The jukebox musical adaptation of Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 film that became Broadway’s most opulent spectacle, winning 10 Tony Awards in 2021 including Best Musical, featuring 70+ pop songs from the 1960s-2010s.
Sensory Overload Success
“Moulin Rouge! The Musical” opened July 25, 2019, transforming the Al Hirschfeld Theatre into a replica of the Parisian cabaret with elaborate set design, audience-immersive pre-show entertainment, and maximalist choreography. The production cost $28 million, one of Broadway’s most expensive.
The show mashes up iconic pop songs into the doomed love story of Christian and Satine, adding tracks by Beyoncé, Rihanna, Katy Perry, Sia, and others to the film’s setlist. “Your Song” becomes a mashup with “Nature Boy,” while “Bad Romance” gets a 1899 Parisian treatment.
When COVID-19 shut down Broadway hours after its March 12, 2020 matinee, “Moulin Rouge” was leading all shows in ticket sales ($3.1 million weekly). The enforced absence made audiences crave its escapist decadence even more.
At the delayed 2021 Tony Awards, it swept 10 awards including Best Musical, with particular recognition for Derek McLane’s set design and Catherine Zuber’s 800+ costume pieces. The show represented Broadway’s embrace of Instagram-era spectacle: every moment designed to be photographed, every number engineered for sensory overwhelm.
Source
https://moulinrougemusical.com/ https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/MOULIN-ROUGE-THE-MUSICAL-Wins-10-Tony-Awards-20210926