Written by orange• October 31, 2025• 2:16 am• Costa Mesa, Review, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Theater, Uncategorized

Moulin Rouge! The Musical @ Segerstrom Center for the Arts – Review

Photo by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman

Written by Patrick Chavis

Moulin Rouge! The Musical is playing now at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts, October 28 – November 2, 2025.

The Musical is based on the 2001 movie, which won Oscars for production design and one for costume design. The film and musical are, of course, inspired by the famous historical cabaret establishment that’s been running in Paris since 1889. It’s been years since I’ve been to the original, back in 2004, but it was a night I’ll never forget —for a few silly reasons I won’t disclose in this review. I will say Paris is an exciting place.

Story:

The love story with attitude, French flair, and a soundtrack that makes you say, I’ve turned on my radio in the last few years, is back, baby! The play’s electric choreography and the vocal talents of these leads made me want to go oh lala! Though the mashup is definitely exciting, it’s a double-edged sword.

Moulin Rouge is the story of an American songwriter, Christian (Jay Armstrong Johnson), who moves to Paris to live out his artistic dreams. He meets two other dreamers, Santiago (Danny Burgos) and Toulouse-Lautrec (Jahi Kearse), who convince him to pitch his song to the club’s top talent, the ravishing Satine (Arianna Rosario). As if this were Romeo and Juliet, Christian and Satine’s eyes meet, and a passionate love affair unfolds under the lights of the Moulin Rouge, with music, dancing, and much more.

This classic love story unfolds with as much heart and whimsy as, if not more than, the film, which, in this theater reviewer’s opinion, is most definitely one of the bigger achievements in director Baz Luhrmann’s Discography. It’s a tragic love story. It has a locale that screams sex, comedy, and danger, and last but not least, a music mashup that brings this classic setup into the future.

Conceptually, featuring modern music and mashups in this romance works with the concept. It’s not always successful, and when it’s not, it’s like listening to a bad DJ at a club. You know something’s not quite right, and it’s time to get off the dance floor.

Costumes/Sound/Vocals/Set:

Before the show even starts, the actors & actresses sashay their way onto the stage. The women in black club apparel, and the men in top hats and dapper tuxes, as the audience settles into their seats. The sound is possibly a little too booming at times. But those vocals traveled like a jetliner from the stage to my ears. I might as well have been in the front row.

While there are quite a few changes in scenery by scenic designer Derek McLane, what really captures the eye is the large, layered heart that seems to appear 3D as it extends deeper into the stage. Another accomplishment is how some of the set pieces brought an intimacy that can be difficult to capture on a large stage, particularly in the more romantic sequences or parts with a smaller cast.

Live sword eaters appear on the stage. The choreography by Sonya Tayeh, at its best, meshes well with various musical styles on stage: rock, pop, and hip-hop.

Acting:

Jay Armstrong Johnson is phenomenal in the role Christian. He brings a little of himself into many of these popular tunes. A prime example was his rendition of Elton John’s “Your Song.” .

Arianna Rosario shines bright like a diamond, in more ways than one. Her glamorous, heart-inspired outfit with a black top hat shows she’s at the top of her game. Rasario is criminally good in this role.

This is not your grandma’s Moulin Rouge; you may need a cigarette afterwards (not promoting smoking).