Moulin Rouge Colonial Theatre Previews- Page 12

[Ladybug101]

Posted: 7/12/18 at 9:50am

Since I recently heard the audio bootleg, if my memory is not failing me -- Finale: Satine sings a halting "Your Song" to Christian to save him (SPOILER-won't write) and at her death, he sings "Come What May" joined a bit later by the ensemble. 

The other things are as you said but I am not against the elimination of the assault -- if they can afford the show which might be hard due to MR's economies of scale, I think Teen girls and young female adults would makeup the most loyal audience.  A teacher on this thread mentioned her teen girls being into the high romance of the story. I feel the "Me Too" movement has changed the climate of what to perform at least to that age group.  The Duke, in the stage version, is painted evil with his threats to Zidler, Christian (via Satine), etc.  In the movie he gets away with his assault.  Don't need to include that.  Just my opinion.

And maybe as a homage to Queen's song "The Show Must Go On" -- Satine voices that phrase.  Queen is much more active now with Adam Lambert in their group than back when the movie was made--if they were even do anything then. Maybe the licensing now for the song is impossible or not deemed that important if costs are high.  To me its not a seminal Queen work.

 

 

[R. GreenFinch]

Posted: 7/12/18 at 10:32am

mailhandler777 said: "EllieRose2 said: "Metal detectors? That's insanely annoying and will slow the entire process down. They should tell people to come at least 45 minutes early or always expect to start the show late. It's very odd that Boston would have more security than Midtown NYC."

My theatre here in Hershey,PA has had metal detectors for years. Also why is it odd? You forget about the Boston Marathon a few agos?"

I spent a lot of time at the Hershey Theatre growing up and I always think their security is a bit overkill compared to NYC venues. At least I know what to expect when I see Moulin Rouge in a few months!

[Kad]

Posted: 7/12/18 at 10:45am

The only cut/alteration I am genuinely surprised by is the omission of "Like a Virgin," which seems like a number right up Timbers' alley. But perhaps the adapted plot no longer has room for it.

And again- things that work in one medium do not always work in another. I am glad that the team behind this production understands that rather than just slavishly putting the movie onstage.

[HenryTDobson]

Posted: 7/12/18 at 10:47am

"And again- things that work in one medium do not always work in another. I am glad that the team behind this production understands that rather than just slavishly putting the movie onstage."

This would be true if the changes they made bettered the story and made it more theatrical. It did neither of those things. 

[dramamama611]

Posted: 7/12/18 at 10:49am

Kad - I was thinking a similar thing.  (Granted, as I've said, I'm not as attached to the film so I've nothing to "let go of."   

 

[Kad]

Posted: 7/12/18 at 11:00am

The movie is a fun spectacle and a satisfying watch, but... come on. It's a thin melodrama bolstered by the frenetic spectacular, spectacular and the unexpected use of classic pop songs (that, let's face it, are often as shoehorned in as they are in any jukebox show). It's a triumph of style over substance.

Updated On: 7/12/18 at 11:00 AM

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 7/12/18 at 11:02am

KateAM2 said: "Saw the first preview on Tuesdaynight! Here’s my best memory of what songs happened when, and some context for them. Spoilers, obviously, including some biggies. It was really special to watch the show without knowing what was coming next, so I’d reallystrongly recommend skipping this if you plan to see it:

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

Opens with Lady Marmalade (then a medley of other songs)(I need to mention this awkwardness: Zidler does this big build-up before introducing Satine, but right before he says her name, Christian stands up and yells, "Wait! I'm not ready to meet her!". We all laughed, but then he monologues to the audience about how he fell in love with Satine and it becomes clear(ish) that he's remembering the moment he first saw her and we're supposed to be taking this seriously. Whoops.

The problem is that Zidler and co. react to his interruption; if it's just in his head, they shouldn't be hearing it and reacting to it. They need to freeze the action or dim the lights onstage or something to make it clearer.

