Watch: Derek Klena, Courtney Reed, More Say 'So Long, Farewell' to Broadway's Moulin Rouge! | Playbill

Video Watch: Derek Klena, Courtney Reed, More Say 'So Long, Farewell' to Broadway's Moulin Rouge!

The Tony-winning hit said goodbye to five company members July 21.

Derek Klena and Courtney Reed in Moulin Rouge! The Musical Evan Zimmerman

Broadway's Moulin Rouge! The Musical said goodbye to stars Derek Klena and Courtney Reed, along with ensemble member Clay Rice-Thomson and understudy Bobby Daye, July 21 at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre, and marked the occasion with a special video harkening back to a musical from yesteryear.

See the quartet perform an especially silly rendition of The Sound of Music's "So Long, Farewell" below in a video produced by Rice-Thompson. You know you want to see Klena carrying an all-tuckered-out Rice-Thomson up the stairs!

The production is readying to welcome back Tony-winning original cast member Aaron Tveit and singer-songwriter Joanna "JoJo" Levesque July 23, succeeding Klena and Reed. The pair are set to stay with the show for a 12-week limited run through October 13. The musical celebrates its fifth anniversary July 25.

Check Out Moulin Rouge! Merchandise in the Playbill Store

See Klena and Reed, along with Daye, Rice-Thomson, and Bria Jené Williams take their final bows at the July 21 performance below:

Tveit won his Tony for creating the role of Christian in Moulin Rouge! Most recently seen opposite Sutton Foster in the revival of Sweeney Todd, his other Broadway credits include Catch Me If You Can, Next to Normal, Wicked, and Hairspray.

Levesque made her Broadway debut as Satine in Moulin Rouge! last year. At 13, she burst onto the scene with her self-titled 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. She followed that with a second platinum album. In 2020, her song with PJ Morton, "Say So," won the Grammy for Best R&B Song. Her first book, Over The Influence: A Memoir, will be released September 17.

Moulin Rouge!, based on the 2001 film, opened on Broadway in 2019 following a Boston tryout. The musical 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 (based on the Baz Luhrmann-directed movie of the same name) 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 story takes place at Paris' famed Moulin Rouge and follows the tragic love story between performer Satine and composer Christian.

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.

Photos: Boy George, Derek Klena, Courtney Reed, More in Moulin Rouge! The Musical

 
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