Gala Performance of Moulin Rouge! Celebrates Emerson Colonial Theatre Reopening

Boston's Emerson Colonial Theatre celebrated the space's reopening after extensive renovations with a gala performance of the world-premiere production of Moulin Rouge! The Musical.

Based on the 2001 20th Century Fox motion picture directed by Baz Luhrmann, Moulin Rouge! The Musical is directed by Alex Timbers and written by John Logan. The score will bring some of the most beloved popular music of the last 50 years to the stage, with Justin Levine as music supervisor, orchestrator, and arranger, and Matt Stine as music producer.

Heading the company are Aaron Tveit as Christian, Karen Olivo as Satine, Danny Burstein as Harold Zidler, Sahr Ngaujah as Toulouse-Lautrec, Tam Mutu as the Duke of Monroth, Ricky Rojas as Santiago, and Robyn Hurder as Nini.

The ensemble and swings include Jacqueline Arnold, Olutayo Bosede, Kyle Brown, Sam Cahn, Joe Carroll, Max Clayton, Natalie Cortez, Jennifer Florentino, Paloma Garcia-Lee, Bahiyah Hibah, Ericka Hunter, Holly James, Reed Luplau, Jeigh Madjus, Daniel Maldonado, Morgan Marcell, Brandt Martinez, Jodi McFadden, Kevyn Morrow, Fred Odgaard, Dylan Paul, Khori Petinaud, Benjamin Rivera, and Connor Wince.

The creative team is made up of Sonya Tayeh (choreographer), Derek McLane (set design), Catherine Zuber (costume design), Justin Townsend (lighting design), Peter Hylenski (sound design), and David Brian Brown (wig and hair design). Matt Stine is music producer, and Cian McCarthy is music director.

Moulin Rouge! tells the story of a young poet and writer, Christian, who falls in love with the star of the Moulin Rouge, cabaret actor and courtesan Satine, using the musical setting of the Montmartre Quarter of Paris. Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge! premiered at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival. At the 74th Academy Awards, the film was nominated for eight Oscars, including Best Picture, and won two.

Moulin Rouge!'s limited engagement continues through August 19.