London is a city world-renowned not only for its history and architecture but also for its vibrant performing arts. The West End is a hub where the heart of theater 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 culture economy. The West End stage in London is bustling with world-famous musicals and theatrical productions. The Lion King is being 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. Furthermore, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, which recently joined the West End, meets audiences at the Phoenix Theatre, and The Devil Wears Prada is at the Dominion Theatre. Today, I will tell you about Moulin Rouge! because the Moulin Rouge! show is one of the best examples of how the culture economy comes to life on stage in such a sparkling and striking way.
London and art
It’s my first day in London. It has only been a few hours since I landed. I try to bring the memories of 10 years ago before my eyes as I see the familiar streets. I make it to Borough Market before it closes, grabbing a quick prosecco and eating oysters. I taste cheese from the shopkeeper who speaks 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 am not struggling too much. Ever since I realized that the best part of traveling alone is not having to align with someone else’s energy, I feel even better. The selection in the museum makes me admire the questioning side of modern art once again. While classical art touches my sense of aesthetics, modern art seems to move me. I keep an eye on the clock; I get on the subway to make it to the Piccadilly Theatre. As luck would have it, I miss my stop. A pre-show dinner seems unlikely now. I feel a bit annoyed and stressed, until I see the magnificent crowd on the street of the theater.
West End sparkle
The Piccadilly Theatre building is dressed in the Moulin Rouge! theme. There is a crowd stretching for meters in front of it. Meanwhile, the bar across the street is packed. Londoners are enjoying the last warm days in the open air. By warm, I don't mean a summer evening, of course; as long as it isn't raining, a temperature of 10 degrees is enough to sip a drink outside. I grab a quick bite and get in line. Fortunately, the organization team is very competent; the line moves quickly. I go inside and head up the stairs. The low ceilings between the stairs and the worn-out steps give me clues as to how old the theater stage where the musical will be performed is. It feels good to think that I am in the same cluster with people who want to add meaning to their lives, develop their sense of aesthetics, or just have a pleasant time and escape the routine a bit. The saying in the bookstore I entered comes to my mind: “Hi Booklover, your friends around.” I make up for the street drink I couldn’t have before the show started with a cocktail from the theater’s 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 show. The curtains hanging from the ceiling, the lights, the chandeliers, the windmill that is the symbol of the show, and the entire decor are under a dominant red effect. It is such a decor that even if I didn’t know its subject, 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 up and the lights go out.
And the curtain rises
Satine’s entrance to the stage with The Sparkling Diamond dazzles me. I enjoy watching the love of Satine and Christian while listening to Your Song by Elton John. I remember that I will never get tired of watching and listening to a tango piece with the song Roxanne. A small reminder for those who don’t know: Moulin Rouge! is actually 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 have to fight against social status, money, and the difficulties of fate. Honestly, the story doesn’t leave a huge mark on me, but it is still a musical that brings a philosophy about 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 elegant. Indeed, the energy that drops relatively in the second act rises quite a bit towards the end with the choice of songs. But what leaves the biggest mark is the popularity of the selected songs. While listening to songs from my early youth like Katy Perry’s Firework, Beyoncé’s All the Single Ladies, and Britney Spears’s Toxic, I am surprised at how perfectly they fit the story. In fact, I think one of the greatest successes of the musical is that it draws you in with popular songs you can sing along to. Because no matter how successful the songs composed for musicals are, a rhythm you hear for the first time is limited in its ability 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 falls, but we know that this high-energy team doesn’t say goodbye with an ordinary curtain call. Indeed, it happens as expected, and the team takes a bow one by one to More, More, More. Of course, the hall roars with applause; especially for Satine. Karis Anderson in the lead role is truly magnificent.
The light extending from the stage to the city: Maybe one day…
I leave the hall reluctantly and mix into the crowd, heading towards Soho. I definitely don’t want to spend my hours sleeping, despite all my fatigue. I know that capitalism doesn’t like sleeping consumers, anyway. In this sense, I can say that Moulin Rouge! has a quite wide impact in terms of its contribution to the economy. Jokes aside, the Moulin Rouge! stage lights reflect not only a love story but also the power of the culture economy. London’s theater district, the West End, creates a multi-billion pound economic cycle with world-famous musicals. This cycle touches hundreds of sectors, from costume designers to stagehands, and from hotel staff to restaurant owners.
Art, the invisible export of cities
Art is no longer just an aesthetic experience; it is an investment area that keeps the pulse of city economies. In fact, we know that the culture economy is a country’s invisible export. The audience filling the Moulin Rouge! halls in London is actually buying a city’s brand value. I wonder if Istanbul, Izmir, or Ankara are missing out on anything. Who knows, maybe one day Moulin Rouge! will brighten the lights of Istanbul, Izmir, and Ankara; perhaps a similar sparkle and economic mobility will echo in Beyoğlu, Karaköy, Kordon, or Tunalı.
This content has been translated using artificial intelligence technology.