{"id":31178,"date":"2021-08-03T14:17:00","date_gmt":"2021-08-03T04:17:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/?post_type=articles&p=198214"},"modified":"2021-08-03T07:23:19","modified_gmt":"2021-08-03T07:23:19","slug":"moulin-rogue-the-music-natalie-mendoza","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/moulin-rogue-the-music-natalie-mendoza\/","title":{"rendered":"Broadway’s “Moulin Rouge! The Music” Will Return To The Stage With Australian Actress Natalie Mendoza"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Moulin
Credit: Matthew Murphy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In a highly-anticipated return to live shows, Manhattan’s Broadway Theatre has reopened to tour the US. While Wicked\u00a0<\/em>will lead the lineup<\/a>, Moulin Rouge! The Music <\/em>will open in late 2021 with Australian actress Natalie Mendoza set to play leading lady ‘Satine’.<\/p>\n

Based on Baz Luhrmann<\/a>‘s 2001 film of the same name, Mendoza takes on the role with familiarity as she actually played \u201cChina Doll,\u201d one of the club\u2019s can-can dancers, in the original film. Talk about a full circle moment. It’s fitting of course to also point out that fellow Australian starlet Nicole Kidman<\/a> was the first to portray the role where she earned an Oscar nomination.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom the moment Natalie was cast as China Doll in MOULIN ROUGE!<\/em> the film, we knew we had discovered a major young talent,\u201d Luhrmann said in a press announcement of Mendoza\u2019s casting (via TimeOut<\/a>)<\/em>. \u201cThat young talent has now blossomed into the lead in our Broadway production. I could not be more thrilled that Natalie will be lowered in that glorious swing as Broadway\u2019s Sparkling Diamond.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Credit: FilmPublicityArchive\/United Archives via Getty Images.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re excited to welcome Natalie to our company,\u201d said Alex Timbers, director of Moulin Rouge! The Music.<\/em> \u201cShe\u2019s an extraordinary artist and I\u2019m so thrilled to be working with her again as we prepare to bring Moulin Rouge! The Musical back to Broadway.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mendoza has also appeared in theatre productions such as Miss Saigon, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark<\/em>, and Ghost<\/em>. As for the silver screen, she is known for her performance in British drama\u00a0Hotel Babylon\u00a0<\/em>and\u00a0Juno.\u00a0<\/em>The casting comes after the production’s original lead Karen Olivo made an unexpected departure.<\/p>\n

Moulin Rouge!\u00a0<\/em>is set in 1899 and follows Christian, a young English writer, who arrives to Paris to follow the Bohemian revolution taking hold of the city’s underground culture. Things take a dark turn as the writer comes across the Moulin Rouge nightclub and starts a dangerous love affair with the star courtesan of the club, Satine.<\/p>\n

Moulin Rouge!: The Musical<\/em> will resume production from September 26. For context, watch the original film trailer below.<\/p>\n