By Joe Contreras, Latin Life Denver Media
‘The Moulin Rouge, The Musical’ left me seeing and feeling red for a variety of reasons. It also made me wonder how its Nine shades of red relates or compares to the 50 Shades of Grey, Book and Movie.
Before there was the 50 Shades of Grey, there was the Moulin Rouge and its nine shades of red. While both explore the complexities of morality along with the range of behaviors and emotions of love vs. sex, the “Red Mill”, the Moulin Rouge, is in a class of its’ own.
Moulin Rouge is a wonderful production, but it is the nine shades of red that encompass much of the set and costume design that intrigued me. What is that all about? What do these shades of red mean?
If you are any type of fan of live theatre, you are probably aware of what a fantastic production ‘Moulin Rouge, The Musical’ is. With all it’s jaw dropping sets, costumes, impressive choreography, acting and its beautiful and fun pop music with a twist. For many, including myself, the live theatre experience of Moulin Rouge, The Musical is even more entertaining than the 2001 movie version if not more so, in that it is Live!
After all the 2021 production came away with ten Tony Awards for Best New Musical, Best Director, Best Choreography, Best Actor in a Leading Role, and Best Actor in a Featured Role, as well awards for scenic design, lighting, costumes, sound, and orchestrations.
It all takes you back to a time of lively Parisian cabarets that featured burlesque performances along with Can-can dancing, that high-kicking dance that originated in 19th century Paris and became popular in dance and music halls around the world. You have probably seen some of it in old U.S. western movies and TV shows.
Then, this super high energy immersive production brings you back to reality with an array of contemporary music you know all too well. Songs like, Lionel Richie’s “Brick House”, “Single Ladies (put a Ring on It) and “Roxanne”. The show also incorporates medleys, such as “The Sparkling Diamond” which includes “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend,” “Material Girl,” and “Diamonds”. Additionally, the musical includes the iconic “Elephant Love Medley” with songs like “All You Need Is Love” and “Your Song”.
It’s a high energy immersive three hour roller coaster ride you hate see come to an end leaving you ready to get back in line to experience it all over again.
The story line is of a young Englishman, Christian (Jay Armstrong Johnson) a penniless, striking lad who’s just arrived in Paris in1899 and befriended a pair of earnest Bohemians, the grizzled Toulouse-Lautrec (Jahi Kearse) and muscled tango dancer and gigolo Santiago (Danny Burgos).
Together they head to Moulin Rouge for some steamy nightlife as they formulate their own musical, with Christian as the burgeoning composer.
Christian becomes infatuated with Satine (Arianna Rosario), a singer at the Moulin Rouge. However, she has been promised by the manager, Harold Zidler (Robert Petkoff) to a Duke (David Harris) in return for funding his next production. As the young lovers meet in secret, Satine’s wedding day draws closer but she hides a fatal secret from both Christian and the Duke. She has Leukemia.
In the dazzling and extravagant world of Moulin Rouge, the prominent use of red, including its various shades, plays a significant symbolic role, adding depth and emotion to the story.
Fifty Shades of Grey dealt with the relationship between a college graduate, Anastasia Steele, and a young business magnate, Christian Grey, it focused more on the erotic elements of sexual practices involving BSDM. Moulin Rouge is more about the nine shades of red and what they represent.
Red is often associated with intense emotions like love, passion, and desire,The vibrant reds in the Moulin Rouge setting, including the various red fabrics used in the decor and costumes, symbolize the fiery passion and intense relationships within the club. Red also symbolizes danger and foreshadow the tragic fate of Satine and Christians’ love,
The Moulin Rouge itself is known for its celebratory and luxurious atmosphere, and the vibrant red color reflects this aspect. Ultimately, the varied use of red in Moulin Rouge! serves to create a world saturated with emotion, reflecting the vibrant energy, passionate love, and underlying danger that define the story and its characters.
It’s hard to imagine Fifty Shades of Grey as a Broadway Musical capable of winning 10 Tony Awards as Moulin Rouge did in 2021. In fairness, there was a parody titled “50 Shades! The Musical”, that ran off Broadway for a limited time.
While the 2011 book and sequels plus the 2015 movie of Fifty Shades of Grey may have been best selling books and a box office success, the Moulin Rouge has a class and style that spans decades of accolades dating back to the original Moulin Rouge in Paris in 1889 when the cabaret first threw its doors open.
‘Moulin Rouge, The Musical’ directed by Alex Timbers, choreographed by Sonya Tayeh with Music arrangements by Justin Levine plays the Buell Theatre in Denver’s Center for the Performing Arts through August 17, 2025.
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