Moulin Rouge! The Musical Reviews

Emma from Kent England

SO DEFLATED

Such a shame that this production removed key songs from the film and replaced them with a musical score more suited to cabaret or karaoke in a local pub. Gaga, Katie Perry, Brittany, Beyoncé etc. I have been to many musicals after seeing the film versions and never felt as let down that the changes introduced didn't enhance the show. Changing the songs in the Elephant Medley was just unnecessary with questionable replacements. The staging, costumes and choreography were excellent and the cast enthusiastically did their stuff. But if you are a big fan of the film I would not recommend and I hate to say that....why change such a winning formula on the pretence of updating the score for a modern audience? A cheesy show, suited for hen parties and anyone who is not a fan or watched the film.

K from London, England

GAUDY BRASH DATED

Direction appalling - choreography seaside special circa 1972 - come on - we’ve moved on - leads weak - and absolutely no charm or sexual chemistry … design is actually very unimaginative - and cut outs near the stage for the most expensive seats, leaves the rest of the house watch the backs of punters heads. This is in-yer-face theatre for a crowd who just want pop songs and crotch shots - please don’t waste you’re money - when you’ve got the promise of Frecknell’s Cabaret down the road . It’s a no brainer

Michael D from London, England

IS THIS THE BEST LONDON CAN DO?

Hadn't been to the theatre in over two years, and was really looking forward to it. The opening number was promising, and then......yikes. Zidler was great, but the rest of the leads? The voices were mediocre at best, and I am being kind. The actors are void of personality or "it" factor. My daughter's school productions literally blow this out of the water. We left at intermission. If London theatre wants to recover, it's going to have to do way better than this. Very disappointing.

Zara from London, England

AN INSULT TO THE MOVIE

Amazing set and I believe would have been more enjoyable if you went in with the expectation that it isn't going to be like the film, many of the favorite songs from the film are cut out and replaced with songs that have lyrics that completely contradict the time the show was set. A high price tag for something that ultimately felt like pantomime.

from London, England

FANTASTIC SET AND ENSEMBLE LET DOWN BY LEAD ACTORS AND LACK OF AUTHENTICITY

Walking into the theatre was an absolute wow moment, the set was absolutely spectacular and filled us with so much excitement for what was to come, the music and scene setting before the show started was also brilliant and a fantastic detail. Unfortunately that was the best part of the entire show. I must say that the ensemble were brilliant, with the group numbers being the showstoppers. Harold Zidler was also brilliantly cast and carried much of the show. The show was massively let down by the bizarre and unnecessary changes to the story and the huge lack of chemistry between the leads. The comedy factor was hyped up but in the wrong places and caused awkward moments such as the audience continuing to laugh during Santiago’s solo. Satine had a brilliant voice but the changes to the story made her unlikeable and ultimately ended in less empathy at the end. Changes and some of the song additions didn’t make any sense at all and created a lack of authenticity. ‘Single Ladies’ probably being the strangest choice. The story is based on the very sad fact that Satine has to make personal sacrifices to survive in a world of men, she is certainly not a single lady laying down any rules. Perhaps an attempt at aligning the show with current issues and making it more relatable, even though it is supposed to be set in 1900 Paris. Sadly, the biggest let down was Christian who was far too happy go lucky to be telling this story. It seemed that his lovable nerdy British charm was kept but because his character was changed to American it just didn’t work. Although he had a lovely singing voice, his solo performances were really wanting and fell very flat. The only time he seemed to capture any passion and really go for it was during ‘Chandelier’ which was a great performance but why was singing about Absinthe his most passionate moment? Some of the added songs were great but there were just far too many crammed in, most of which were current pop hits rather than love song classics - which are what make the love story so believable in the film. The show really lost the bohemian, raw and realistic feel of Victorian Paris that is so brilliant in the film. The fact that Mimi is kind to Satine proves again that changes have been made to make the show more current and with the times but sadly this just creates a lack of believability and empathy for the main characters in the end. A very sad review to write after such high hopes. If you want to enjoy this show, forget about the film!

Lucy from London, England

I WISH I COULD GIVE MORE STARS BUT I CAN’T!

An amazing ensemble, and an incredible set, However overall disappointed as nothing like the film! If you are a huge fan of the film, prepare yourself for completely odd pop songs that did not fit the musical. Plus all the best songs from the movie were not even in it! In addition, the lead who plays Christian was not fit for the part at all and was unable to keep up so unfortunately brought down the standard of the whole show! I cannot fault the amazing ensemble and set though, was just expecting a whole lot more!

BK from London, England

KARAOKE MOULIN ROUGE

Moulin Rouge is my favourite film so perhaps my standards were set too high. This show made a mockery of the film! The addition of so many jukebox hits when the soundtrack was already fabulous was not needed. It made serious emotional moments into jokes. The actor who played Christian tried to make him funny. He isn't supposed to be a funny character, he is a lost artist in love. Satine was better but unfortunately there was no connection between the two which made their love unbelievable. The story line changes felt lazy and rushed. I gave 2 stars instead of 1 as costume and set were fantastic!

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