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 re-tooled his earlier film Strictly Ballroom for live audiences as well.
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Set in the Montmartre Quarter of Paris, France, the Twentieth Century Fox title starred Ewan McGregor as Christian, a young poet who falls in love with Satine, a cabaret actress and courtesan.
The biggest question is how numerous songs from Moulin Rouge! will the stage version be able to bring to the stage?
Luhrmann hailed the choice of Timbers and Logan in a statement, praising the director for his “creative spirit” and calling the writer “gifted”. The film featured a score of hit songs that were specifically rearranged for the story, including “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend”, Sting’s “Roxanne”, Queen’s “The Show Must Go On”, Madonna’s “Like a Virgin”, Elton John’s “Your Song” and the now iconic “Elephant Love Medley” and “Come What May”.
So what do you think of Moulin Rouge finally getting the stage treatment it so rightly deserves?
Mr Luhrmann also said: “It’s immensely gratifying to know that a new wave of artists will be leading Moulin Rouge into its rightful theatrical realm”. Timbers is an auteur in the same vein as Luhrmann, though instead of strobe lights and jump cuts he prefers gritty yet still fantastical staging that could bring a new dimension to the beloved story.
John Logan, who won a Tony for his play “Red” and writes James Bond screenplays, is handling the script.
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Details are scant on “Moulin Rouge!”.
