Closely following the announcement of a pop up event planned for Sydney’s Circular Quay, Global Creatures had an even bigger announcement teetering on the edge of being announced. Today it was announced that Moulin Rouge! The Musical will have a Brisbane season in the Queensland Performing Arts Centre’s (QPAC) Lyric Theatre starting May 2023.
Debuting on Broadway pre-pandemic, Moulin Rouge! The Musical is an adaptation of the 2001 feature film Moulin Rouge, directed by acclaimed filmmaker Baz Luhrmann. Produced by Carmen Pavlovic and Gerry Ryan OAM for Global Creatures and Bill Damaschke, this is another musical to come from the Australian company Global Creatures, who have produced top-level musical adaptations of Australian classics like Muriel’s Wedding, and other Baz Luhrmann films like Strictly Ballroom.
About Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Enter a world of splendour and romance, of eye-popping excess, of glitz, grandeur and glory! A world where Bohemians and aristocrats rub elbows and revel in electrifying enchantment. Pop the champagne and prepare for the spectacular spectacular… Welcome to Moulin Rouge! The Musical.
Baz Luhrmann’s iconic film comes to life onstage, remixed in a new musical mash-up extravaganza. Moulin Rouge! The Musical is a theatrical celebration of Truth, Beauty, Freedom, and – above all – Love. Moulin Rouge! The Musical is more than a musical; it is a state of mind.
As in the film, Moulin Rouge! The Musical celebrates over 160 years of music – from Offenbach to Lady Gaga. The stage musical features many of the iconic songs from the movie and also includes recent hits released since the movie premiered 20 years ago.
Tickets for the early weeks of Moulin Rouge! The Musical are set to go on pre-sale to select audiences from Monday 14 November 2022, with tickets to go on sale to the general public on Thursday 17 November 2022. As with all productions situated at QPAC, the ticketing will be done exclusively via their website, or by calling their box office on 136 246. It has also been confirmed that a limited number of ‘Can Can table seats’ will be made available for each performance, giving attendees a chance to be “surrounded by the action”.
The current cast of Moulin Rouge! The Musical currently touring Australia includes Des Flanagan as bohemian dreamer Christian, Alinta Chidzey as sparkling diamond Satine, Simon Burke AO as the legendary club impresario Harold Zidler and Ryan Gonzalez as Santiago. Other Australian cast members include Samantha Dodemaide as Nini, Olivia Vásquez as Arabia, Ruva Ngwenya as La Chocolat, and Christopher J Scalzo as Babydoll. As we are still more than six months out from the season commencing, there could very well be some changes to casting between then and now.
Preview of Moulin Rouge! The Musical
All photography below is by Michelle Grace Hunder
We are so proud to bring this spectacular show with an all-Australian cast to Brisbane in May 2023! Brisbane audiences are always so wonderfully engaged, and we can’t wait to see their reaction to this big, bold production that has been adored by audiences in Melbourne and Sydney. We look forward to seeing QPAC ready to rouge when the production arrives next year!
Carmen Pavlovic – Global Creatures CEO and Producer of Moulin Rouge! The Musical
