The magic of Moulin Rouge! popped onscreen thanks to its insanely catchy soundtrack and killer (no pun intended) performances from Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor. Now, 15 years after “Lady Marmalade” became permanently embedded in our brains, the tragic bohemian love story is gearing up for a different kind of theatrical release.
Variety reports that Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 musical epic is getting adapted for the stage, and that Satine, Alex, Zidler, Toulouse, the Narcoleptic Argentinian, and all your other favorite characters are in good hands. Australia’s Global Creatures is the production company overseeing the musical’s development, and they’re definitely the team for the job: They’re quite familiar with Luhrmann’s work, and successfully retooled his earlier film Strictly Ballroom for live audiences as well.
There aren’t too many details available for Moulin Rouge!’s stage treatment, but the talent attached to the project holds up to the film’s award-winning reputation. John Logan (Skyfall; Gladiator) is writing the book for the musical, and Alex Timbers, co-creator of Mozart in the Jungleand a director who earned Tony nominations for his work on Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson and Peter and the Starcatcher, will sit in the director’s chair.
If Moulin Rouge!’s second life is half as successful as his latest successful venture, The Get Down, Luhrmann’s shaping up to end 2016 on a note as high as a can-can kick.
