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Moulin Rouge! The Musical opens in Sydney to rave reviews, announces Perth season

Get ready to enter a world of splendour and romance, of eye-popping excess, of glitz, grandeur and glory...

After opening its grand Australian debut at Melbourne’s revamped Regent TheatreMoulin Rouge! The Musical has now made its Sydney homecoming, transforming its new home at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre.

[Find Ticketmaster’s top tips for getting tickets here]

For those unfamiliar, Moulin Rouge! The Musical – set in the Montmartre Quarter of Paris at the turn of the century – follows ambitious, lovesick writer Christian, and dazzling actress Satine. Their lives collide at the Moulin Rouge, with its many characters including the nightclub’s host Harold Zidler; the brilliant, starving artist Toulouse-Lautrec; the greatest tango dancer in all of Paris, Santiago; the tempting Nini; and The Duke of Monroth, the wealthy and entitled patron of the club who thinks he can buy anything he wants.

[su_box title=”Moulin Rouge! The Musical Australian Season Dates” box_color=”#026cdf” radius=”7″] WHERE: Capitol Theatre, Sydney
WHEN: Now playing!
GENERAL PUBLIC TICKETS: Tickets are on sale via Ticketmaster.com.au now

WHERE: Crown Theatre, Perth
WHEN: From February 2023
GENERAL PUBLIC TICKETS:General public tickets are on sale from Thursday 28 July via Ticketmaster.com.au now [/su_box]

Sydney/Gadigal Premiere – 4 June 2022

Bringing Baz Luhrmann’s revolutionary motion picture to life onstage – remixed in a new musical mash-up extravaganza – the production has been thrilling audiences across the globe – from Melbourne to the West End – since opening on Broadway in July 2019, receiving ten Tony Awards and a Grammy nomination for its efforts.

The Sydney season marks a true homecoming for the story and cultural icon, which was filmed in the city across 1999 and 2000, with Perth in 2023 a highly anticipated destination for the musical.

After an extraordinary year that often left us wondering if the show would go on, it’s joyous to confirm that we’re coming to Sydney in 2022! We have been so overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of audiences in our opening weeks in Melbourne, and we look forward to making the Capitol Theatre ‘spectacular spectacular’ when the production arrives there in May.

Carmen Pavlovic Global Creatures CEO and Producer of Moulin Rouge! The Musical
moulin rouge the musical sydney media call
Moulin Rouge! The Musical Sydney Media Call Day

Who is in the Moulin Rouge! The Musical Australian cast?

When Moulin Rouge! The Musical held open call auditions to find its spectacular spectacular cast, the production received over 2000 submissions and auditioning 479 performers to fill 34 roles. And let us tell you, the cast is truly amazing.

Alinta Chidzey (Chicago, West Side Story) will star as the sparkling diamond, Satine, opposite newcomer Des Flanagan as bohemian dreamer Christian.

They will be joined by Simon Burke AO, who will play legendary club impresario Harold Zidler, and Andrew Cook will play The Duke. Montmartre’s resident artistes will be played by Tim Omaji as Toulouse-Lautrec and Ryan Gonzalez as Santiago. 

The club’s famed entertainers known as the ‘Lady Ms’ will be played by Samantha Dodemaide as Nini, Olivia Vásquez as Arabia, Ruva Ngwenya as La Chocolat, and Christopher J Scalzo as Babydoll.

Check out the full cast here.

What are the critics saying about Moulin Rouge! The Musical‘s Australian seasons?

Moulin Rouge! The Musical is every bit the “spectacular spectacular” fans have waited for, bursting onto the stage with the same visual splendour and captivating music that made Baz Luhrmann’s film such a hit…Brimming with the Bohemian ideals of truth, beauty, love and freedom, Moulin Rouge! The Musical is the biggest party in Melbourne this summer.

Time Out

No one in the cast puts a foot wrong. Chidzey makes a wonderfully dignified courtesan, wearied by her efforts to stave off death and unwanted men. Flanagan is a revelation, charmingly sincere and graceful as the guileless lover. His voice has some impressive depth, and occasionally some rock-inflected power…Moulin Rouge! is a love affair with theatre itself, sensual and passionate and ridiculously entertaining.

The Guardian

A spellbinding experience that revolutionises musical theatre as we know it, Moulin Rouge! The Musical is something truly special. Whether you’re an avid theatre-goer or coming fresh off seeing Baz Luhrmann’s film, you’ve never seen anything quite as grand as this.

The AU Review
Sydney/Gadigal Media Call – 2 June 2022

moulin rouge musical on broadway on stage photo
Photo by Matthew Murphy
moulin rouge australia vip
Photo by Matthew Murphy

Of course Moulin Rouge! The Musical features many of the songs you love from the hit film, but its sublime soundtrack is so much more than that. Travelling across more than 160 years of music – from Offenbach’s 1858 composition ‘Galop Infernal’ – synonymous with the can-can song – all the way to Lady Gaga and Rihanna, you really don’t want to miss this.

As well as celebrating the Broadway musical tradition (keen-eyed audience members might be able to spot a number of references and easter eggs dropped throughout the production), Moulin Rouge! The Musical is also a celebration of artistry, inclusivity, and diversity.

moulin rouge musical on broadway on stage photo
Photo by Matthew Murphy

Bringing Moulin Rouge! The Musical to the stage was a decade-long journey spanning 3 continents, encompassing 75 songs credited to 165 songwriters, administered by 31 publishers, representing over 160 years of music.

Moulin Rouge! The Musical is now transforming Sydney’s Capitol Theatre. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketmaster.com.au. From February 2023, Moulin Rouge! The Musical will head to Perth’s Crown Theatre, with tickets on sale from Thursday 28 July via Ticketmaster.com.au.