Our trip to Moulin Rouge on Broadway and why you should see it in Philly this July!

I can can can NOT wait to see Moulin Rouge at the Kimmel Cultural Campus next Friday! The Tony-winner for best musical will be in Philadelphia from July 5th to 23rd. Do you have your tickets? This will be my third time seeing the show and it’s a blast! The set, the costumes, the songs, the story! Gorgeous all around.

Earlier this month, Toi, Melanie, Camille and I were invited to see Moulin Rouge on Broadway so we could tell you all about it! Yes, it’s still on Broadway and I expect it to be there for a while. And yes, it’s easy to hop on a train and do a whirlwind trip to New York City for the show or two (I do it all the time, not an exaggeration). But since Moulin Rouge will be in Philly for a couple weeks, why not stop by while it’s here?

Here we are in the VIP room at the Al Hirschfeld theatre. If you do see Moulin Rouge in NYC, I highly recommend this add-on experience. More details here, but the ticket includes access to the room an hour before showtime (and no waiting in line) and during intermission, a private bar and bathrooms, and a complimentary glass of Prosecco. You can order additional drinks and snacks, and pre-order for intermission too.

Okay, this is important. Get your seats early and get your obligatory Playbill/stage shot 15-20 mins before the show starts. Cast members start making their way to the stage about 10 mins to showtime and if you’re seeing the show in Philly, plan on that for the tour too. Ushers will remind you. So don’t be that person. This is the most stunning Broadway set I’ve seen, and although the touring version won’t be as detailed, you can still expect the Academy of Music to feel like you’ve been whisked off to Paris.

The story takes place at the Moulin Rouge in 1900. Actress and courtesan Satine meets the poor, English poet Christian. The star-crossed lovers face challenges as they hide their love from the others, create a new show to save the club, and deal with secrets and jealousy all around. Many pop songs from recent years, and some from the 2001 movie, create the soundtrack. You’ll love the use of songs you know in each scene. Bring tissues, too, though!

How about these costumes?! I loved seeing everyone dressed for the occasion at the recent Beetlejuice tour stop in Philly and I hope that Moulin Rouge fans don’t let me down! Look for me on opening night with a bohemian style purple skirt I bought specifically for the Philly show.

Speaking of the Philly stop:
The first four performances of Moulin Rouge! The Musical are Pride performances and include special pricing with some seats available for $49. A portion of proceeds from the Pride performances will be benefit William Way Community Center.

And of course, there will be a themed cocktail. Just like the Broadway theatres, the Kimmel Cultural Campus crafts a cocktail specifically for each show with the help of the Garces team at Volver. You can get the cocktail, a Lady Marmalade Aperol Spritz, there before the show or at the theatre’s concession stands.

Moulin Rouge has a special place in my heart for a number of reasons. The movie was a big part of my last year or so of high school, seeing it multiple times with two best friends I still am close with today (22 years after the movie release). In fact, one is joining me to see it in Philly! The musical was the last thing I saw on Broadway before the 18-month Covid shut down. Literally the last thing- 8pm on March 11th, 2020. It was the first show to cancel the next day. And finally, though I’ve been invited to see shows on Broadway before, my trip to Moulin Rouge earlier this month will be unforgettable because of the people who joined me. We all met at shows and events throughout Philly, but I truly consider them friends. We would have planned a trip to NYC together anyway soon enough…but many thanks and much love to our friends at Allied Global Marketing and the Kimmel Cultural Campus for putting it all together.

Follow these sparkling diamonds too- Camille (@milliephanatic), Melanie (@melmelllll) and Toi (@toitimeblog)…and me (@shamrockenroll)…for more about the show and other shows we end up at together. We’ll see you all at Moulin Rouge in Philadelphia!

Here’s the ticket link again!