Moulin Rouge – The Musical at Orpheum Theatre San Francisco

Set in the cultural period during the end of the 19th century, Moulin Rouge! The Musical was heavily based on French history. The show can be found in and is all about the dealings of true-to-life nightclub in Montmartre, Paris, named the Moulin Rouge, where the can-can dance was born. By the turn of the 20th century, the Moulin Rouge nightclub became renowned for its French Cabaret elegance – vibrant, free-spirited, and pure party entertainment. This Parisian nightclub that the musical was created from also impacted the production, with Baz Luhrmann and the musical's creative team saying that they did take pieces of the actual French history, and it can assuredly be witnessed in the performance. The set design, costumes, musical arrangements, and choreography (which showcases a lot of can-can dance) all clearly show reverence and respect to the original Moulin Rouge.

It is in this time of history leading up to the 1900s and smack in the middle of the French La Belle Époque, a period pointed to as the height of lasting peace and harmony, where the fictional story of two lovers finally happens. Christian, an American writer who moves to France seeking a successful calling, meets Satine, the finest performer of the Moulin Rouge. The couple, despite both external and internal challenges, fall crazily in love and are forced into a secret affair with each other caused by their lack of standing and power.

Contrary to other accounts, the time of La Belle Époque was attacked by historians not as a time of peace and harmony. Some people are convinced that this time period were all about rising tension beneath the surface. the Broadway musical, however, chose to showcase the decade in a more favorable perspective by instead presenting the hopeful Bohemian values of truth, beauty, freedom, and love, as seen through Christian and Satine’s evolving love story throughout the show.

In this decade, viewers and audiences have the opportunity to relive the entertainment most likely also enjoyed by the original patrons of the Moulin Rouge, as Moulin Rouge! The Musical will be performing at an equally lively and breathtaking venue, Orpheum Theatre. With interior decor just as dazzling as the set that it is holding, Orpheum Theatre is the best fit for Moulin Rouge’s limited showing on Saturday 27th December 2025. Seats are now available for purchase through the links that can be clicked on at the top of this page.