Moulin Rouge – The Musical at San Diego Civic Theatre

Set in the Bohemian period during the turn of the 20th century, Moulin Rouge! The Musical was heavily inspired by French history. The show takes places and is all about the dealings of a real nightclub in Montmartre, Paris, titled the Moulin Rouge, where the patrons come for unadulterated fun. By the late 1900s, the nightclub became renowned for its French Cabaret elegance – vibrant, loose, and pure party entertainment. This Parisian entertainment venue that the staging was created from also influenced the production's preparation, with Baz Luhrmann and the Broadway play's creators mentioning that they did take pieces of the late 1900s period, and it can decisively be seen in the show. The set design, costume design, musical arrangements, and song and dance numbers (which features a lot of can-can dance) all clearly are a clear inspiration from to the original Moulin Rouge.

It is in this time of history leading up to the 1900s and right in the middle of France's La Belle Époque, a time pointed to as the peak of high artistic and cultural development, where the forbidden tale of two lovers finally happens. Christian, an American writer who moves to Paris seeking a successful career, meets Satine, the ultimate entertainer of the Moulin Rouge. Christian and Satine, despite the imminent danger of their relationship, fall madly in love and have to be a hidden affair with each other due to their uncontrollable feelings.

Depending on perspective, the period of La Belle Époque was attacked by many not as a time of advancement or development. Historians are convinced that this decade were all about the elite's triumph over the poor. the Broadway play, however, chose to showcase the era in a more favorable light by highlighting the romantic Bohemian values of truth, beauty, freedom, and love, as seen through Christian and Satine’s evolving love story throughout the play.

In this decade, locals and tourists have the opportunity to relive the show most likely also reveled in by the original patrons of the Moulin Rouge, as Moulin Rouge! The Musical will be performing at an equally colorful and unforgettable venue, San Diego Civic Theatre. With interior decor just as beautiful as the set design that it is holding, San Diego Civic Theatre is the perfect fit for Moulin Rouge’s limited showing on Saturday 5th July 2025. Seats are now available for purchase through the links that can be found at the top of this website.