Moulin Rouge! The Musical Los Angeles review: A campy and decadent visual feast

Like the bombastic Baz Luhrmann film it's based on, the stage production Moulin Rouge! The Musical (playing at the Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles through Sept. 4) is buoyant, campy, and vivacious. Of course, when you kick off a show with "Lady Marmalade," the signal is clear: Sit down, relax, and get ready to lose yourself to "truth, beauty, freedom, and love."

Walking into the Pantages, I had two concerns: Would my teenage daughter be interested in a Luhrmann-style musical, full of romance, dramedy, and songs she might not know? And would a Broadway-style revamp of the Moulin Rouge love story work for a fan of the movie like myself?

I got my first answer in minutes, as my daughter became entranced by the lavish set design, which includes a windmill on one side of the stage and an elephant on the other: Yes, Gen Z can fall in love with this flamboyant jukebox musical. But for all the show's glitz and glamour, the emotional connection that made audiences fall in love with the film can feel lost among the confetti, bright colors, and catchy numbers.

The plot is slightly changed from the film. Christian (Conor Ryan), a young songwriter from Ohio, arrives in Paris and befriends Santiago (Gabe Martinez) and Toulouse-Lautrec (André Ward), who is writing a new show for his friend and former unrequited love, Moulin Rouge headliner Satine (Courtney Reed). The two exchange words (which will sound familiar to those who know the film's soundtrack), and Toulouse declares Christian a songwriting genius.

Moulin Rouge owner Harold Zidler (Austin Durant) has had a few financial setbacks that have put the club and its artists in jeopardy. Zidler knows he needs a major donor, and he knows just who to go to: He arranges a rendezvous between Satine and the Duke of Monroth (David Harris), whom she has never met. This is 1899 France, and in a world of where the haves quickly discard the have-nots, Satine has learned how to survive by using her voice, her looks, and her body. She agrees to meet the Duke and knows it's up to her to save the club. She assures Harold that the Duke will be so taken with her that he'll finance the club's new show.

Set up and ready to meet the Duke, Satine mistakes Christian for the potential sugar daddy and finds herself falling for the sweet songwriter. When Harold brings in the real Duke, it's too late — she's in love with the penniless scribe who wants to write songs for her. The two bask in their secret affair, but the Duke quickly realizes Satine may not have given her heart to him as he believed. Unaccustomed to not getting what he wants, he vows revenge, and Satine, who has a fatal secret of her own, must choose between a life of love or one of wealth.

Director Alex Timbers does a masterful job adapting Luhrmann's visual style for the stage, scenic designer Derek McLane brings a decadent set to life, Justin Townsend delivers intriguing lighting design, and Catherine Zuber gives her costumes a razzle-dazzle touch. The players occasionally break the fourth wall, reinforcing that audience members don't just watch this musical — rather, they are patrons of the Moulin Rouge living through Satine's tragic journey.

A lot of the film version of Moulin Rouge relies on the audience buying into Satine and Christian being so wildly in love, and believing it when she comes to choose her tragic fate. In this stage show, however, the love story can't always compete with its splashy surroundings. We can see Christian's angst and Satine's pain, but flashy dance numbers and karaoke-favorite tunes envelop 2 hours and 35 minutes of the show (which features a book by John Logan), making the emotional moments take a back seat to the artistry on display. And yet, much of it still works.

Take for example the Act 2 opener, "Backstage Romance": The number is a showstopping blend of Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance," Britney Spears' "Toxic," Soft Cell's "Tainted Love," the White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army," and Eurythmics "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)." On opening night, the audience was so into the medley that the sold-out theater burst into a standing ovation before the final note was played, and it lasted several minutes.

Beyoncé, Sia, Rihanna, and Katy Perry are among the more contemporary additions to the songbook, and they're exactly the kinds of additions that could spur a new generation to discover the musical. Mainstays from the film like "Can Can Can," "Your Song," and the core love song "Come What May" still remain. My teenager is now a huge fan of Moulin Rouge! The Musical, even though I can't get her to watch the movie. And while I'll always love the film, the stage musical is distinct and entertaining enough to stand as its own interpretation. Grade: B

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