It seems a stretch to think that something initially created by Baz Luhrmann could exist in any medium other than one that’s filmed. His entire aesthetic revolves around frantic movement, editing, and visual spectacle that will dilate your pupils more than your typical classified substance while making you feel as though you need to hang on to the arm of your chair.
Bearing this in mind, it seems the entertainment group Global Creatures will attempt to rise to the challenge in the form of a stage adaptation of the Australian director’s beloved Moulin Rouge! The show is set to come to a stage near you, complete with all that magic you’d expect.
The film, a musical which came out in 2001, featured Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor, among others, singing David Bowie, Elton John, Nirvana and a variety of other pop and rock luminaries against the backdrop of a love story set in turn-of-the-century Paris. Per Variety, Luhrmann himself praised the plans to transform his movie into a stage production, saying in a statement, “It’s immensely gratifying to know that a new wave of artists will be leading Moulin Rouge! into its rightful theatrical realm.”
The book for Moulin Rouge! will be written by John Logan, a three-time Oscar nominee who has written the scripts for movies such as Gladiator, The Aviator and Skyfall. And Global Creatures previously adapted Luhrmann’s first movie, Strictly Ballroom, for the stage, so the pedigree for this project is there. The results, e.g. whether or not such a massive filmed spectacle can translate to the stage, remain to be seen.
(via Variety)
