Groundswell Partners With Moulin Rouge! The Musical To Produce Public Murals Exemplifying the Bohemian Values of Truth, Beauty, Freedom and Love

In a celebration of creativity and community, the Tony Award-winning Best Musical Moulin Rouge! The Musical has partnered with Groundswell, a New York based organization that brings together youth, artists, and community organizations to use art as a tool for social change. Moulin Rouge! The Musical is now playing at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre (302 West 45^th St, NYC).

The collaborative project will produce a series of public murals across New York City, with each mural exemplifying one of Moulin Rouge! The Musical's four "Bohemian Values" of Truth, Beauty, Freedom, and Love. The creation of the murals began this summer and will continue through the fall, using walls made available by several community partners, including the Bedford-Stuyvesant YMCA in Brooklyn; AIM Innovation in Queens; and the Ditmas Park Association in Brooklyn. The completion of these public artworks will culminate with dedication ceremonies bringing together Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Groundswell, community partners, local representatives, and residents for a joyful revelation of the project in celebration of Broadway's reopening this fall.

Fans of Moulin Rouge! The Musical are invited to join Groundswell and the Ditmas Park Association in creating a "Beauty" themed mural during a community mural paint day from 10:00am-5:00pm on Saturday, October 9, located outdoors on the beautiful Dorchester Road between E. 16th Street and Marlborough Road.

Carmen Pavlovic and Bill Damaschke, producers of Moulin Rouge! The Musical said, “At its heart, Moulin Rouge! The Musical is a story of a community of artists who are determined to leave their mark on the world. We are honored to come together as kindred spirits with artists, youth, and community partners across New York City in support of Groundswell's critical work and in celebration of our Bohemian Values of Truth, Beauty, Freedom, and Love."

Robyne Walker Murphy, Executive Director of Groundswell NYC, said “From the bright lights of Broadway to the vibrant street murals that give New York City it’s character, the arts are a vital part of what makes this city the best in the world. Groundswell is excited to cap off our 25^th Anniversary celebration with a collaboration that will galvanize the resurgence of the city’s creative economy with Moulin Rouge! The Musical. Artists and patrons alike won’t only be enticed back into theater seats, but inspired to find the truth, beauty, love, and freedom in their everyday life. New York City is in for a treat.”

In 1996, a group of New York City artists, educators, and activists founded Groundswell with the belief that collaborative art-making combines personal expression with the strength of community activism and produces unique and powerful outcomes. Now embarking on the 25th Anniversary of Groundswell, over 600 murals have been completed by the organization, working with youth and teaching artists in collaboration with hundreds of community-based organizations, neighborhood groups, and government agencies throughout New York City. The transformative process behind these compelling artworks demonstrates Groundswell’s enduring belief that art creates community and community creates change.

ABOUT MOULIN ROUGE! THE MUSICAL

Moulin Rouge! The Musical is the winner of ten 2021 Tony Awards including Best Musical, the Drama League Award for Outstanding Production of a Musical and it received ten Outer Critics Circle Award Honor citations, including New Broadway Musical.

Moulin Rouge! The Musical opened to critical acclaim at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre in the Summer of 2019 and recently reopened following the shutdown of Broadway due to the pandemic.

“Spectacular! Euphoric! In Moulin Rouge! The Musical, life is beautiful,” raves The New York Times. “Moulin Rouge! The Musical is a fabulous new musical. The high begins the instant you walk into the theatre,” said the New York Post. Entertainment Weekly concludes that “it’s easy to believe that Moulin Rouge! The Musical could run for 50 years.”

The cast is led by Natalie Mendoza as Satine, Tony Award winner Aaron Tveit as Christian, Tony Award winner Danny Burstein as Harold Zidler, Tony and Olivier award nominee Sahr Ngaujah as Toulouse-Lautrec, Tam Mutu as The Duke of Monroth, Ricky Rojas as Santiago and Tony Award nominee Robyn Hurder as Nini. Ashley Loren is the Satine Alternate. The cast includes Jacqueline B. Arnold, Holly James, Jeigh Madjus, Joe Beauregard, Keely Beirne, Giovanni Bonaventura, Olutayo Bosede, Maya Bowles, Kyle Brown, Sam J. Cahn, Bobby Daye, Mia DeWeese, Karli Dinardo, Tilly Evans-Krueger, Aaron C. Finley, Bahiyah Hibah, Cameron Mitchell Jackson, Tasia Jungbauer, Reed Luplau, Kara Menendez, Kaitlin Mesh, Fred Odgaard, Dylan Paul, Khori Michelle Petinaud, Benjamin Rivera, Julius Anthony Rubio, Brandon Stonestreet, Travis Ward-Osborne and Ericka Hunter Yang. 

Ricky Rojas is appearing with the support of Actors' Equity Association. The producers gratefully acknowledge Actors' Equity Association for its assistance of this production.

