The Moulin Rouge, historically speaking, was an early attempt at gentrification.  In Paris in 1889, when it opened, the left bank of the Seine was a place for artists and poets (and thieves and whores), whereas the right bank was where the wealthy people lived.  Joseph Oller and Charles Zidler, the founders of the Moulin Rouge, wanted to create a place of entertainment where the rich could "slum it" with the artists, and they chose the foot of Montmartre for their establishment.  An instant hit, the Moulin Rouge was the birthplace of the cancan and the launching pad for the art career of Toulouse-Lautrec; it continues to entertain guests today, over 130 years later.  

A wider audience was introduced to the Moulin Rouge in 2001 with Baz Luhrmann's hit film of the same name, starring Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor.  A jukebox musical, the film featured a soundtrack consisting largely of snippets of modern pop hits, despite being set at the turn of the Century.  In 2018, MOULIN ROUGE! THE MUSICAL, which is basically the film brought to life, made its way to the stage and soundly won the Tony Award for Best Musical.  Now, the North American touring company has come to bring a bit of France to Milwaukee, thanks to the Broadway at the Marcus Center series.

Like Rent, Moulin Rouge is largely inspired by Giacomo Puccini's opera La Bohème, where the bohemian ideals of truth, beauty, freedom, and love rise above the horrors of the everyday existence of a life lived in poverty.  The story begins with an American in Paris named Christian (Christian Douglas) who runs into two bohemians, Santiago (Danny Burgos) and Toulouse-Lautrec (Nick Rashad Burroughs), who are trying to write a musical for their favorite performer at the Moulin Rouge, Satine (Gabrielle McClinton).  Christian proves his songwriting abilities and the trio make their way to get a meeting with Satine.  Harold Zidler (Robert Petkoff), the owner, is also arranging a meeting for Satine with the Duke of Monroth (Andrew Brewer) in the hope that the Duke will use his wealth to support the financially struggling club.  Satine meets Christian and it's love at first sight, but she can't afford to lose the favor of the Duke, who doesn't just want to be a patron, he wants to own it all -- including Satine.

With book by John Logan and directed by Alex Timbers, Moulin Rouge is about as sexy as a stage show can be without going to a gentlemen's club.  Corsets and thigh-high stockings are the standard costumes of the dancers, choreographed by Sonya Tayeh, but also include the colorful skirts of the cancan, which spend most of the time being lifted into the air.  The cast is vocally talented and they cover more recognizable pop songs than there is room to list.  The storyline is somewhat weak, as are the handful of original songs, but the overall atmosphere is fun and the production has what you expect in a Broadway musical in spades: big dance numbers, huge and impressive set designs, and fabulous costumes.  All in all, this is the best way to catch a little bit of Paris in the midwest.

MOULIN ROUGE! THE MUSICAL runs through May 26th at the Marcus Performing Arts Center’s Uihlein Hall, located at 929 N. Water Street in Downtown Milwaukee. Tickets may be purchased online at www.MarcusCenter.org, calling 414-273-7206 or by visiting the MPAC Box Office.  Groups of 10 or more can secure their seats by calling 414-273-7207.

About Marcus Performing Arts Center
A mission-based non-profit organization located in downtown Milwaukee, the Marcus Performing Arts Center (MPAC) brings high-quality arts and cultural programming to Southeastern Wisconsin. MPAC strives to act as an energizing force that connects the community to the world through collaboration, innovation, social engagement, and the transformative power of the performing arts. Through multiple performance series, community events, and educational experiences, MPAC brings a diverse range of celebrated artists to the region. A fixture in Milwaukee for over 50 years, MPAC is proud to be part of the Milwaukee Theater District, as well as a dedicated War Memorial facility. Learn more at www.MarcusCenter.org.

