Review: Moulin Rouge! Musikaali
Moulin Rouge! The premiere of the musical charmed Helsinki: Martti Manninen shines as Christian
Helsinki City Theatre’s Moulin Rouge! The premiere of the musical on 29.8.2024 ended with furious applause, and not without reason.
The theme of the age-old love tragedy is universal, and it is easy for theatre enthusiasts to identify with them. Elements have been found in the structure of the musical that make the viewer rejoice and go wild, as well as experience feelings of loss, grief and injustice together with the actors. The musical is part of a larger Nordic co-production, in which the same creative team also works in Swedish, Danish and Norwegian productions.
Detailed performance information can be found on the Helsinki City Theatre website. https://hkt.fi/esitykset/moulin-rouge-musikaali/
I have seen the performance with a media ticket.
In this blog post, I will go through the thoughts and feelings that have remained on top of the musical, which still wander in my thoughts and body the next morning. I’ll skip describing the plot of the show this time, because I’m sure many of you are familiar with the Moulin Rouge movie.
Martti Manninen is the brightest star of the evening
Martti Manninen as Christian is the show’s actual sparkling diamond in the true sense of the word. Her present role work is multifaceted and impressive. The calm but intense transport of the tragic character through various plot twists and turns is superbly managed by Manninen. Towards the end of the performance, Christian’s life becomes increasingly tight, and in Manninen’s expression, it is conveyed as an inner turmoil and a physically visible burden, without it being heavy. However, as internal and external conflicts tear Manninen’s portrayal of Christian apart, he nevertheless believes and trusts in the power of love.
Jennie Storbacka plays Satine, aka Sparkling Diamond. Storbacka is a skilled and precise singer. Storbacka’s and Manninen’s voices sound great together and their duets are the best of the evening. Whether it was because of the excitement of the premiere or what, but Satine didn’t quite sparkle as brightly as you would expect a sparkling diamond, but there are still performances ahead of me and a lot of them, through which you can definitely find relaxation. It’s not about skills at all.
Risto Kaskilahti , a long-time actor at the Helsinki City Theatre, lets go on stage as Harold Zidler with his strong experience. Kaskilahti is calm, perceptive and clear on stage. Kaskilahti’s character lightens the scenes with his comic nature and brings to mind references to the Harlequin character in the commedia dell’arte.
The bohemian artist Lautrec, played by Antti Lang , is a sensitive, fragile and wise person who looks at Christian’s situation from the outside and helps his friend in pursuit of his dream. Lang is an experienced and confident actor.
The joint singing moments of Lang, Manninen and Matti Leino are a treat for the ears, the voices sound perfectly together and the energy between them on stage is in the same bond.
Leino’s Santiago opens the second act together with Laura Allonen (Nini) and is one of the evening’s finest numbers as a whole.
Moulin Rouge! The entire crew of the musical manages to capture the sinful atmosphere of Paris on stage, but even before the performance begins. I recommend stepping into the stands at the second playing at the latest to experience how the Moulin Rouge comes to life.
Top-notch sound design and implementation
In addition to the performers being skilful and tuned to the top, they can also be heard very well in the theatre. The 10-piece orchestra and 33 performers at the Helsinki City Theatre play clearly and in such a way that the music rumbles all the way to the body.
The sound design is by Kai Poutanen and he has created a balanced soundscape for the entire large ensemble, but he has also dared to test the limits. It felt like music had never felt this way at the Helsinki City Theatre before.
The movement material of the choreographies is fresh and impressive. Genres change smoothly from one genre to another, and I was left wondering about the involvement of four choreographers in the work: does each of them have their own area of expertise or has this been the result of cooperation?
The costume design is by Astrid Lynge Ottosen , and the people who create it have found a real treasure chest. Costume coordinator Laura Dammert has been supervising the work in Helsinki, while seamstresses and milliners have made outfits and headgear based on costume sketches. A special mention for the headgear, as there are a lot of them and they are really spectacular. The ostrich feather is a spectacular and elegant element on stage and is an integral part of Parisian cabaret and variety aesthetics.
Intricately made wigs and hairstyles can be seen in numerous quantities. The camouflage was designed by Maija Sillanpää.
References to the present day and the political situation in Finland
Although the Moulin Rouge! The musical is about Paris in the 1890s, and you can find clear references to our current society and, for example, the great cuts in culture.
In the line in which Nini ponders the future of the Moulin Rouge when the theatre’s box office is empty, it was apt for today: “when the money is gone, will the theatre be replaced by a post office, a train station or a brothel?”
It may be commonplace in Finland as well, if the unreasonable planned cuts are not cancelled.
On the other hand, I was left wondering what happens if a person in power like the Duke of Montroth or a group of people who represent it determines what and what kind of art is allowed to be done in the theatre or who is entitled to do it, is faced with a dead end. Is it the beginning of the revolution?
Is it the moment when truth, beauty, freedom and love become values that are idealised and cherished more closely than before?
Helsinki City Theatre’s Moulin Rouge! The musical is a successful and high-quality whole. To those true fans of the film (including myself) who doubt the functionality of the songs added to the musical, I can say that fear not – the arrangements are skilfully made and the ensemble performs them wonderfully.
The musical includes exactly the essential parts of the film, but it is still an independent work – not just a copy of the film.
I can only express my humblest thanks to the entire Helsinki City Theatre, and to those who have been involved in making this work, for allowing me to witness a historic moment that highlights the importance of cooperation both within the theatre and across national borders – a Nordic co-production spreads the message of love to a wide range of theatre enthusiasts.
Most of the tickets for the Helsinki City Theatre have already been sold out and next spring it is apparently possible to see the performance, so it’s worth grabbing yours soon so you don’t miss it.
For those who are worried about the high price of the tickets, I can tell you that it will be appreciated in almost three hours. I don’t even dare to guess how many hours of work have been spent on this work before the premiere, maybe HKT can open it up to us readers of the Theatre and Doctoral Studies blog at some point?
Assessment in the Theatre and Doctoral Studies blog.