Ashley Loren and Derek Klena Stepping Into Moulin Rouge! on Broadway
(© Benjamin Rivera / Jenny Anderson)
The producers of Moulin Rouge! The Musical have announced a new slate of principal actors for the Broadway production at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre: On Tuesday, May 10, Ashley Loren will step into the role of Satine, having played over 100 performances as the alternate since Moulin Rouge! opened in the Summer of 2019. Derek Klena, most recently nominated for a Tony Award for his performance in Jagged Little Pill, will take on the role of Christian. Declan Bennett, who previously appeared on Broadway in Rent and American Idiot, will play The Duke of Monroth. Original Moulin Rouge! The Musical cast member and swing Caleb Marshall-Villarreal will now play Santiago full-time.
"The pandemic has highlighted understudies and alternates as the very backbone of the Broadway community," said producers Carmen Pavlovic and Bill Damaschke. "We are delighted that Ashley Loren and Caleb Marshall-Villarreal, key members of our company since we opened, who have played Satine and Santiago respectively on many occasions, will now assume those leading roles."
As previously reported, principal cast members Aaron Tveit, Natalie Mendoza, Tam Mutu, and Ricky Rojas will all depart the production on May 8.
Based on Baz Luhrmann's 2001 film about doomed love among bohemians in the Montmartre neighborhood of Paris, Moulin Rouge! manages to squeeze a remarkable amount of pop hits from the last 60 years into one extravagant stage musical. According to our review, "If you go in expecting a spectacle, you will not be disappointed."
