Global Creatures has announced the cast of the Australian production of  Moulin Rouge! The Musical. The highly anticipated stage show, which is based on Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 film, premiered on Broadway in July 2019 and will open at Melbourne’s newly renovated Regent Theatre this August.

Newcomer Des Flanagan has landed the role of the depressive bohemian Christian, played in the film by Ewan McGregor, while Alinta Chidzey will take on the sparkling diamond herself, courtesan Satine, played on screen by Nicole Kidman.

Alinta Chidzey and Des Flanagan. Photograph © Steven Grace

It’s a huge break for Flanagan. A graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts, his credits include male swing in the 2019 production of West Side Story for Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour and a short stint in the TV soap Neighbours.

Originally hailing from Beechworth, Victoria, Flanagan said: “I was lucky enough to see the show on Broadway and was struck by how immersive the entire experience was; it was like nothing I’d seen before. It’s been a dream of mine to play this character, and to be able to do so in my home state is extremely special.”

Melbourne-based Chidzey ­–...