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After seven extravagant years, Broadway is getting ready to say au revoir to Moulin Rouge! The Musical. The Tony-winning adaptation of Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 film will play its final performance at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre on July 26, closing one of the most commercially successful and visually maximalist runs of the modern Broadway era.
Moulin Rouge! officially opened on July 25, 2019, dripping in red velvet, rhinestones and pop culture mashups. During its first year, the musical regularly grossed over $2 million a week and went on to become the highest-grossing production in the Hirschfeld Theatre’s 100-year history.
By closing, Moulin Rouge! will have played 2,265 regular performances and 24 previews, making it the 36th longest-running show in Broadway history. Capitalized at around $28 million, it officially recouped its investment in late 2022. It was the only musical from the disrupted 2019–2020 season to do so and the only show from that season still running until now.
The production made its mark artistically too. Directed by Alex Timbers, with a book by John Logan and choreography by Sonya Tayeh, Moulin Rouge! won 10 Tony Awards in 2021, including Best Musical. Justin Levine’s music supervision stitched together a chaotic and entirely memorable soundtrack that spans decades.
The show also became a symbol of Broadway’s resilience. After shutting down during the pandemic, Moulin Rouge! was among the first productions to welcome audiences back in 2021, its can-can defiance perfectly timed.
While Broadway grosses have softened in recent years, the musical’s global life is far from over. National tours and international productions continue across North America, London, Europe and Asia, with more than 12 million people having seen it worldwide.
The current Broadway cast, led by Meg Donnelly, Christian Douglas and Bob the Drag Queen, will carry the show to its final curtain this summer. When the lights go down at the Hirschfeld, Moulin Rouge! will leave behind a legacy of excess, endurance and a whole lot of fun.