Back to the red mill: The show must go on

Stage musical based on 2001 blockbuster ‘Moulin Rouge’ in works

When Baz Luhrmann’s blockbuster 2001 Moulin Rouge was released, it more than just took the world by storm. Bagging seven Oscar nominations at the 74th Academy Awards and winning two, it was the first musical to be included in the Best Picture category since Beauty and the Beast by Disney. Starring Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor in lead roles, the movie became one of the most popular Hollywood productions of the time.

Fifteen years later, Moulin Rouge is about to be adapted into a live stage musical. According to The Indian Express, Global Creatures is developing the show with Alex Timbers taking the director’s seat. The script is being penned by celebrated Hollywood screenwriter John Logan of Skyfall and Spectre fame.

“I first encountered Alex Timbers through the remarkable and inventive production of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson and the brilliance of Here Lies Love. I immediately recognised the young director’s creative spirit and felt we shared similar sensibilities and instincts,” said Luhrmann in a recent interview.

“I’m tremendously happy to announce that Moulin Rouge will be under his direction and that the book will be the creation of the gifted, Tony Award-winning playwright John Logan, whose writing I also admire deeply.”

Moulin Rouge included renditions of songs by some of the most prominent names in the music industry, such as Elton John, Madonna, Queen, and The Police. “It’s immensely gratifying to know that a new wave of artists will be leading Moulin Rouge into its rightful theatrical realm,” added Luhrmann.

The music score for the new Broadway show is still a topic of discussion among producers. The story revolves around a young British writer by the name of Christian, who is hired to develop a play for the Moulin Rouge theatre, but ends up falling in love with one of its most attractive stars, Satine.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 6^th, 2016.

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