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First there’s the extraordinary dexterity required for the cancan, then there’s the acrobatic prowess demanded by the medley of Lady Marmalade. This week Moulin Rouge! The Musical returns for an encore season, with star of stage and screen Bert LaBonte joining the cast. He can’t quite believe the intense physical skill on display throughout the show.

Bert LaBonte as Toulouse-Lautrec in Moulin Rouge.Credit: Chris Parker

“It is literally like watching athletes go to work on stage. With this show there is no hiding, you can’t do an 80 per cent show because the choreography doesn’t work – you’ve got to be going flat out. I can’t talk highly enough of the ensemble and how hard they work, particularly in the big numbers.”

Fresh from filming TV drama Five Bedrooms and surprise Logie winner Colin From Accounts, LaBonte is thrilled to be back in musical theatre. He appeared in Book of Mormon six years ago and recently performed opposite Zahra Newman in the highly acclaimed drama Fences for the Sydney Theatre Company.

Having seen the musical based on the award-winning Baz Luhrmann film in its first run in Melbourne in 2021, LaBonte knew it was remarkable, but seeing it up close is next level. Featuring a pop music soundtrack, the choreography is rapid and modern but also often requires you to be balletically trained, he says. “I literally stand on stage in awe of the cast – it is quite extraordinary what they are doing.

“Storytelling is storytelling, no matter what medium it is,” says the talented all-rounder. “The same thing needs to be done, you’re trying to deliver this story to your audience as honestly and as viscerally as you can.”

Moulin Rouge! The Musical won 10 Tony awards for its Broadway run.

Set in Montmartre in the 1890s, Moulin Rouge tells the story of impoverished writer Christian (Des Flanagan) and his love for Satine (Alinta Chidzey) – also known as the ‘sparkling diamond’ – the star performer at the famous eponymous Paris venue. LaBonte takes on the role of the artist Toulouse-Lautrec, who teams up with the young writer and tries to help him, while warning him not to make the mistakes he has. Actor, producer and much-loved Play School presenter Simon Burke plays club impresario Harold Zidler.

Luhrmann – who is a huge fan of the stage show – says the tale of passionate, desperate, foolish love was in part inspired by the Greek myth of Orpheus, whose music and singing were so beautiful they inspired everyone around him to dance.

Produced by Global Creatures, the show is the first Australian-produced musical to originate on Broadway. It is directed by Alex Timbers, with a book by John Logan and choreography by Sonya Tayeh. The knockout soundtrack includes many of the songs featured in the movie, with additional numbers by Adele, Katy Perry, Sia, Rihanna and Beyoncé. Some are scored exactly as their pop predecessors while others are arranged differently.

Hearing the audience recognise the songs is one of the best things about the show, says LaBonte. “You’ll start it and there’s this ‘Ah’ from the crowd, a little groan [of recognition], yeah, this one!” he says.

Nicole Kidman in the 2001 film Moulin Rouge.

As in the movie, the costumes and set design are part of the show’s allure. “I’ve never seen a show look so good, it looks so like it’s been built for the Regent Theatre. It looks like there’s money dripping off the stage,” LaBonte says.

The 2001 film directed, produced and co-written by Baz Luhrmann starred Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor with a cameo by Kylie Minogue; Lautrec was played by John Leguizamo. It was nominated for eight Academy Awards, including best picture, and won best costume and set design. The stage show won 10 Tony awards for its Broadway run, including best musical.

Speaking after making his debut in a preview of the show on Sunday, LaBonte was thrilled by the reaction from the crowd. “I couldn’t believe the response that emits from the audience, it’s quite overwhelming at times. And they just keep coming in droves. They are absolutely loving it.”

He jokes that his is a pretty easy gig: “I just walk into a hit show that’s already been done.”

To his mind, Moulin Rouge! The Musical has some notoriety about it, “people want to be a part of it”. “A lot of people missed out on it the first time because of COVID … so they’ve really jumped on quickly to get a chance to see what everyone is talking about.”

Moulin Rouge! The Musical is at the Regent Theatre from August 20 to December 24.

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