Moulin Rouge! Holds First Rehearsal for Broadway Return

The Broadway cast of Moulin Rouge! The Musical sat down in a heavily marked-out rehearsal studio for its first read-through of the script following the Covid-19 shutdown. Typically called a “table read,” this rehearsal was socially distanced and saw each actor behind a music stand.

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.”

Moulin Rouge! was one of the first Broadway shows to be shuttered by Covid-19 when an ill cast member led to the cancellation of the March 12, 2020 matinee. It has not performed since.

As we reported earlier, Moulin Rouge! is set to resume performances at Broadway’s Al Hirschfeld Theatre on September 24. Principal actors Aaron Tveit, Danny Burstein, Sahr Ngaujah, Tam Mutu, Ricky Rojas, and Robyn Hurder are all set to return to their roles. Karen Olivo, who originated the role of Satine on Broadway, has departed the production and the role will be played by Natalie Mendoza.