Moulin Rouge! The Musical Review: (Aaron Tveit and Joanna “JoJo” Levesque Version)

At this point, I’ve seen Moulin Rouge! The Musical five times. Once during the Boston tryouts at the Emerson Colonial Theatre, then later during its official Broadway debut, twice while it’s been touring in LA, and now again at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre with Aaron Tveit and Joanna “JoJo” Levesque starring as Christian and Satine. So, in a sense, this review feels like an account for growth. 

I adore everything about this production, from the music to the intoxicating set design and choreography, and we all know I’m a fan of the performers. But Aaron Tveit and JoJo as Christian and Satine? My favorite duo so far. 100/10. No notes. Perfection.

One of the most important things to me as a fan of theatre and music is voices that complement each other so intrinsically that you feel like you’re being teleported elsewhere. (The first time I ever heard Justin Vernon of Bon Iver and Matt Berninger of The National collaborate, I screamed so loud, it scared my cat.) And that’s exactly what happens here (except the screaming was entirely internal because theatre etiquette is sacred to me). Tveit and JoJo do something indescribable with how their voices play off one another.

There’s also something to be said about how Tveit’s voice has evolved since Sweeney Todd. I’m no expert on vocal techniques, but I have never, ever seen or heard anything like the performance I witnessed on that stage earlier this month. Not to be hyperbolic, but this “El Tango de Roxanne” sent me through the stratosphere. Frankly, I feel like a changed person. Who I was before this performance and who I am now aren’t the same person. 

Christian’s emotions during this production were so guttural that fellow Lady Geeks writer Jenna G and I turned to each other and straight up wordlessly spoke another language neither of us understood. Our jaws were on the floor. As the kids say, we were shooketh. One of the best parts of the live theatrical experience is the process of everything happening at the moment. Every performance is a little unique, and that’s where the magic lies. It’s how everything flows so effortlessly that it legitimately feels surreal. 

And of the principal stars who’ve played Satine, I’m in complete awe of what JoJo brings to the stage. There’s a softness in her voice that meshes so adorably with Tveit’s that it makes the fire and edge in the fictional love story that much more enticing. I was especially floored by her version of “Crazy Rolling” and the changes in her demeanor while consumption takes over Satine. Maybe it’s the ’90s kid in me who’s also feeling pretty nostalgic, but Satine felt more grounded and relatable. The performance felt more lived in—and granted, five years have passed, so it is—but still, the emotions JoJo evoked were simply sensational. 

Moulin Rouge! The Musical is my favorite Broadway musical for many reasons, and one of them is also because of the “Bad Romance” number. (Imagine my internal rage when someone’s phone went off during it. Silence your damn photos, people!) Still, that minor annoyance aside, everything about this number continues to astound me and deserves yet another shoutout. Ricky Rojas persists in embodying Santiago perfectly, and the ensemble nails every millisecond of this dance with perfect precision. 

There’s plenty to consistently appreciate about this show, more so for fans of the original who get to see how actors grow and evolve. It’s a tremendous treat, really, to witness what time does and how it hones something that’s already extraordinary. Between Hadestown with Jordan Fisher and Maia Reficco and now Moulin Rouge with Aaron Tveit and JoJo, the angsty romantic-drama devotees are in our thriving era. 

Aaron Tveit and JoJo will perform in Moulin Rouge! until October 13. Purchase tickets here.
First Featured Image Credit: ©Matthew Murphy