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Moulin Rouge®-The Ballet is THE Perfect Valentine Date Night!

February 7, 2016
photo by Charlie McCullers 

Last night I saw the most amazing show. It was filled with gypsies, fist fights, romantic lovers, an evil villain, women of questionable repute, murder, blood... oh, and it was a ballet. What? That doesn't sound like a ballet to you? Well, let me assure you, it didn't look like a traditional ballet either! It was more Broadway musical meets cabaret meets ballet and it was spectacular!


The fabulous sets of  Moulin Rouge®-The Ballet swept you away to Paris. From haunting accordion music wafting through the quaint streets to the iconic windmill outside the Moulin Rouge to gorgeous scenes overlooking the Eiffel Tower, you immediately knew you were in the "city of love".

Unlike many shows, the music did not remain in the background, merely supporting the story. This musical score was strong and made you acutely aware of emotional shifts in the story. Overall, it was very boisterous and vibrant and yet for certain scenes it was tender and romantic. Played only by an accordion, a violin, an oboe and a cello, the 29 pieces of music from period French composers included a few familiar songs like "Under Paris Skies", "Can-Can" and the beautiful "Claire de Lune".  I would definitely buy this soundtrack if it were available.

At its core, this is a romantic tale of the star-crossed lovers, Matthew and Nathalie. Her kindly benefactor, Zidler, hires Nathalie to dance at his club, the Moulin Rogue. But he quickly becomes obsessed with her and turns violent when she rebukes his attempt to seduce her. In a fit of passion, his jealousy becomes rage toward Matthew which leads to a tragic outcome that no one expects.
 photo by Charlie McCullers 

Moulin Rouge®-The Ballet
 is an emotional roller coaster ride. The early street scenes are delightful with mischievous gypsies and lots of humorous characters, the rush of young love swells your heart, the fierce rivalry during a high-kicking dance-off between the reigning dance queen and the new girl, as well as the fist fight between the two male rivals, cause your heart beat faster, only to slow to a simmering boil during the sultry, sexy tango scene. The sassy cabaret inside the Moulin Rouge caused the audience to cheer but during the heartbreak of the last scene, you could have heard a pin drop. The brilliance of the Atlanta Ballet is that all this passion and emotion was conveyed without a single word.


I had two favorite scenes. The first was the kaleidoscope of color, music and dance during the Moulin Rouge Cabaret Show. It was fabulous!! The flurry of colorful ruffles and garters coupled with this bawdy can-can extravaganza caused the audience to joyfully clap in time. The athletic ability of the ballerinas was unbelievable! I feel sure that if the Moulin Rouge in Paris saw how dramatic and high the high-kicks could be on pointe, they would make all of their dancers wear them also! 

At the opposite extreme, my other favorite scene was when Nathalie and Matthew fell in love. They danced the most exquisite pas de deux I have ever seen.  Set on a bridge over the Seine, overlooking the Eiffel Tower ablaze with lights, against a gorgeous twilight sky, Nathalie was ethereal in a translucent gown and Matthew was positively swoon-worthy. This scene left me breathless.  
Photo by Brian Wallenberg

I judge the success of a show by whether I would go see it again. In the case of Moulin Rouge®-The Ballet, the answer is a resounding YES! I would see this show again and again at every opportunity! I enjoyed every moment of it.


If you are looking for the perfect Valentine Date Night event, this is it! 

There are four performances remaining:

Sunday, February 7 at 2 PM
Thursday, February 11 at 8 PM
Friday, February 12 at 8 PM
Saturday, February 13 at 8 PM

Great seats starting at $20 are still available at  http://www.atlantaballet.com/

Disclaimer: I was provided complimentary tickets for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received and all opinions expressed are my own.