Last month, the Broadway production of Moulin Rouge! The Musical welcomed a new set of leads to the Tony-winning Best Musical at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre.

Joining the Alex Timbers-directed production, based on the 2001 film of the same name, were five-time Emmy winner and recent The Wiz title player Wayne Brady as Harold Zidler, original Rent star Taye Diggs as The Duke of Monroth, original Moulin Rouge! cast member Ashley Loren as Satine, and actor-songwriter Christian Douglas in his Broadway debut as, appropriately, the songwriter Christian.

Douglas arrived on Broadway after a year-and-a-half run leading the national tour of Moulin Rouge! Prior to his time on the road, the actor played Charlie Price in the Off-Broadway remount of the Tony-winning musical Kinky Boots at Stage 42. Among his other theatre credits are Tony in West Side Story at The Muny and the national tour of the musical adaptation of Pretty Woman. 

The composer/lyricist is also developing a new musical, entitled The Sound, a two-time semi-finalist for the O’Neill National Musical Theatre Conference.

In the interview below for the Playbill series How Did I Get Here—spotlighting not only actors, but directors, designers, musicians, and others who work on and off the stage to create the magic that is live theatre—Douglas shares why he credits Jerry Mitchell with his current success and why it's okay to be a little "messy."

Where did you train/study?
Christian Douglas: I studied classical singing at the University of Maryland. 

Was there a teacher who was particularly impactful/helpful? What made this instructor stand out?
I loved my voice teacher in college, Gran Wilson. He helped me to build a really solid foundation as a classical tenor. After college, with that foundation, I found ways to bridge the gap in my technique and learn to apply what I had learned as an opera singer to other styles of singing. 

Do you have a favorite moment in the show for the character of Christian? What makes that part stand out?
I have always loved “Come What May” and the scene leading into it in Act Two. There is a beautiful stillness and intimacy in that moment between Christian and Satine that we don’t get to see as much during the urgency of Act One. “Come What May” is their last chance to have a pure, vulnerable moment with each other before things start to take a slightly darker turn toward the middle of Act Two.

What does it mean to you to be making your Broadway debut, especially in this role?
This role and this show mean the world to me and has been a gift that keeps giving. I started on the tour in 2023, in the ensemble, covering Christian and the Duke and then had the privilege of leading the tour for a year-and-a-half. Christian is a role that I get to bring my whole self to, emotionally, physically, and vocally, and I couldn’t think of a better way to make my Broadway debut.

Do you have a dream stage role and/or artists you would like to share the stage with?
I’ve wanted to play Dr. Pomatter in Waitress for a long time. I’ve had a deep love for Sara Bareilles’ music since I was in high school, and she is a huge reason why I am a songwriter today. It has always been a dream to get to sing with her.

You're also a composer. Can you tell me a little bit about The Sound and what's next for the musical?
Yes, Christian the songwriter is Christian the songwriter in real life! I am the composer/lyricist of The Sound, in collaboration with Jason Odell Williams (book writer) and Charlotte Cohn (creator and co-book writer). Set in 1943 and today, it’s an uplifting musical inspired by true events and tells the story of an aging Holocaust survivor who recounts the harrowing days after the deportation of Danish Jews was ordered by the Nazis, and he and his family race against the clock to elude capture by hiding in a fishing boat sailing from Denmark to Sweden across The Sound. 

It’s a story about neighbors helping neighbors, nations helping nations, and always standing up to do the right thing in the face of evil. It’s Come From Away meets Cabaret meets Peter and the Starcatcher.  The show had a successful first reading last November in Safra Hall at the Museum of Jewish Heritage and will have another private reading this September in preparation for our first production at CenterStage in Rochester, New York, next spring.

What do you consider your big break?
While Moulin Rouge! on Broadway feels like my biggest break so far, I believe it was playing Charlie Price in Kinky Boots Off-Broadway that opened the door to where I am today. Back in 2022, Jerry Mitchell took a chance on me, having never led a show or performed in NYC; I got the opportunity to rise to the occasion and meet the moment.

What do you wish you knew starting out that you know now?
You aren’t running out of time. I think these days with social media, it’s so easy to feel behind. But the reality is you’re doing great. You’re growing and learning, and everybody has their own unique path, timeline, and definition of “making it.”

What advice would you give your younger self or anyone starting out?
This is advice I would give to my younger self and my current self: Let yourself have a process. Whether it’s the acting or the singing, try and give yourself license to be a little messy. Walking into a rehearsal process or a new show is vulnerable and scary enough as it is without putting pressure on yourself to nail it right away. I’ll probably be giving myself this advice until the end of time.

What is your proudest achievement as an actor?
Getting to play Christian on Broadway! Beyond the “Broadway” of it all, I’m proud of the work and time I’ve put in with this show. The 700-plus shows, two years touring the country, and always doing my best to show up with my best foot (and vocal cord) forward.

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Photos: Wayne Brady, Taye Diggs, More in Moulin Rouge! The Musical on Broadway

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