Moulin Rouge Colonial Theatre Previews — Page 10

gray_area said: "kennin said: "After watching the movie again, I will say that I think “Come What May” has lost some of its specialness in the translation to the stage. It is no longer a “secret song” and that takes something away."

This was my number one complaint after seeing it last night. Of all the changes they made, I had the most issue with this one.

I am glad that you agree.  It is bothering more after watching the movie and seeing how special it was.

Is Roxanne still mashed up with "Tanguera" by Mariano Mores? I didn't see that on the list of songs, and without the Tanguera elements, the song would seem sort of blasé.

The song list is straight from a "Now That's What I Call Pop Music" album

gray_area said: "kennin said: "After watching the movie again, I will say that I think “Come What May” has lost some of its specialness in the translation to the stage. It is no longer a “secret song” and that takes something away."

This was my number one complaint after seeing it last night. Of all the changes they made, I had the most issue with this one.

two ladies tickets said: "Is there a standby/understudy listed for Satine? "

Understudy for Satine - Natalie Cortez; and the rest of the understudies are: Christian - Joe Caroll, Dylan Paul; Zidler - Kevyn Morrow, Dylan Paul; Duke - Joe Carroll, Kevyn Morrow, Dylan Paul; Toulous - Olutayo Bosede, Kevyn Morrow; Santiago - Daniel J Maldonado; Nini - Natalie Cortez, Morgan Marcell, Jodi McFadden; La Chocolat - Natalie Cortez, Ericka Hunter; Arabia - Natalie Cortez, Ericka Hunter; Baby Doll - Morgan Marcell, Fred Odgaard"

No surprises for understudies, except I thought Fred Odgaard would cover the Baby Doll role before a female  cast member. Not now, but down the road, I’d be interested to see how Joe Carroll takes on Christian and likewise with Natalie Cortez as Satine.

"Of course he's fine with it.   It's exciting to be a part of something with so much anticipation and buzz.  This "it's a waste not to have him sing" is a fan feeling -- not the actor.  I'm not saying he doesn't want to, or might not have been disappointed had any song he had (or thought he would) disappeared."

So....he's fine with it but wait....he may be disappointed with it, therefore not being fine with it.  Awesome logical skills. 

jacobsnchz14 said: "Are the windmill or elephant utilized in any way, staging-wise?"

i would hope to god they perform the elephant love medley on/around the elephant otherwise what would be the point of the elephant?

Just heard the Shut Up and Dance/Raise Your Glass/I Wanna Dance With Somebody medley...yuck.

robskynyc said: "jacobsnchz14 said: "Are the windmill or elephant utilized in any way, staging-wise?"

i would hope to god they perform the elephant love medley on/around the elephant otherwise what would be the point of the elephant?"

The elephant on the side of the stage was just a huge adornment that wasn’t used or moved as far as I could tell. Her dressing room which is described as under elephant was center stage not near the big elephant

The production was incredibly entertaining. The sets and lights were breathtaking, the choreography captivating, and the performances by every single body on stage were beautifully diverse and enthralling (Who knew hearing 3 men harmonize on Sia's "Chandelier" was so essential to life? I do now.   

Sadly, the dramatic structure and the book do not deliver at adapting the heart of the story from the original film. Creative liberties are essential in this kind of adaptation, but the focus on the energy of the Moulin Rouge purposefully overshadows the love story and conflict of the characters. The performers do their best with what they were given (awkward monologues, giggle-inducing song fragment inclusions, etc), but the dramaturgical struggles meant that anyone who was not familiar with the new pop hits infused into the score sat confused. Anyone who had not seen the movie might also wonder at the purpose of several of the numbers.

It became exhausting that every time a more contemporary song was introduced, there was a huge audience giggle. I think this is partly due to the fact that, unlike in the original movie, the songs are basically sung as recorded by the pop artist and not reimagined to meld into the story being told. 

(Please also cut or edit the 25+ minute preshow strutting around the stage nonsense. The ensemble sold it well, but it was completely unnecessary in current form - perhaps something was off due to it being the first preview and first public performance for the new managing company.)

Karen Olivo KILLS "Firework" (in the best way) but that song felt completely wrong and I really, really disliked the inclusion of this song instead of literally ANYTHING ELSE. She also didn't sing all of it (most of the songs are only fragments, so nothing is fully performed except for the mash-ups). Aaron is obviously divine. Sahr Ngaujah is the HIGHLIGHT/surprise of the show. His Nature Boy was the best acted, most understated moment in the piece and if the rest of the show followed-suit in the supposedly character-driven moments, it would benefit greatly. He also had a great speech about the fear artists should inspire in this world. Round of applause for all on that one. 

Strangely, the spectacle does a fantastic job of distracting you from the moments when you see the veneer thin. I left the theatre entertained, but not moved. Still, I believe that with the source material given, and the INCREDIBLE talent of their ensemble of performers, there is the potential for an amazing marriage of all essential elements of theatre. This is what out-of-town tryouts are made for. Broken legs to all involved!

(As for backpacks, there was a table for the backpacks at the end of the night, so at some point, they seemed to collect them and return after. There was no formal check - maybe something for them to consider. I was also given some grief about my napsack but allowed through. The only challenge was with SO LITTLE leg room, I could see them denying bags for that reason alone.)

Updated On: 7/11/18 at 06:12 PM