After Christian's interruption, we flashback to when he first met Toulouse and Santiago (the Argentinian).)Royals by Lorde/We Are Young by Fun - Sung by Toulouse, Santiago, and Christian when they first meet. On the roof of their apartment. Company joins in.IIRC the boys sing a medley while writing their musical (including "The Hills are Alive" :) )Diamonds are Forever/Sparkling Diamonds/Single Ladies - Satine's intro. Descends from the ceiling on the swing.Shut Up and Dance by Walk the Moon/Raise Your Glass by Pink/(and maybe I Wanna Dance with Somebody by Whitney?) - Sung by Christian and Satine when they first meet at the Moulin Rouge. Company joins in.Firework by Katy Perry - Sung by Satine after meeting Christian but before their scenes in the elephant. Alone on stage.Your Song by Elton - Christian to Satine. In the elephant.Spectacular Spectacular - Tooootally different from the movie. Medley. I remember that some bits had the melody of "La Vie En Rose" but with different lyrics; the rest is a blur.Sympathy for the Devil by the Rolling Stones - Sung by the Duke at some point. This song should be cut.Nature Boy - Sung by Toulouse to Christian. Sitting at tables on a street in Montmartre. Toulouse explains that he's known Satine since he was young and he was in love with her but never told her and basically urges Christian not to make the same mistake. Elephant Love Medley - Quite different. This was the most disappointing change for me. So many songs shoved into it. "Never Gonna Give You Up" is sung by Christian here, iirc, but it's literally just that line. Satine sings a bit of “Don’t Speak” by No Doubt. Both sing bits of “Fidelity” by Regina Spektor. I think Christian sings part of “I Don’t Wanna Wait” by Paula Cole here, too.Act 2

(my memory is fuzzier on the song order here, so I'm going with the order mentioned in a previous post):Bad Romance by Lady Gaga/Toxic by Britney Spears/(I think a brief bit of a third song--a previous post said Sweet Dreams by Eurythmics) - Big dance number after intermission; it got the biggest applause of the night.Come What May at some point in act 2...Only Girl in the World by Rihanna - The Duke and his guys sing while dressing up Satine in fancy clothes to make her more respectable. Another song that could easily be cut.Shake It Out by Florence and the Machine - Zidler, the main female dancers, and eventually Satine.Chandelier by Sia - Sung by Toulouse, Santiago, Christian, and others while on absinthe. Takes place in their apartment (with the "L'Amour" sign out their window). Satine descends in the swing again as the green fairy but is only onstage briefly.Roxanne - Not as intense as the movie but I thought Aaron killed it. Sings the repetitive “put on the red light!” part from Roxanne that isn’t in the movie. Argentinian doesn’t sing. After this song, we cut to the Duke threatening Satine. One of the girls told Satine earlier in the show that the Duke had hurt his former lover (acid in her face!) and her partner (dead in a river), and he confirms here that he will hurt Christian and close the Moulin Rouge if she doesn't leave Christian. Drunk Christian crashes in and Satine breaks up with him to protect him from the Duke.Crazy by Gnarls Barkley/Rolling in the Deep by Adele - Sung first by Christian, then Satine, after Satine breaks up with Christian to protect him from the Duke. Christian is loading the prop gun with real bullets and planning to use it during the performance that night.Your Song - Sung by Satine to Christian to keep him from killing himself during the performance. (another awkward moment before this song: while Satine is performing in the show, there was a huge, obnoxious sneeze from the audience. Karen completely froze, and I thought, “Oh crap, some jerk just completely threw her off her game.” Turns out it was Christian announcing his presence; he enters from the back of the theater and runs up the aisle to the stage to interrupt the show. There has to be a better noise. Literally any other noise.)Come What May - Christian to Satine after she, you know.Encore medley - Includes Hey Ya by OutKast and some other songs. This number is SPECTACULAR but weirdly comes immediately after CWM, so it's a bit jarring. The boys come out in tuxedo jackets with long tutus.Bows - Christian and Satine come down from the ceiling in the swing; Satine's legs are in Christian's lap. Super cute.Awkward added backstories: Toulouse knew Satine when they were young and he was in love with her; Zidler awkwardly explains to Satine what consumption is by telling her about his male lover who died from it; just too much time on the Duke in general.Christian is from Lima, Ohio in this version, which must be a Glee shoutout :)
 

"

A great recap but again, I go back to these new songs they've added in. I enjoy the pop music fine, but all these very young pop anthem songs like We Are Young, Raise Your Glass, Firework, Royals? They're basically the same anthem song, and I'm pretty I just heard them all in the last month. This is definitely catering to the teenager/young crowd. I was that age when the movie came out, but the songs I loved the most in the movie were the ones I'd never heard before because they weren't my usual genre or were already 2-3 decades old so they weren't fresh in my mind.

But I'm trying really hard to go in next Wednesday with the same excitement I had before the first preview reports starting rolling in.

[sng]

Posted: 7/12/18 at 11:07am

While I enjoyed the show, there're still many flaws. Mainly in the story and the pop songs.

Also, I think Aaron Tveit and Karen Olivio was miscast. They're talented for sure, the voices are amazing, but they're just kinda bland. Moulin Rouge movie's success was part Nicole Kidman's movie star power and charisma, and Karen Olivio just is not on the same caliber 

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 7/12/18 at 11:14am

Kad said: "The movie is a fun spectacle and a satisfying watch, but... come on. It's a thin melodrama bolstered by the frenetic spectacular, spectacular and the unexpected use of classic pop songs (that, let's face it, are oftenas shoehorned in as they are in any jukebox show). It's a triumph of style over substance."

