'It feels surreal': Elgin native thrilled to play lead in national tour of 'Moulin Rouge! The Musical' in Chicago
Broadway veteran Courtney Reed so loves “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” she would encourage people to see it even if she wasn't starring in the pandemic-delayed national tour, now in previews at Chicago's James M. Nederlander Theatre.
The Elgin native says the tuner has everything audiences expect from a Broadway show: spectacle, energy, familiar tunes and “a ginormous cast of hungry actors at the top of their game” and eager to be back on stage after nearly two years.
The Tony Award-winning musical was adapted from director Baz Luhrmann's 2001 film starring Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor.
“I fell in love with the film the first moment I saw it,” said Reed, who performed with Light Opera Works (now Music Theater Works) in Evanston and with the now-defunct Noble Fool Theatre at the Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles before leaving for New York where she originated the role of Jasmine in “Aladdin” on Broadway.
She plays the chanteuse Satine, a courtesan in 19th-century Paris pursued by a poor poet and a wealthy duke. With Karen Olivo, a woman of color, having originated the role on Broadway, it was apparent producers were “looking outside the box” when it came to casting, Reed said.
“The climate of the industry is changing so quickly and I'm grateful,” she said.
Reed auditioned for the show hoping to be cast in the New York or London production but was hired for the national tour, which, as a result of the pandemic, is commencing practically in her backyard.
“It feels surreal,” she said. “Being home, doing this massive first national tour, getting to play the lead ... Every morning I wake up and think: 'Pinch me, I can't believe this is happening.'”
Reed wasn't the only one transfixed by Luhrmann's “Moulin Rouge!”
“I remember being so excited about what Baz was doing, smashing high culture and low culture together,” said director Alex Timbers, who met Luhrmann at a 2013 dinner party and found they shared a similar aesthetic. Not long after, Luhrmann, who was familiar with Timbers from his direction of the musicals “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson” and “Here Lies Love,” asked him to helm “Moulin Rouge's” transfer to the stage.
“What's unique about this show is you're not dealing with a single songbook,” he said, referring to the dozens of pop, rock and R&B songs that make up the score.
“We have a limitless catalog from last 100 years,” Timbers said. “There's a medley of Rolling Stones songs for the Duke. The perfect song didn't exist so we put them together” in a way that serves the story.
He approached the show as a fan, which meant delivering what they expected but in a new and surprising way. And, while they couldn't duplicate Luhrmann's stylized camera work, Timbers and his team used lighting, nonlinear storytelling and other theatrical devices to create a version “that speaks to the film but creates our own theatrical language.” Those efforts earned the director a 2020 Tony Award.
“The things I love about the show are how immersive and spectacular it is,” said Timbers. “It's going to be an enveloping experience that vibrates with theatricality and electricity. That's my hope.”
He describes the musical as a celebration of bohemian ideals: truth, beauty, freedom and love.
“In this world those are principles worth celebrating and embracing,” he said. “That's what this show does for 2½ hours.”
“Moulin Rouge! The Musical”
When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday and Wednesday; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday through May 14. Also 2 p.m. April 7. No 2 p.m. show April 6, 27, May 4; no 7:30 p.m. show April 10, 17 and 24
Where: James M. Nederlander Theatre, 24 W. Randolph St., Chicago, (800) 775-2000, broadwayinchicago.com
Tickets: $49-$139
COVID-19 precautions: Proof of vaccination or negative COVID-19 test and masks required