Moulin Rouge! The Musical is directed by Tony Award winner Alex Timbers and with a book by Tony Award winner John Logan, choreography by Tony Award winner Sonya Tayeh and music supervision, orchestrations and arrangements by Tony Award winner Justin Levine. 

The design team for Moulin Rouge! The Musical includes Tony Award winner Derek McLane (sets), Tony Award winner Catherine Zuber (costumes), Tony Award winner Justin Townsend (lighting), Tony Award winner Peter Hylenski (sound), Drama Desk Award winner David Brian Brown (wig and hair design), Sarah Cimino (Make-up design) and Tony Award winner Matt Stine (Music Producer). Casting is by Jim Carnahan and Stephen Kopel.

Enter a world of splendor and romance, of eye-popping excess, of glitz, grandeur and glory! A world where Bohemians and aristocrats rub elbows and revel in electrifying enchantment. Pop the champagne and prepare for the spectacular spectacular...Welcome to Moulin Rouge! The Musical.

Baz Luhrmann’s iconic film comes to life onstage, remixed in a new musical mash-up extravaganza. Moulin Rouge! The Musical is a theatrical celebration of Truth, Beauty, Freedom, and - above all - Love. Moulin Rouge! The Musical is more than a musical; it is a state of mind.

As in the film, Moulin Rouge! The Musical celebrates over 160 years of music – from Offenbach to Lady Gaga. The stage musical features many of the iconic songs from the movie and also includes recent hits released since the movie premiered 20 years ago.

Moulin Rouge! The Musical is produced by Carmen Pavlovic and Gerry Ryan OAM for Global Creatures and Bill Damaschke. General management is by Foresight Theatrical.

Co-producers of the Broadway production include Aaron Lustbader, Hunter Arnold, Darren Bagert, Erica Lynn Schwartz/Matt Picheny/Stephanie Rosenberg, Adam Blanshay Productions/Nicolas & Charles Talar, Iris Smith, Aleri Entertainment, CJ ENM, Sophie Qi/Harmonia Holdings, AF Creative Media/International Theatre Fund, Baz & Co./Len Blavatnik, Endeavor Content, Tom & Pam Faludy, Gilad-Rogowsky/InStone Productions, John Gore Organization, Mehr-BB Entertainment GmbH, Spencer Ross, Nederlander Presentations/IPN, Eric Falkenstein/Suzanne Grant, Jennifer Fischer, Peter May/Sandy Robertson, Triptyk Studios, Carl Daikeler/Sandi Moran, Desantis-Baugh Productions, Red Mountain Theatre Company/42ND.CLUB, Candy Spelling/Tulchin Bartner, Roy Furman and Jujamcyn Theatres.

Released by 20^th Century Fox, Baz Luhrmann’s MOULIN ROUGE! premiered at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival. At the 74th Academy Awards, the film was nominated for eight Oscars, including Best Picture, and won two. 

The Moulin Rouge of Paris, managed by Jean-Jacques Clerico (CEO), is a dazzling and spectacular universe, the symbol of the Parisian way of celebrating since 1889. Starting life as a popular cabaret and dance hall, the venue became an iconic music hall in the Roaring Twenties, and then a theatre where numerous famous French and international artists stepped out into the limelight. Today, the Moulin Rouge and its 60 artists present the Féerie revue show: two hours of amazement between cabaret and music hall styles where dance scenes and surprise acts intersperse – without forgetting the Moulin Rouge’s most emblematic dance, the French Cancan! Since its creation, the Moulin Rouge of Paris has always been an invitation to live and share all the emotions and effervescence of a unique party extravaganza. http://www.moulinrouge.fr/ 

The Grammy-nominated Moulin Rouge! The Musical Original Broadway Cast Recording, produced by Baz Luhrmann, Justin Levine, Matt Stine & Alex Timbers, is now available by Baz Luhrmann’s label, House of Iona, and RCA Records. The album debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Cast Album chart. 

MAC is the Official Makeup Partner and Preciosa is the Official Crystal Partner of Moulin Rouge! The Musical.

As recently announced by The Broadway League, the owners and operators of all 41 Broadway theatres in New York City will require audience members to be vaccinated with an FDA or WHO authorized vaccine and to properly wear a mask at all times except to eat and drink when seated for all performances through October 2021. Guests under the age of 12 who are unvaccinated, and those who need reasonable accommodations due to a medical condition or sincerely held religious belief that prevents vaccination, must present proof of a negative COVID-19 test. See further details and requirements regarding vaccinations, testing and safety protocols here. https://www.jujamcyn.com/broadwayreturn/#covid19 

ABOUT GROUNDSWELL

Groundswell is an NYC-based organization that engages youth with art education, youth development and social justice from the support of artists, and community organizations in neighborhoods across New York City. Since 1996, Groundswell has used its platform for social change to transform over 500 walls throughout the city into high-quality public murals that reflect the values, concerns and activism for their communities. Each impactful project brings beauty to neighborhoods, engages youth in societal and personal transformation, and gives expression to ideas and perspectives that are underrepresented in the public dialogue.

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