Kad -- I can speak only for myself, but while I find this to be partly true, I also think its a little dismissive of the perhaps intangible power of the film. The movie's genius, IMO, is that it works despite the fact that nothing about it should work. It is melodrama and camp and drama - BUT it's also extremely moving and has an ultimate impact on a visceral level to viewers that's probably unexplainable.  At any rate, my point being there is something special about the film that is hard to analyze and certainly, it would appear is hard to duplicate the power of as an adapted piece for the stage. As I mentioned earlier in the thread, there have since been countless imitators of the MOULIN ROUGE formula, but I had never thought about the film as being a 'jukebox' musical until this thread.  If the audience walks out of the Colonial Theatre in Boston feeling that they've seen a jukebox musical, I think the creatives have done something wrong.

[gray_area]

Posted: 7/12/18 at 12:26pm

Wouldn't they save a lot of money by cutting some of the new pop songs? I wasn't a fan of all the new ones just because there were so many. I had a hard time remembering all of them after and they didn't have any real effect on the story or move me but served only to be a quick entertaining moment.

[Elizabeth Moore]

Posted: 7/12/18 at 1:17pm

Thanks, Gray. I was open-minded and still have hope they can make it something amazing. There have been shows to undergo DRAMATIC changes after their try-out. Here's hoping!

The audience was VERY receptive. It was the first preview and I think everyone felt excited to be in the room! That being said, while I cheered at some of the ways the performers incorporated the songs and material they were given, when I analyze the show as a piece of theatre, a lot of the songs (which got thunderous applause) really didn't work as the scene went on. But that is only my opinion. Still entertaining, but not meaningful.

Also, I believe "Like a Virgin" was cut because there is no "keep Satine from sleeping with the Duke without him realizing she is in love with someone else" subplot. She is with him from the beginning and Christian has to deal with her being with them both. 

While the Duke is still sinister in his actions, his performance is certainly more suave and approachable. He is not outright cruel until far into the play, at which point, he's been with Satine for quite a bit. 

[mailhandler777]

Posted: 7/12/18 at 1:21pm

R. GreenFinch said: "mailhandler777 said: "EllieRose2 said: "Metal detectors? That's insanely annoying and will slow the entire process down. They should tell people to come at least 45 minutes early or always expect to start the show late. It's very odd that Boston would have more security than Midtown NYC."

My theatre here in Hershey,PA has had metal detectors for years. Also why is it odd? You forget about the Boston Marathon a few agos?"

I spent a lot of time at the Hershey Theatre growing up and I always think their security is a bit overkill compared to NYC venues. At least I know what to expect when I see Moulin Rouge in a few months!"

So I'm guessing you grew up in the past 5yrs since that's when they first installed the detectors. Before that they never even checked in your bag.

[mattiek17]

Posted: 7/12/18 at 1:28pm

I'm unfamiliar with the venue and looking at tickets that won't break the bank. Can someone give insight on balcony versus dress circle seats? Would balcony feel too far away from the action?

[R. GreenFinch]

Posted: 7/12/18 at 1:43pm

mailhandler777 said: "R. GreenFinch said: "mailhandler777 said: "EllieRose2 said: "Metal detectors? That's insanely annoying and will slow the entire process down. They should tell people to come at least 45 minutes early or always expect to start the show late. It's very odd that Boston would have more security than Midtown NYC."

My theatre here in Hershey,PA has had metal detectors for years. Also why is it odd? You forget about the Boston Marathon a few agos?"

I spent a lot of time at the Hershey Theatre growing up and I always think their security is a bit overkill compared to NYC venues. At least I know what to expect when I see Moulin Rouge in a few months!"

So I'm guessing you grew up in the past 5yrs since that's when they first installed the detectors. Before that they never even checked in your bag."

Sorry, I wasn't clear at all (my bad)! I meant in my visits in the years since compared with what I encountered when I was growing up. I haven't lived in PA for the past few years. When I see the occasional show in Hershey now, it's definitely more than I usually experience in Boston or NYC.

[Elizabeth Moore]

Posted: 7/12/18 at 1:46pm

Mattie - If you are center on the balcony it would be a great seat. I was towards the house right (stage left) side and there were parts of the action I had difficulty seeing. That said, the theatre isn't too large, so you'll have a good seat for a much more reasonable price!

[mattiek17]

Posted: 7/12/18 at 1:56pm

Many thanks, Elizabeth!

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Posted: 7/12/18 at 2:20pm

So, I found an audio of Act 2 of the show and...

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

The production of the show at Moulin Rouge (the Indian show where Your Song/Come What May) isn't even in the show?! Sabine chooses the Duke and Santine sings Your Song to Christian to him, and just dies?

