Moulin Rouge Delivers High-Octane Entertainment

After two and a half years of abstaining from everything from indoor dining to the occasional random hookup, I had reached my limit. And the prospect of missing out on a chance to see Moulin Rouge was my kryptonite. As Dolly Levi triumphantly resolves to rejoin the human race in “Before the Parade Passes By,” I too was determined to throw caution to the wind, consequences be damned.

And so, I ventured into the Art Deco grandeur of the Pantages Theatre in the heart of Hollywood surrounded by a throng of masked theatergoers, pumped for opening night of the touring company of the Tony Award winning musical based on the Baz Lurhmann movie spectacle from 2001 which starred Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor.

The question running through my head: will experiencing the kinetic thrill of live theater be worth the risk for a neurotically risk-averse person like myself? I suppose I won’t know the full answer to that question until the incubation period passes and I remain symptom and/or COVID-free. What I can say at this very moment, the morning after, is that the opening night performance was everything I had hoped for and like Dolly’s magical return to the Harmonia Gardens, it was “so good to be back where I belong.”

From the moment you enter the theater, the lush set design recreates the ambience reminiscent of turn of the century Paris. The show starts off with a high-octane performance of “Lady Marmalade” and quickly casts its spell conjuring the enchanting world of this cabaret and its cast of Bohemian artists. The caliber of the performances were Broadway-worthy and while this innately anachronistic jukebox musical based on the Baz Luhrmann fantastical spectacle may not be everyone’s cup of tea, this production was firing on all cylinders.

For me, the true revelation of this musical was its leading man Conor Ryan who imbues the role of Christian with just the right combination of heart and whimsy that makes the character believable and sympathetic. From the moment he appears on stage to welcome the audience and explain the stakes of the evening involve matters of life, love, and death, he does it with such an endearing and authentic yet vulnerable quality reminiscent of a young hapless Owen Wilson that it’s impossible not to be taken in.  It is particularly rewarding when it comes to the musical numbers, Ryan’s vocals are no less remarkable, sweet and pristine when called for in Elton John’s “Your Song” and aching and anthemic during songs like “Crazy” and “Roxanne,” singing whatever pastiche of songs the show throws his way with conviction and seeming ease. Yes, he’s that good.

While I didn’t have the chance to see Aaron Tveit’s Tony winning performance as Christian in the Broadway production, Ryan brings a magic to the role that is all his own. While the rest of the company were equally up to the task, Christian is the beating heart of the show which requires the audience to buy in to the conceit and transport us into a world where love is quite literally a matter of life and death.

The other two standouts were of course the tragic heroine Satine played impeccably by Courtney Reed and the manipulative impresario Harold Zidler played with gusto and zeal by Austin Durant. Reed traverses the full range of emotion as the starlet/vixen suspended from a chair singing “Diamonds are Forever” to the tragic songbird whose artistry is being straightjacketed by her controlling benefactor. David Harris delivers a solid performance as the Duke of Monroth, the moneyed villain who – like the phantom of the Opera – threatens to undermine the fate of the star-crossed lovers (Satine and Christian), demanding Satine’s heart in return for keeping the theater and the lives of its artists afloat.

Like Phantom of the Opera, the story of Moulin Rouge is fairly simple to follow adhering to the trajectory of a classic tragic opera while creating the necessary stakes of suspense that allow the cascade of musical numbers to envelop and enthrall. And in this company’s hands, it all works exceedingly well. The one criticism I had was that I was expecting more from the choreography which was created by Sonya Tayeh, a breakout choreographer on the Fox competition So You Think You Can Dance, known for her daring and often boundary-pushing routines. Though the dancing was well-executed, there was nothing groundbreaking or spectacular about it.

Fortunately, the story, the music and the performers brought so much to this production that the choreographic shortcomings were a mere footnote. The unifying thread of Moulin Rouge and the need to fight for the four essential elements of the Bohemian spirit – Truth, Beauty, Freedom and Love – couldn’t be more appropriate at this particular moment in time. Given the chance, would I see it again? In a heartbeat.

Now through September 4^th at The Pantages Theatre (6233 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA). Visit www.pantagestheatre.net for tickets and more information.