Moulin Rouge! The Musical Sets New West End Dates

Dates have been announced for the U.K. premiere of the Tony-nominated musical Moulin Rouge! The show, based on Baz Luhrmann's 2001 movie, had been scheduled to receive its West End debut in London's Piccadilly Theatre in March 2021. Due to the COVID-19 crisis, the run was postponed. Moulin Rouge! will now begin performances on November 12 ahead of an opening night on December 8.

“At its heart, Moulin Rouge! The Musical is about a group of artists fighting to keep their stage show alive. That element of the story has felt very real for us as a company, as we’ve contended with the COVID shutdown and delay to our U.K. premiere," producer Carmen Pavlovic said in a statement. "We cannot wait for the red windmill to start turning in London!"

Moulin Rouge! tells the story of a writer, Christian, and an entrancing chanteuse, Satine. Their lives collide at the Moulin Rouge with its many characters, including the host of the Moulin Rouge, Harold Zidler; the brilliant, starving artist Toulouse-Lautrec; the greatest tango dancer—and gigolo—in all of Paris, Santiago; the tempting Nini; and the Duke of Monroth, the wealthy and entitled patron of the club who thinks he can buy anything he wants, including love. 

The musical is directed by Alex Timbers and choreographed by Sonya Tayeh. It features a book by John Logan and a score of hit pop music from the past 50 years. Music supervision, orchestrations and arrangements are by Justin Levine.

"The last 12 months have proven uniquely challenging in engaging with performers as we look to cast the U.K. production," director Timbers said in a statement. "Nevertheless, we have all been astounded by the perseverance and sheer talent of those we have seen, and I am excited to see the cast coming together."

Casting for the London production will be announced later. As previously reported, Moulin Rouge! will resume performances on Broadway at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre on September 24.