London's lights illuminate not only its streets but also its soul. The city whispers a story at every step with its stages ranging from theatre to music. Duygu Sancar Civelek, describing her pre-show excitement in the enchanting atmosphere of West End, explores London's culture, the rhythm art brings to the city, and the unseen face of its economy from a spectator's perspective.
Duygu SANCAR CİVELEK
London is a world-renowned city not only for its history and architecture but also for its vibrant performing arts. The West End is a hub where the heart of theatre and musicals beats, taking the audience on both a visual and emotional journey. Here, every show is not just a performance; it is also a reflection of creativity, passion, and the cultural economy. The West End stage in London is brimming with world-famous musicals and theatre productions. The Lion King is staged at the Lyceum Theatre, The Phantom of the Opera at His Majesty’s Theatre, Mamma Mia! at the Novello Theatre, Wicked at the Apollo Victoria Theatre, Hamilton at the Victoria Palace Theatre, Les Misérables at the Sondheim Theatre, Back to the Future the Musical at the Adelphi Theatre, Matilda the Musical at the Cambridge Theatre, and Moulin Rouge! The Musical at the Piccadilly Theatre. Additionally, Stranger Things: The First Shadow has recently joined the West End at the Phoenix Theatre, and The Devil Wears Prada meets audiences at the Dominion Theatre. Today, I will tell you about Moulin Rouge! Because the Moulin Rouge! show is one of the most beautiful examples of how the cultural economy comes to life on stage in a dazzling and striking way.
London and Art
My first day in London. It has only been a few hours since I landed. I try to bring back memories from 10 years ago as I see familiar streets. I manage to get to Borough Market before it closes and eat oysters while standing, sipping prosecco. I taste cheese from a merchant speaking English with a French accent. Realizing that Tate Modern is only a 10-minute walk away, I turn my steps in that direction this time. I am constantly racing against time, but I'm not struggling too much. Indeed, my mood improves even more since I realized that the best part of traveling alone is not having to adjust to someone else's energy. The selection at the museum once again leaves me admiring the questioning side of modern art. While classical art mostly touches my aesthetic sense, modern art seems to spur me into action.
My eyes are on the clock; I get on the metro to make it to Piccadilly Theatre. As luck would have it, I miss my stop. A pre-show meal now seems difficult. I get a little annoyed and stressed; until I see the magnificent crowd on the theatre's street.
West End sparkle
The Piccadilly Theatre building is adorned with the Moulin Rouge! theme. There is a crowd stretching for meters in front of it. On the other hand, the bar across the street is packed. Londoners are enjoying the last warm days outdoors. When I say warm, it's certainly not a summer evening; a temperature of 10 degrees Celsius, as long as it doesn't rain, is enough to sip a drink outside. I eat something quickly and join the queue. Fortunately, the organizing team is very competent; the queue moves quickly. I go inside and walk up the stairs. The low ceilings between the stairs and the worn steps give me clues as to how old the stage where the musical will be performed is. It feels good to think that I am in the same group of people who want to add meaning to their lives, develop their aesthetic sense, or simply have a good time and escape from the routine. That phrase from the bookstore I entered comes to mind: “Hi Booklover, your friends around.”
I make up for the street drink I couldn't have before the show with a cocktail I bought from the theatre bar. I take my seat and let myself enjoy the magnificent decor of the hall.
Some actors and dancers have taken their places in various corners of the stage, warming us up for the play. The curtains hanging from the ceiling, the lights, chandeliers, the windmill symbol of the play, and the entire decor are under a dominant red influence. Such a decor that, even if I didn't know the story, I think I could have understood that what I was about to watch was about love, power, and fame. As I lean back and try to catch the details, the giant Moulin Rouge! sign on the stage rises, and the lights go out.
And the curtain rises
Satine's entrance to the stage with The Sparkling Diamond dazzles my eyes. I enjoy watching Satine and Christian's love story while listening to Your Song by Elton John. I remember that I would never get bored of watching and listening to a tango piece with the song Roxanne.
A small reminder for those who don't know: Moulin Rouge! is essentially a classic love theme. Christian, a young and idealistic writer, falls in love with Satine, the club's most popular singer. This love is both wild and full of obstacles; they must fight against the challenges of social status, money, and destiny. Frankly, the story didn't leave a huge impression on me, but it is still a musical that brings a philosophy of freedom, passion, dreams, and the transformative power of art to the stage. On the other hand, the acting is good, the choreography is spot on, and the costumes are stylish. Indeed, the energy that relatively dropped in the second act rises quite a bit again with the song selections towards the end. But what left the most impression was the popularity of the selected songs. Listening to the songs of my early youth like Katy Perry's Firework, Beyoncé's All the Single Ladies, and Britney Spears' Toxic, I am surprised by how wonderfully they fit into the story. In my opinion, one of the musical's greatest successes is drawing you in with popular and sing-along songs. Because no matter how successful songs composed specifically for musicals are, a rhythm you hear for the first time has limited power to draw you in. As I finish my cocktail, Sweet Dreams starts playing, and I wonder what it would be like to be one of the dancers on stage.
And the curtain closes, but we know that this high-energy team would not bid us farewell with an ordinary curtain call. Indeed, what is expected happens, and the team gives individual bows with More, More, More. Of course, the hall erupts in applause; especially for Satine. Karis Anderson in the lead role is truly amazing.
Light extending from the stage to the city: Perhaps one day…
Reluctantly, I leave the hall and join the crowd, heading towards Soho. I definitely don't want to spend my hours sleeping, despite all my fatigue. Besides, capitalism doesn't like sleeping consumers, I know. In this sense, I can say that Moulin Rouge! has a quite broad impact in terms of its contribution to the economy.
Joking aside, the stage lights of Moulin Rouge! reflect not only a love story but also the power of the cultural economy. London's theatre district, West End, creates an economic cycle worth billions of pounds with its world-renowned musicals. This cycle touches hundreds of sectors, from costume designers to stagehands, from hotel staff to restaurant owners.
Art, the invisible export of cities
Art is no longer just an aesthetic experience, but an investment area that gauges the pulse of urban economies. In fact, we know that the cultural economy is an invisible export of a country. Audiences filling the halls of Moulin Rouge! in London are actually buying into the brand value of a city. I wonder if Istanbul, Izmir, or Ankara have a deficiency. Who knows, perhaps one day Moulin Rouge! will also illuminate the lights of Istanbul, Izmir, and Ankara; and a similar sparkle and economic activity will echo in Beyoğlu, Karaköy, Kordon, or Tunalı.
This content has been translated using artificial intelligence technology.