to see Norm Lewis as The Duke.

[newintown]

Posted: 9/1/16 at 12:40pm

The movie was cute, fun, silly; I have no desire to see a live version. But this production company seems to exist merely to create live imitation versions of film entertainment: Walking With Dinosaurs, How To Train Your Dragon, King Kong. I pass.

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 9/1/16 at 12:43pm

"he left it for or was let go from Frozen for instead (since we don't really know which it is)"

We do know. He was fired. Even the NYT article about Moulin Rouge says he was dismissed from Frozen.

[JVJ93]

Posted: 9/1/16 at 12:47pm

Rachel Tucker as Satine? 

[vfd88]

Posted: 9/1/16 at 12:47pm

I love Moulin Rouge and will no doubt see this, but I'm a little wary about how this will work onstage. The most impressive parts of the movie are purely cinematic devices (the editing, cinematography, visual effects). 

[Whateverjsays]

Posted: 9/1/16 at 12:51pm

quizking101 said: "This is probably not coming for a few years, so these may not be valid then, but if I had to cast this right now:

Christian - Aaron Tveit
Satine - Sierra Boggess
Zidler - Brian D'Arcy James
The Duke - Will Chase

Don't shoot, I'm just spitballing

 

"

I completely agree!!!

[Mr. Nowack]

Posted: 9/1/16 at 12:51pm

I don't care to see it played by an 8-piece band.

And I agree the cinematic are what made it so compelling in the first place.

But if they are able to do something different with it I'm down.

[JennH]

Posted: 9/1/16 at 12:59pm

neonlightsxo said: ""he left it for or was let go from Frozen for instead (since we don't really know which it is)"

We do know. He was fired. Even the NYT article about Moulin Rouge says he was dismissed from Frozen.

 

"

I know the NYT article said that, but I also read other articles that said HE left them. I've read both scenarios in other various articles. That's why I said what I did. We, the masses, really DON'T know and the only ones who do are him, DTP, other creatives, and maybe some involved actors who I'm sure all are sworn to secrecy.

One article, even from the biggest newspaper name on the planet, doesn't necessarily mean everything they say is true or that they're the end all. There ARE other sources than them, and we all should know by now never to believe everything we see, read, or hear. 

[newintown]

Posted: 9/1/16 at 1:07pm

Anything is possible, but I REALLY doubt that Timbers quit Frozen, probably the highest profile film to stage transfer in years with a high probability of netting him long term Mantello-style millions, to work instead with a company known for low-rent arena shows featuring huge puppets of dinosaurs, dragons, and apes.

It just doesn't ring right, y'know?

[Daddy Warbucks]

Posted: 9/1/16 at 1:11pm

This is one of my favorite movies of all time.  As a broadway investor, my first thought was, I want to find a way into this show.  But then as I got to thinking, I don't think this has huge upside.  You'll get people like me who are dying to come out to see it and who loved the movie (but as mentioned, much of that love has to do with the cinematography).  But most of my friends in middle america found the movie too weird.  It wasn't a runaway commercial success, even though it appealed to me so strongly.  

So that is to say, I'm a little hesitant about the commercial viability of this one.  Especially because I can imagine it with a $15-16m budget and high weekly running costs.  If they can figure out how to stage it at $11m with a $500k nut (unlikely) I'd give it a look.

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 9/1/16 at 1:15pm

JennH- you can choose not to believe me, but I am telling you I know for a fact he was fired.

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 9/1/16 at 1:21pm

Neon - I can tell you with 100% you're mostly correct, however it's more a game of semantics since he wasn't actually fired; he was pushed to move on (I.e. Would have been fired if refused to leave on amicable terms). Won't say too much but if you actually know what happened, you'll remember DTG was forced to take the side of a certain someone which undoubtedly led to this split. Either way, what's done is done. No need to bicker over it anymore except for those numbskulls like JennH who would rather be naive than accept there are actual insiders posting on this board aware of what really happened. Whatever. Don't waste your time on them! 

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 9/1/16 at 1:24pm

Yeah, I know exactly what you're talking about and I don't plan to fight about it anymore. Just wanted Jenn to stop.