Johnson Financial Group, with offices in Wisconsin and Minnesota, is a privately owned financial services company offering banking, wealth and insurance solutions through its subsidiaries, Johnson Bank, Johnson Wealth, and Johnson Insurance Services.  For more information visit johnsonfinancialgroup.com.
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Broadway Across America (BAA) is part of the John Gore Organization family of companies, which includes Broadway.com, The Broadway Channel, BroadwayBox.com, Group Sales Box Office and Broadway Brands. Led by 20-time Tony-winning theater producer John Gore (Owner & CEO), BAA is the foremost presenter of first-class touring productions in North America, operating in 48 markets with over 400,000 subscribers. Presentations include Disney’s The Lion King, Wicked, The Book of Mormon, and Hamilton. Current productions include & Juliet, Hadestown, Hamilton, Kimberly Akimbo, MJ: The Musical and Moulin Rouge! The Musical.

By Mary Boyle

The hit Broadway musical, Rent, won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Tony Award for Best Musical, among others, in 1996.  While it took Broadway by storm, there was one important person who wasn't there to see it: Jonathan Larson, the show's creator.  Larson died suddenly and unexpectedly the night before the show opened on Broadway due to an undiscovered heart issue, never realizing what an incredible success his musical would turn out to be, which ended up being one of the longest running shows on Broadway.  Perhaps Larson truly gave all of his heart to his creation because, nearly 40 years later, ​RENT is still drawing crowds.  See it for yourself with the Sheboygan Theatre Company through May 18th at the Leslie W. Johnson Theatre.

Modeled after Giacomo Puccini's opera La Bohème, Rent takes place in the East Village of New York, home to many a starving artist and a place where the aftereffects of the AIDS epidemic still hit hard.  Two roommates, Mark and Roger (Nico Torres and Darrick Bruns, respectively) have been living rent-free in an old broken down building that their ex-roommate, Benny (Eric Eberhardy) owns.  Mark is an aspiring filmmaker whose girlfriend, Maureen (Amanda Hartlaub) recently left him for another woman named Joanne (Moe Green), while Roger, a guitarist who wants to write the perfect song, is still struggling with the death of his girlfriend.  When Benny suddenly wants to collect all of the rent he said he wasn't going to collect, things get hectic for Mark, Roger, and others who live in the building, such as Mimi (Phoebe Avlia-Olderman), an addict who sets her sights on Roger.  Meanwhile, Mark and Roger's friend, Collins (Bryndyn Schroeder), who was robbed and beat up outside the building, is saved by Angel (Joshua Ludens), a drag queen who Collins falls in love with.

Directed by Ryan Schabach, with musical direction by Zach Holden, Rent follows the intertwined lives of these characters over the course of one year ("Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes," to be exact), through triumph and tragedy, as well as love and loss.  The most popular song from the musical, "Seasons of Love," could have just as easily been the title of the show.  STC put together a strong cast, overall, but Joshua Ludens as Angel can't help but steal the show. Amanda Hartlaub, who did the choreography and played Maureen,  and Nico Torres as Mark also gave very impressive performances.   The Leslie W. Johnson Theatre, located at Horace Mann Middle School, is an excellent space for a show of this size; I was also really impressed with the set design by Schott Bunyea and the costumes by Beth Wynveen.

Community theatre is so important to the arts; Sheboygan is lucky to have STC, where area audiences can have access to great theatre within a reasonable drive and budget.  Rent has been on my "to watch" list for a long time, but it took a short drive to Sheboygan, instead of Milwaukee, to get the job done, and they did the job very well.  I'm really looking forward to STC's next season!  For now, don't miss your chance to see their production of Rent -- it truly is full of heart.

​RENT runs through May 18th at the Leslie W. Johnson Theatre, located at 2820 Union Ave. in Sheboygan.  Tickets may be purchased online at https://www.stcshows.org/ for Thursday, May 16th at or Friday, May 17th at 7 p.m. or Saturday, May 18th at 2 p.m. or 7 p.m.
 
About Sheboygan Theatre Company
Originally known as Community Players, Sheboygan Theatre Company (STC) was founded in 1934 when talented citizens from nearly 30 separate theatre groups combined to provide quality entertainment on the shore of Lake Michigan. In 90 seasons, STC has experienced many changes, but our commitment to quality has never diminished.  STC produces at least four Main Stage shows each year in the Leslie W. Johnson Theatre on the Horace Mann Middle School campus, as well as smaller productions through our "black box" theatrical group, Studio Players.  STC operates as a non-profit within the Sheboygan Area School District Community Recreation Department and is a volunteer-run organization with a 15-member Advisory Committee.