Why the heck are they removing all of the good parts of the movie?!

[barcelona20]

Posted: 7/12/18 at 2:26pm

disneybroadwayfan22 said: "So, I found an audio of Act 2 of the show and...

Where might I find this? PM please.

 

 

 

[devonian.t]

Posted: 7/12/18 at 3:05pm

It seems odd that 3 of the most THEATRICAL moments in the film have been cut from the theatre production:

The Show Must Go On

Like a Virgin

The Sitar Player Sequence

- all belong on stage.

Very odd choices.

[gray_area]

Posted: 7/12/18 at 3:41pm

Elizabeth Moore said: "Thanks, Gray. I was open-minded and still have hope they can make it something amazing. There have been shows to undergo DRAMATIC changes after their try-out. Here's hoping!

The audience was VERY receptive. It was the first preview and I think everyone felt excited to be in the room! That being said, while I cheered at some of the ways the performers incorporated the songs and material they were given, when I analyze the show as a piece of theatre, a lot of the songs (which got thunderous applause) really didn't work as the scene went on. But that is only my opinion. Still entertaining, but not meaningful.

Also, I believe "Like a Virgin" was cut because there is no "keep Satine from sleeping with the Duke without him realizing she is in love with someone else" subplot. She is with him from the beginning and Christian has to deal with her being with them both.

While the Duke is still sinister in his actions, his performance is certainly more suave and approachable. He is not outright cruel until far into the play, at which point, he's been with Satine for quite a bit."

Yeah I agree. After looking back at that first performance, a lot of the new material/songs used that got great initial reaction, even from me, I think was simply because of the novelty and entertainment of it, and didn't really do much to advance the plot/message they were trying to convey for that said moment. That's at least how I feel a day after seeing it.

There is so much rich material in there and there are other music catalogues they can maybe pull out from to tell a better version of the story they want to portray. Really hope they get to make those changes (or that they are daring enough to do so)!

[gray_area]

Posted: 7/12/18 at 3:48pm

mattiek17 said: "I'm unfamiliar with the venue and looking at tickets that won't break the bank. Can someone give insight on balcony versus dress circle seats? Would balcony feel too far away from the action?"

My friend sat at the back of the center dress circle seats and while she loved it, she said she would've preferred balcony coz the overhang was distracting her from enjoying the full stage, even though the windmill/elephant were really just decorative and no scenes happen there.

[Scarlet Leigh]

Posted: 7/12/18 at 4:46pm

disneybroadwayfan22 said: "So, I found an audio of Act 2 of the show and...

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

The production of the show at Moulin Rouge (the Indian show where Your Song/Come What May) isn't even in the show?! Sabine chooses the Duke andSantine sings Your Song to Christian to him, and just dies?

Why the heck are they removing all of the good parts of the movie?!"

No. Their show within a show is still there. It's just that it's not the elaborate Maharajah, Bollywood, courtesan spectacle from the movie. It's a different plot to the show within a show and Christan is the actor in it up until the night they are to actually perform it when he is nowhere to be found so the Argentinian goes on for him (the opposite of the movie) but shows up then to play out that one scene. It parallels the same situation in the movie where from the audience POV they are acting but we know that they are just talking but their shows plot is different in the musical compared to the movie.

[greensgreens]

Posted: 7/12/18 at 4:47pm

I'm certain that licensing also played a role in which new songs were selected and which old ones were axed. It would be naive to think that all parties would instantly approve of being included in the musical just because they approved of the film. That being said, extra negotiations/more lucrative deals would've been wise to do to keep some of the songs they've cut (assuming this was the reason they're excluded).

[mcsquared]

Posted: 7/12/18 at 4:58pm

mattiek17 said: "I'm unfamiliar with the venue and looking at tickets that won't break the bank. Can someone give insight on balcony versus dress circle seats? Would balcony feel too far away from the action?"

The venue is new for everyone.  I was pleasantly surprised by sitting in balcony, center last row. There might have been one or two quick moments i missed by not being closer but getting the big view of dance numbers and things coming from ceiling were better than being in front probably. I wonder where they are putting people who win lottery.

Updated On: 7/12/18 at 04:58 PM

[EllieRose2]

Posted: 7/12/18 at 5:56pm

"My theatre here in Hershey,PA has had metal detectors for years. Also why is it odd? You forget about the Boston Marathon a few agos?"

Um, no, I did not forget about a terrorist attack that happened half a decade ago.  Again, I see NY theater mostly and I have never been through a metal detector.  I have been to 20+ shows this year and none of them have had them, in New York City.  So, it's just strange to me.  But, at least I know what I have to deal with when seeing this show next month.