While in the midst of making her Broadway debut, platinum-selling singer-songwriter Joanna “JoJo” Levesque was sure she was about to ruin it all. "When I was coming down from the ceiling on my first night, I was in a state of panic," she reveals. "I'm like, 'I'm about to ruin everything. I'm gonna fall, I'm gonna faint.'" In Moulin Rouge! The Musical at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre, Satine comes in on a swing, which lowers down from the ceiling.
Clarifying that it wasn't a fear of heights that jeopardized her entrance as Satine in the Tony-winning Moulin Rouge! The Musical on April 11, she explains it was the excitement of it all. "I was like, 'I'm gonna faint because I care so much, I'm so excited.' Sometimes, that excitement can be paralyzing almost. But, once I got past the first few lines, I'm like, 'Oh, I'm in this. It's okay, here we are. We're doing it.'"
Levesque began her 14-week engagement, through July 16, earlier this week. Based on the Baz Luhrmann-directed 2001 film, the musical follows the tragic love story between Satine, a courtesan and star performer of the Moulin Rouge, and Christian, a composer who has arrived among the bohemians of turn-of-the-20th-century Paris from Ohio.
See Jojo talk more about playing Satine in Moulin Rouge! in the video below.
When it came time for the bows, that mix of nerves and joy came right back. "I was just so scared, because you get one time to do that," she says. In the relief and excitement of the moment, she forgot how her and co-star Derek Klena had choreographed their bow. "He's like, 'No, we're supposed to bow together.' And then I went off the wrong way. But it was perfect. It was just fun. You just roll with it all."
It was also an important moment for Levesque who has long dreamed of performing on Broadway. "I've always known that the best performers are here on Broadway, and I wanted to be a part of that to sharpen my skills and learn and grow. I'm constantly in pursuit of expansion and growth."
Growing up, Levesque used to attend Broadway auditions as a child. At 13, Levesque burst onto the scene with her self-title debut album, whose breakout smash “Leave (Get Out)” made her the youngest-ever solo artist to have a debut No. 1 single in the U.S. Levesque's album eventually sold over four million copies. In 2016 she returned with Mad Love, which debuted in the Top 10 on the Billboard Top 200. In 2020 her song "Say So" with PJ Morton won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Song. On film, she has appeared in Aquamarine and RV, among others.
Watch Jojo take her first curtain call in Moulin Rouge!
She joins the Broadway cast of Moulin Rouge! which currently stars Tony nominee Derek Klena reprising the role of Christian, Eric Anderson as Harold Zidler, André Ward as Toulouse-Lautrec, and David Harris as The Duke of Monroth. Also beginning April 11, Ricky Rojas reprises the role of Santiago while original West End cast member Sophie Carmen-Jones makes her Broadway debut as Nini. Oyoyo Joi is the Satine Alternate.
The musical opened on Broadway in 2019 following a Boston tryout, and was subsequently nominated for 14 Tony Awards in 2020, winning 10, including Best Musical. The production is directed by Alex Timbers with a book by John Logan and choreography by Sonya Tayeh. The score features covers of "Fireworks" by Katy Perry, "Your Song" by Elton John, and "Chandelier" by Sia, among many other modern pop songs.
The production's music team includes musical supervisor Justin Levine, music producer Matt Stine, and music director Julie McBride. Orchestrations are by Levine, Stine, Katie Kresek, and Charlie Rosen, with dance arrangements by Levine and Stine.
Also on the creative team are scenic designer Derek McLane, costume designer Catherine Zuber, lighting designer Justin Townsend, sound designer Peter Hylenski, hair designer David Brian Brown, and makeup designer Sarah Cimino, with creative services by Luhrmann and Catherine Martin. Casting is by Jim Carnahan and Stephen Kopel.
Joanna "JoJo" Levesque, Derek Klena, and company of Moulin Rouge The Musical
Joanna "JoJo" Levesque and Derek Klena
Joanna "JoJo" Levesque
