Opening Night – November 5, 2025
By Chris Cassone
cc@chriscassone.com
“Spectacle with a heartbeat, glitter with grit—a fever dream of truth, beauty, freedom, and love.”
The Big, the Bold, the Bohemian
The sign was big. The giant concentric backdrop hearts were big. The sound was big. The bass notes were big. The cast was big—in the hearts of the audience. And the songs? Enormous.
Yes, Moulin Rouge! was one big, glittering, high-octane spectacle—and nearly non-stop. Dialogue was scarce, but who needs talk when you have seventy-five pop hits spanning generations, each one detonating like a firework?
And the decadence—bigger still. Gender-fluid dancers prowled the stage with a mix of seduction and disdain, as if daring the audience to look away. My mother would’ve blushed. My grandmother would’ve walked out. I accepted the thonged derrières as fait accompli—Parisian excess transplanted to Hollywood.
Jukebox? No. Emotional Symphony.
They call it a jukebox musical, but that’s too small a box. Writer John Logan weaves familiar lyrics into a new emotional tapestry—a sly patchwork of borrowed pop poetry that somehow tells its own story.
And this cast can sing.
At its core, it’s the oldest story of all—love. A poor young songwriter’s devotion to a woman claimed by a cruel, commanding patron. When Christian and Satine first confess their love mid-Act One, the audience is his wingman, cheering him on as if sheer volume could rewrite fate.
The Lovers and the Dreamers
John Cardoza’s Christian—earnest, open-hearted—has a voice both tender and fierce. His tenor glides effortlessly, and when he sheds the “Aw shucks” charm to bare his soul, you believe he might just win her heart—though not without cost.
The chemistry among Christian and his trio of bohemian brothers—Toulouse (Jahi Kearse), Zidler (Bobby Daye), and Santiago (Andrew Brewer)—was undeniable. The four had the comic rhythm of seasoned vaudevillians, landing every beat and pause with precision. Their camaraderie radiated from the stage, a mix of mischief and warmth that grounded the show’s over-the-top glamour. They weren’t just funny—they were magnetic.
Satine: The Diamond Who Knows She’s Dimming
Arianna Rosario’s Satine was radiant and tragic, a diamond who knows she’s dimming. She held herself above the can-can chorus with poise and pain, the audience aching with her.
Her solo after Christian’s departure was a first-act highlight—Rosario’s voice shimmering with both defiance and heartbreak. And when she and Cardoza came together for Elton John’s “Your Song,” it was pure theatrical alchemy: exultant, intimate, and instantly hit-worthy.
The Audience’s Heartbeat
What struck me most was the audience’s investment. They weren’t spectators; they were participants, willing the lovers toward their fate. The La Bohème DNA runs deep—the doomed beauty, the penniless poet, the final heartbreak. Everyone sang along in spirit.
And oh, those dancers. The girls, the boys, the Can-Can—Ooh la la! The show’s sensuality leaves little to the imagination. Sitting in the seventh row, I can confirm: the closer you get, the more risqué it becomes. The twelve-and-up age recommendation is generous.
Final Curtain
Moulin Rouge! is spectacle with a heartbeat, glitter with grit—a fever dream of Truth, Beauty, Freedom, and Love.
Cherchez la femme.
Moulin Rouge! only runs through November 16th at the spectacular Hollywood Pantages Theatre. Tickets and information https://www.broadwayinhollywood.com/venues/detail/pantagestheatre.