For seven years, the Al Hirschfield theater has been drenched in red as Baz Luhrmann's dazzling film was reborn on stage as a nonstop party. It took home 10 Tony Awards, including Best Musical and became the highest grossing show in the theater's 100-year history.
Joelle Garguilo spoke with Broadway stars Kelsie Watts and Christian Douglas about what the show has meant to them and how hard it will be to let go.
"I feel like we're going to have an existential crisis when it's over," said Douglas. "What do you mean there's no Moulin Rouge?"
"You walk into this theater and it's like you walk into Moulin Rouge," said Watts. "The music, everybody knows it. So even if you're not a musical theater fan, you come in and you're like, oh, that's the Rolling Stones. I love that song."
Douglas called performing in the show "living dreams," while Watts said the bonds formed with fellow performers are what make the production so special.
For Watts, the road to Broadway was anything but easy. After appearing on The Voice in 2020, she said she spent years bartending until 5 a.m. in Nashville, pouring nearly all of her earnings into acting, dance and singing lessons while pursuing a career in theater. Her big break came when a musical supervisor heard her perform on a showboat and later offered her a chance to audition for Broadway.
"What people don't see is the grind," Watts said, describing the years of training and sacrifice that led to her role as Satine. "They see the outcome."
Douglas said the production has been life-changing, both personally and professionally. He described the challenge of stepping on stage each night and tapping into the intense emotions required to bring his character to life, calling it one of the most rewarding and difficult experiences of his career.
Moulin Rouge! The Musical will take its final bow on Aug. 30.