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Nicole Kidman and the Moulin
Rouge |
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“Moulin Rouge,” first
presented at the opening of the 2001 Cannes Film Festival,
features Nicole Kidman as a French cancan dancer. In a strange
sequence of paradoxes, this movie, which was filmed in Australia,
produced in the United States, and has a hit rock soundtrack,
represents the epitome of French culture in the eyes of director
Baz Luhrman! Ever since it came out, everybody wants a
behind-the-scenes tour of the Moulin…the real one, that is!
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The Moulin Rouge, somewhat lost among all the sex
shops invaded by tourists out for a good time, has cheerfully
and tirelessly retained a certain spirit of la vie Parisienne.
Twice a night, every day for years, the 850-seat room, where you
can savor a meal or simply propose a toast (preferably with
champagne!), fills up with foreign visitors and French locals.
These days, the natives come for the Féerie revue, a colossal
performance that breezes by at the speed of light (one and a
half hours). The four different scenes include a glance at the
past of the Moulin Rouge and an unexpected visit to Indonesia,
complete with a dizzying set covered in bright colors, feathers,
and glitter. At one point, the stage opens up and a giant
aquarium filled with real pythons and a woman, the evil Gorgon,
appears. |
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Then comes the Cirque, with clowns, Siamese
twins (fake, of course), ponies, and the
splendid Doriss Girls and Dancers. Eternal
smiles plastered on their lips, these ladies
pick up their feet likes it’s their job (oh wait,
it is…). The show concludes with a celebration
of Parisian women from the Revolution to the
2050s. At this point the Doriss Girls begin the
famous French cancan which, let’s admit, is a
little difficult to handle, what with the blue,
white, and red dresses – patriotic, certainly,
but a bit garish to behold. That being said, the
impossible kicks seem effortless, accompanied
each time with cries of joy. Some of the various
Moulin Rouge revues enjoy record attendance,
like the “Formidable show” which welcomed more
than 4.5 million spectators between 1988 and
1999.
Vlada, the star of the Moulin Rouge, is
originally from Moscow. For the past eight years,
she’s performed thirteen nightly costume changes
for the 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. shows, assisted by
her trusty dresser, Marie-Florence, in the
private room reserved for soloists. Before each
appearance, she requires a full hour of warm-ups.
Tall, smiling, and athletic, Vlada also
participates in runway shows and displays her
photography, a series of black and white
pictures portraying her vision of the Moulin
Rouge (ideal if you need to rest your eyes after
all those flashing colors!). Her fellow
performers hail from Australia, Albania…more
than nineteen nationalities in total, and they
have all been scrupulously selected. They have
to be between 1.75 and 1.79 meters tall (ten
centimeters more for the men), and they must
have a classical dance background; not everybody
can dance the cancan, which takes at least a
month to learn!
The Moulin Rouge is an enormous dream machine,
and the staggering cost of its upkeep explains
the prices: count on spending 80 euros for the
show with a half-bottle of champagne, and 155
euros if you also order the Belle Epoque meal (the
chef Laurent Tadirrec is rated 17 out of 20 in
the Gault et Millau guide).
Nowadays, the Moulin Rouge seems more elegant
than other Parisian cabarets; vulgarity is not
on the menu, even if certain costumes and set
designs are better viewed with sunglasses, and
even if the music could be a little less
intense. The great revue tradition endures in
this hallowed place, where renowned
international artists have often set foot.
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The Moulin Rouge and the Eiffel Tower are
the same age! |
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