"Moulin Rouge: The Musical" is a vapid, overwrought jukebox musical with serious attention deficit issues whose embarrassingly cliched book is emotionally hollow at its core. Yes, it looks good & is technically proficient, but all of that is in service of lots of sound & fury signifying nothing. There is not an ounce of chemistry between any of the actors on stage, and little snippets of pop songs do not make for an engaging score.
The show seems to be selling well at premium prices, and the audience response at the performance I attended sounded largely positive, which I fear will only encourage Broadway producers to back shows with flashy production values regardless of their meaningless books. I hope that this show is not representative of the future of Broadway theater; if it is, I am very worried about that future.
On a more positive note, my return visit to Folksbiene's Yiddish language (with subtitles) "Fiddler On The Roof", now at the beautifully appointed Stage 42, was as rewarding as my first visit to this impeccable revival. Even if you think you do not need to see another "Fiddler" in your lifetime, trust me - you need to see this production.
I also enjoyed several recent off Broadway plays, with my favorite amongst this group being Bess Wohl's intelligent and moving new play "Make Believe," which intelligently explores the impact of childhood neglect on adult behaviors. "Make Believe" is given a stellar production at Second Stage Theater, and features one of the finest groups of child actors I have seen on stage.
I also found much to admire in the Public Theater's second summer Shakespeare In The Park production "Coriolanus." Granted this production did not solve some of the inherent problems with the play as written, but the excellent lead performances from Jonathan Cake and Kate Burton made for an illuminating evening. The Public's production of Louis Alfaro's "Mojada," a contemporary take on "Medea" focusing on US immigration issues, was also largely rewarding and well worth seeing.
Finally, going in I had low expectations for Hailey Pfeiffer's "Moscow, Moscow, Moscow, Moscow, Moscow," a farcical riff on Chekhov's "Three Sisters." Admittedly, farce is usually not a style of theater that works for me. But the committed and excellent cast had me laughing throughout and provided thoughtful commentary on contemporary mores. My low expectations were greatly exceeded.
I also enjoyed several recent off Broadway plays, with my favorite amongst this group being Bess Wohl's intelligent and moving new play "Make Believe," which intelligently explores the impact of childhood neglect on adult behaviors. "Make Believe" is given a stellar production at Second Stage Theater, and features one of the finest groups of child actors I have seen on stage.
I also found much to admire in the Public Theater's second summer Shakespeare In The Park production "Coriolanus." Granted this production did not solve some of the inherent problems with the play as written, but the excellent lead performances from Jonathan Cake and Kate Burton made for an illuminating evening. The Public's production of Louis Alfaro's "Mojada," a contemporary take on "Medea" focusing on US immigration issues, was also largely rewarding and well worth seeing.
Finally, going in I had low expectations for Hailey Pfeiffer's "Moscow, Moscow, Moscow, Moscow, Moscow," a farcical riff on Chekhov's "Three Sisters." Admittedly, farce is usually not a style of theater that works for me. But the committed and excellent cast had me laughing throughout and provided thoughtful commentary on contemporary mores. My low expectations were greatly exceeded.
