Curtain Call: ‘Moulin Rouge’ set to launch Tour in 2022
Broadway: The show is set to go on for the company of Moulin Rouge! The Musical!. The production is aiming to start performances in February 2022 at the James M. Nederlander Theatre in Chicago, after the delay for the November 2020 opening date in New Orleans due to the ongoing pandemic. The musical is set to have an opening night in March 2022 with an engagement running through April 2022 at the venue.
The remaining dates of the tour are currently being rescheduled along with casting announcements and on-sale dates for all venues. The Broadway production, starring Karen Olivo and Aaron Tveit, is currently up for 14 Tony Awards nominations, including Best Musical. Directed by Alex Timbers, the production is based on Baz Luhrman’s 2001 film and opened at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre in July 2019. The musical, which has won several Drama Desk and Drama League awards, is also set to premiere in West End and Melbourne in 2021.
Warner Brothers has announced a film adaptation of The Color Purple musical. The film joins a slate of three new films in production including the Mad Max spinoff Furiosa and Coyote vs. Acme. Blitz Bazawule will serve as director, while Oprah Winfrey, Quincy Jones, Scott Sanders, and Steven Spielberg have been announced as producers of the adaptation. The movie is slated to premiere on December 20th, 2023 with casting yet to be announced.
The Color Purple had an acclaimed Broadway run during 2015. The cast included Jennifer Hudson, Danielle Brooks, and Cynthia Erivo, who won the Tony award for her performance as Celie Harris. The production also won in the category for Best Revival of a Musical before closing on January 8th, 2017.
Speaking of Erivo, the Tony winner also has new projects on the horizon. The two-time Oscar nominee is set to star and produce a biopic based on the life of Sarah Forbes Bonetta, an african princess who is “gifted” to Queen Victoria. Set in the 19th century, Bonetta was an Egbado princess of the Yoruba people who suffered public scrutiny and suffering at the hands of the British aristocracy.
Benedict Cumberbatch will serve as executive producer. Erivo is set to appear in other projects including The Outsider, Genius: Aretha, and the movie musical Talent Show. Additional information of the film is set to be announced at a later date.
PLAYBILL
Off-Broadway: The NYC Department of Cultural Affairs has awarded Development Fund grants to several non-profit performing arts companies. Dozens of Off-Broadway houses received up to $100,000 in grants, totaling $47.1 million for new investments in order to support the cultural sector during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of the theaters include the Roundabout Theatre Company, The New Group, National Black Theatre, and Ars Nova, among others.
Some of the investments include allocating funds to hard-hit BIPOC communities, arts education programs, and streamlining the grantmaking process. The department also stated that funds can be used for virtual presentations with a cover of 75% of costs for the programs. It is expected that all venues will receive the same help in 2022, as it has become now available to all CDF recipients instead of groups that count with a $250,000 budget.
The Muny in St. Louis has announced its lineup for 2021 after last summer’s postponement of all shows. With the creative teams all intact, the venue is expected to start performances in Summer of 2021 with 7 shows shaping up next year’s season. The lineup is expected to start on July with Seven Brothers, Mary Poppins, and Smokey Joe’s Cafe before heading to the outdoor venue with other shows.
The Sound of Music, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, On Your Feet!, and Chicago all are set up to continue and conclude the 2021 season at the 102-year-old venue. The performances last year were replaced by virtual programming that celebrated past performances, as well as new projects for the company. Additional information in regards to casting announcements are yet to be announced.
International: Come From Away is set to be the first production of the musical to return to the stage in Australia. The production is set to premiere at Melbourne’s Comedy Theatre on January 19, 2021 and will lead the reopening of the East End in Melbourne. Prior to its closure, the show had become the most successful production at the venue during its 91-year history.
The cast includes Joseph Naim, Zoe Gertz, Emma Powell, and Simon Maiden, among others, with a score by Irene Sankoff and David Hein. The musical tells the story of airline passengers who become stranded in the small Canadian town of Gander in the aftermath of the September 11th terrorist attacks. Producer Rodney Rigby said in a statement that the show serves as a reminder of how compassion is at the core of humanity and the importance of unity and kindness regardless of differences. The musical is also set to premiere in Brisbane and Syndey throughout 2021.
The filmed production of I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change is set to premiere virtually. The Off-Broadway favorite will be produced by Lambert Jackson Productions and filmed on stage at the London Coliseum after playing over 5,000 performances at the Westside Theatre in New York City. The production will feature a musical direction by Nick Bartsow and direction by Kirk Jameson for the Joe DiPietro and Jimmy Roberts’ creation.
The cast will include Trevor Dion Nicholas, Brenda Edwards, Alice Fearn, and Oliver Tompsett. The musical tells the story of the highs and lows of love with topics that range from first dates to growing old together. The announcement comes shortly after London theatres have entered another lockdown due to Tier 3 restrictions, which has caused the closing and/or changes to virtual performances with several West End shows. The Lambert Jackson Productions has previously streamed shows such as Songs for a New World, The Last Five Years, and First Date during the first lockdown in London due to COVID-19.
