Nothing Succeeds Like Excess: The extravagant Moulin Rouge swings into town March 19 – 31

You've probably heard architect Miles van der Rohe's famous dictum, "Less is more."

If Baz Luhrmann ever heard the phrase, he must’ve scoffed at it.  

The Australian director, producer and writer embraces the philosophy espoused by architect Robert Venturi: “Less is a bore.” Luhrmann, who directed Strictly Ballroom, The Great Gatsby and Elvis, is known for his flamboyant films. 

When director Alex Timbers reimagined Luhrmann’s fever dream of a movie – Moulin Rouge! (2001) – for the stage, he honored the creator’s maximalist proclivities.

There’s a lot of eye candy to take in, said Dawn Fenton, production stage manager for the touring Broadway musical that lands in Charlotte on March 19. The theatrical celebration of Truth, Beauty, Freedom and Love is itself worth celebrating. It won a whopping 10 Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

(The cast of the North American Tour of Moulin Rouge! The Musical, photo by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade)

One of those went to Justin Levine, who “did a masterful job with the musical arrangements,” Fenton said. “In the back of the playbill, you’ll notice a two-page section of credits for every song in the show. And there are over 70, although some are only a 30-second snippet.”

Many of the songs in the musical weren’t in the movie; they hadn’t been written yet. Nelly’s “Ride Wit Me,” Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep,” Beyonce’s “Single Ladies,” P!nk’s “Raise Your Glass” and many more have been added to the line-up of original music (such as “Come What May”) and pop hits from the 1940s through the 2010s.

More, more, more

In both the movie and the musical, the swirling action takes place at Paris’ most decadent cabaret where broke Bohemians hobnob – and get high on absinthe – with the idle rich.

The eye-popping visuals from the movie are part of the musical version, too. The show is practically an homage to excess. But Alex Timbers – who won a Tony for his direction – stops short of sensory overload.

(Harper Miles, Libby Lloyd, Nicci Claspell and Andres Quintero in the North American Tour of Moulin Rouge! The Musical, photo by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade)

“Alex and his team were careful with the staging,” Fenton said. “Even with all the excess, it’s obvious where to focus your attention.” That is, with the possible exception of the opening number, which Fenton described as “a giant circus party.”

“That’s probably the biggest, splashiest number,” she said. “It’s almost a choose-your-own-adventure in terms of where you decide to focus.”

Your eye is likely to be drawn to the costumes, which Fenton called “spectacular.” She added, “No expense was spared in creating them. Some of the gowns – worn for only for a few minutes – cost more than a car!”

(Robert Petkoff as Harold Zidler and the cast of the North American tour of Moulin Rouge! The Musical, photo by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade)

She said the lighting – for which Justin Townsend won a Tony – is worth noticing. “People tend not to think much about lighting,” Fenton said. “But it makes all the other elements – the sets, props and costumes – pop.”

It takes an army to take Moulin Rouge! on the road. There are 34 cast members, 12 musicians in the band, two music directors, four stage managers. (Fenton, the production stage manager, is assisted by a team of three.) The entire crew – the prop, wardrobe, lighting and sound teams – are on the road. The company even has its own traveling physical therapist.

That’s welcome relief for the dancers. “There’s a lot more storytelling through dance than there was in the movie,” Fenton said. One of the musical’s 10 Tony Awards went to Sonya Tayeh for her choreography.  

The show never gets old for Fenton, who’s either backstage or watching – and making notes – somewhere in the theater each night. She looks forward to her favorite moment, which comes during Act II while the band plays a version of “Roxanne” by The Police (“El Tango de Roxanne”). “The design elements and choreography in that piece are spectacular,” she said.

(Adéa Michelle Sessoms and Jennifer Wolfe in the North American Tour of Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Photo by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade)

But the musical is much more than a song-and-dance revue. At the heart of it is a (doomed) love story between Christian, a composer, and Satine, a cabaret actress. (Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” hints at the heartbreak to come.)

But heartbreak has never looked more beautiful. Or opulent.

The lavish Moulin Rouge is a feast for the senses and a monumental undertaking for all involved.

Fenton said, “As we travel from city to city, I hear people say they can’t believe Moulin Rouge is on tour because there’s so much involved. You’re getting the full Broadway production with all the technical elements intact.”