As Moulin Rouge! The Musical travels from Brisbane back to Melbourne for its encore return season at the Regent Theatre, there will be at least one notable cast change. Melbourne actor Bert LaBonté is set to join the cast in the role of Montmartre artiste Toulouse-Lautrec.
LaBonté has received several accolades for his work in the industry, including a Helpmann Award and Sydney Theatre Award for Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical in 2012 for his performance in An Officer and a Gentleman (Gordon Frost Organisation). He was also nominated for the same awards in 2005 for Spelling Bee (Sydney Theatre Company) and in 2017 for The Book of Mormon (Gordon Frost Organisation). This is on-top of his other theatrical and screen credits.
LaBonté will join a main cast which also features Des Flanagan as bohemian dreamer Christian, Alinta Chidzey as Satine, Simon Burke AO as Harold Zidler, James Bryers as The Duke, and Ryan Gonzalez as Santiago.
The return Melbourne season in August 2023 marks a full-circle moment for Moulin Rouge! The Musical, this time without the threat of any COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, having first performed at the Regent Theatre in 2021. Melbourne was the first international city to host the 10-time Tony Award-winning show following its successful Broadway debut.
To book tickets to see Moulin Rouge! The Musical during either its Brisbane season (Where the role of Toulouse-Lautrec is portrayed by Jarrod Draper) or the encore Melbourne season, visit the show’s official website.
Additional imagery of Bert LaBonte donning the costume of Toulouse-Lautrec can be found below:
Image Credit: Daniel Boud
