You might think that given its covers-stuffed soundtrack, Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge! would be musical enough for anyone. But now it's heading for a different venue, as plans are afoot for a Moulin stage show.
The 2001 original found Ewan McGregor's penniless poet falling in with a group of artists in the Montmartre Quarter of Paris around the turn of the 20th century. There, he's exposed to the vibrant venue and meets/falls for actress and courtesan Satine (Nicole Kidman). Songs are warbled, romantic gestures made and more sequins are on display than in the V&A.
Alex Timbers, who worked on Peter And The Starcatcher and a musical version of Rocky, among other things, will direct from a book by Spectre's John Logan, who has playwriting experience on his CV. “I first encountered Alex Timbers through the remarkable and inventive production of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson and the brilliance of Here Lies Love. I immediately recognized the young director’s creative spirit and felt we shared similar sensibilities and instincts,” says Luhrmann. “So I’m tremendously happy to celebrate that Moulin Rouge! will be under his direction and that the book will be the creation of the gifted Tony Award-winning playwright John Logan whose writing I also admire deeply. It’s immensely gratifying to know that a new wave of artists will be leading Moulin Rouge! into its rightful theatrical realm.”
We'll have to wait to hear when and where the show will open.