Moulin Rouge – The Musical at Kennedy Center Opera House

Kennedy Center Opera House, Washington, District Of Columbia

Jun

17

Moulin Rouge at Kennedy Center Opera House

Jun

17

Moulin Rouge – The Musical

Kennedy Center Opera House

Get ready to have the time of your life at Kennedy Center Opera House in Washington, District Of Columbia with "Moulin Rouge!" The critically-acclaimed jukebox musical that won our hearts as a musical film in 2001 joined Broadway in 2019 and you can join the fun this summer. With modern pop hits heard on the radio and sweet romance with harrowing risks, this memorable play taking place in Bohemian Paris will captivate you and have you dancing in your chair. Whether you saw the movie in 2001 or have yet to meet the "Moulin Rouge!" characters, don't miss your chance to witness this charming Broadway adaptation of an unforgettable film.

This Broadway show follows the story of Christian and Satine, two people from different worlds who catch each others' hearts while working on a play to keep the Moulin Rouge theater alive. But because Satine committed to someone else and has a life-changing secret, this potential couple just doesn't seem to be written in the stars. Christian is a composer hoping to make it big with music for plays, while Satine is a entertainer and courtesan at the Moulin Rouge. The two make the perfect pair, if only they can make it together.

This enchanting story takes place around 1900 but captivates the audience with current and classic pop songs that topped the charts. The play differs from the movie as it includes recent songs that debuted since the movie first debuted in the early 2000s. You won't want to miss this award-winning musical about romance, singing, performing, and pursuing your dreams. See "Moulin Rouge!" this summer at Kennedy Center Opera House on Wednesday 17th June 2026 for a glamorous night you won't soon forget.

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Kennedy Center Opera House

Set in the artistic period during the turn of the 20th century, Moulin Rouge! The Musical was heavily inspired by French history. The play can be found in and is all about the dealings of true-to-life nightclub in Montmartre, Paris, called the Moulin Rouge, where the underground aristocratic life was revealed. By the late 1900s, the Moulin Rouge nightclub became famous for its French Cabaret style – lively, full of spirit, and pure party entertainment. This Parisian venue that the musical was inspired by also impacted the production, with Baz Luhrmann and the musical's creative team mentioning that they did directly borrow from the late 1900s time period, and it can undoubtedly be seen in the performance. The set design, clothing, music score, and actual performances (which features a lot of can-can dance) all obviously are a clear inspiration from to the original Moulin Rouge.

It is in this period of history leading up to the 1900s and right in the middle of the French La Belle Époque, a time considered to be the peak of lasting peace and harmony, where the forbidden story of two lovers take place. Christian, an American writer who moves to France searching for a successful passion, meets Satine, the finest entertainer of the Moulin Rouge. The pair, despite the imminent danger of their relationship, fall crazily in love and have to be a secret affair with each other caused by their uncontrollable feelings.

Depending on perspective, the period of La Belle Époque was attacked by even locals not as a period of advancement or development. Historians believe that this decade were all about rising tension beneath the surface. Moulin Rouge! The Musical, however, chose to capture the era in a more endearing viewpoint by focusing on the hopeful Bohemian values of truth, beauty, freedom, and love, as witnessed through Christian and Satine’s fight for love throughout the musical.

In more recent years, viewers and audiences have the opportunity to enjoy the show most likely also reveled in by the original patrons of the Moulin Rouge, as Moulin Rouge! The Musical will be performing at an equally vibrant and epic venue, Kennedy Center Opera House. With interior decor just as sprightly as the set that it is staging, Kennedy Center Opera House is the best fit for Moulin Rouge’s limited showing on Wednesday 17th June 2026. Tickets are now available for purchase through the links that can be found at the top of this page.

About the Venue

kennedy center opera house

Kennedy Center Opera House

Kennedy Center Opera House, Washington, District Of Columbia, 20004, US