Grammy-winning pop icon Boy George, known for his bombastic eye-catching wardrobe and makeup, just made his first performance on Broadway's "Moulin Rouge!" last Tuesday, Feb. 6, after over twenty years away from the stages of New York.
The then-Culture Club singer, famous for Karma Chameleon, looked right at home alongside the ensemble of the Tony Award-winning musical as he took on the role of the impresario, Harold Zidler, donning an opulently intricate velvety jacket, a black top hat, and the role's iconic purple eye shadow.
Boy George will only appear in limited performances from Feb. 6 through May 12, totaling around 112 shows.
Boy George as "Harold Zidler" as he joins the cast of "Moulin Rouge! The Musical" on Broadway at The Al Hirshfeld Theater on February 6, 2024 in New York City.
The Other Broadway Production Boy George Starred In
The hitmaker is no stranger in New York's theatre district as he previously appeared on the 2004 run of the Broadway musical "Taboo," headlining as the lead, Leigh Bowery.
This particular production centered around a romantic narrative set in the often fantasized 1980s London, complete with nightclubs, excess opulence, and unfiltered debauchery that the era-specific setting became known for.
"Taboo" premiered at London's West End in 2002, before the production underwent a transferral across the pond. After its Broadway run, it then went on tour in the UK before finally being revived in a Brixton production in 2010.
As for Boy George, he reprised the role of Bowley during the 20th-anniversary show of the musical at the London Palladium Theatre in 2022.
The History of 'Moulin Rouge!' at Broadway
"Moulin Rouge!" was adapted from the iconic 2001 film of the same name that starred Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor.
This jukebox musical movie would then develop a cult following that led to its stage musical adaptation which opened in the Summer of 2019 at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre.
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, it joined the long list of Broadway productions that were prematurely stopped, however, it resumed its shows in September 2021.
This momentous return earned the production a whopping ten wins at the 2021 Tony Awards, two Drama League Awards (one of which is for Outstanding Production of a Musical), and ten Outer Critics Circle Award Honor citations.
The production is directed by Tony Awardee Alex Timbers, with a book by Tony-winning writer John Logan, and choreography by Tony Award winner Sonya Tayeh. Music supervision, arrangements, and orchestrations, on the other hand, were done by Tony Award winner Justine Levine.
Set in a world of splendor and eye-popping visual numbers, the story is centered on the budding romance between a young Englishman and Satine, a singer from the ever-famous and intoxicating show that is Moulin Rouge.
The young lovers then struggle to keep their relationship a secret, lest Satine lose her spot in the show as her hand was already offered by Moulin Rouge's manager to a big-wig Duke.
