• ムーランルージュ (Moulin Rouge) 

8/12/23 (Sat), Tokyo

The two-month run was completely sold out well in advance of the opening. I was curious about the show because of the unusual use of music – not the original songs but the brief clips from well-known numbers that sprang up so often throughout the show. Those range from “Nature Boy” and “The Sound of Music” to “Lady Marmalade” and “Material Girl”, encompassing standards, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Tina Turner, Queen and more, and I’m sure there were more up-to-date numbers that I simply didn’t recognize. Some were just a few seconds long, quoting a line or two, while others, most notably Elton John’s “Your Song”, were quoted extensively.

I was wondering if the older numbers would even be familiar to Japanese audiences, especially in the age group that they’re catering to. Because the songs are crucial to the action, they have all been translated into Japanese. As with Mamma Mia, the songs are fun to hear in a different context, but that assumes a knowledge of them in the first place; we know instantly what the song is referring to and thus respond to that memory, since the songs are rarely played in full. Translating them also takes the fun out of it. That said, Mamma Mia has been hugely popular here as everywhere, so what do I know?

The show, it turns out, is tremendous fun. The actors throw themselves into their roles with abandon, and not just the principals. Hirahata Ayaka is spectacular as Satine, going effortlessly from cool cabaret star and scheming sexual tease to doomed lover (though I could have done without the silly pose she used to greet her clients). She’s a terrific dancer and sang from the heart. Her performance was the highlight of the night. Inoue Yoshio, Hashimoto Satoshi and Kanata Irei are all excellent as well, more or less free of the mannerisms that Japanese performers often adopt instead of real feelings. Most impressive was the chorus, which gives off great energy. The general mood is cynical, purposefully aloof and pseudo-sexy, as with recent productions of Cabaret, but each member creates a unique personality that gave them something to play. Kudos to the director for taking the time to ensure that even the smaller roles felt natural within the context of the show.

The set was downsized significantly from Broadway since the short run doesn’t give them the budget to spend at that level. The windmill and elephant on either side of the stage are simply decorations here rather than integrated into the proceedings, audience members do not sit on stage, Satine descends from the ceiling over the stage rather than over the audience, and so forth. Still, audiences unfamiliar with the Broadway version would not know the difference (I only learned about it when my friend explained at intermission), and what is there is certainly worth the ticket price. Great lighting and costumes as well.

There were strangely 17 different translators for the lyrics, including no less than pop queen Yuming for “Your Song”. I have no idea why they felt that necessary; having a single voice would normally be crucial in maintaining the integrity of a show. Some translators presumably handled no more than a single line, and since most of the numbers are by different English lyricists anyway (albeit curated by a single team), I suppose they just wanted to stick in as many famous names as possible. I don’t see that as a sales point and don’t think it speaks well of the team’s view of musical theater. Still, the show’s structure is so wild and the songs pass by so fast and furiously that I suppose no one noticed.

The show, overseen by the associate director of the Australian production, is reportedly a carbon copy of the Broadway version with some fine-tuning related to the set. For all the glitter, it’s a fairly standard story at heart with the girl conflicted between the rich egotist who can provide for her and the poor man who truly loves her. I’m not sure about some of the choices, like why they would bring out a gun and knife so ominously and then, in un-Chekhovian manner, not use them. Still, that’s a problem with the original direction, not the production, which was immaculate. The only real mystery is why they would spend all this money only to limit the run to a mere two months without the usual national tour. A good time was had by all. Definitely interested now in seeing the Broadway version.