Hello, chickens! And welcome to the Moulin Rouge, a magical place full of wonder and excitement! We're beyond excited for Moulin Rouge the Musical to finally make it to Detroit, as it's one of our favorites! Based on the 2001 Baz Luhrmann musical of the same name, this revamped jukebox musical brings a healthy dose of romance and just as much drama. Moulin Rouge the Musical is spending just about three weeks in Detroit, so ahead of its arrival, we sat down with Robert Petkoff, who stars as Harold Zidler in the show!

In this interview, Petkoff discusses what drew him to this role, what his audition process was like, how he balances the tonally difference aspects of the show, what some of the challenges have been to bringing Harold Zidler to life, and how his background in Shakespearean theater has helped him with his role in Moulin Rouge!

Timestamps for this interview:

• 00:00 - Intro
• 01:30 - Robert Petkoff talks about his character Harold Zidler in Moulin Rouge
• 02:40 - The pop songs featured in Moulin Rouge the Musical
• 04:50 - Seeing it in NYC, an incredibly fun show
• 05:20 - Changes to The Duke's character, movie vs musical
• 06:33 - What sets the musical apart from the movie?
• 09:15 - The casting process
• 15:00 - Petkoff on what drew him to the character?
• 18:25 - Leading those big musical numbers
• 19:40 - Laughter in the performance
• 20:45 - Process to get into character
• 23:14 - Most challenging aspect of the part?
• 26:15 - How has your Shakespearean background helped with this role?
• 28:36 - Shows in one spot vs touring
• 32:20 - Traditions on tour, things to do in different cities
• 27:27 - Outros

For more information, and tickets visit: https://moulinrougemusical.com/us-tour/home/

For the full video interview, visit YouTube @CosmicCircusBroadway

and for more Broadway coverage visit https://broadway.thecosmiccircus.com

This weekend at The Ringwald Theatre located inside of The Affirmations building in Ferndale, MI, the Ringwald Reprise presents Applause, the first show of its kind at the theater! Being described as a staged concert version of the 1970 Tony Award-Winning musical, which in turn is based on the film All About Eve, Applause is looking to charm the audience once again!

In this Interview, director and cast member Joe Bailey discusses why now felt like the right time to bring this frequently overlooked musical to The Ringwald, what it's like to be both a cast member and the director of the show, how it takes a village to bring a musical to life, and where he sees this staged concert series going in the future.

For more information, and tickets visit: http://www.theringwald.com/production...

For the full video interview, visit YouTube @CosmicCircusBroadway https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfIbiSn_KNY&t=1s

Listen in as RJ Miller-Zelinko and Brian Kitson share their experience with Shrek from childhood to a more recent live show based on the beloved film Shrek The Musical via it's North America Tour.

Have you seen Shrek the Musical? What was your experience? Let us know your thoughts on social media @mycosmiccircus and @boxseatbabes or comment below! If you enjoy this podcast, please consider sharing it with friends and following us on social media, or joining our Discord.

Timestamps 00:00 - intro 01:41 - Childhood memories of watching the original Shrek movie 08:20 - Discussing Shrek the Musical and the complicated logistics of adapting the film to stage. 11:20 - Changes from the original version of the musical 17:20 - Shrek's backstory added to musical 19:41 - Lord Farquaad changes in the musical vs the original 23:43 - "Freak Flag" 25:01 - Comedic choices and changes in the musical 28:10 - Best performances in most recent viewing of Shrek The Musical North America tour stop in Michigan. 32:55 - The music in this show 38:16 - Staging and costume for Fiona's transformation, the Dragon and other effects 44:16 - What is the rewatch value of this show? 48:50 - Coming up next for Broadway in Detroit: Moulin Rouge 01:02:00 - Outro

Podcast credits and show notes

Contributors/Writers Brian Kitson RJ Miller-Zelinko

Executive Producer/Editor Lizzie Hill

FMI about Shrek the Musical's North America Tour visit https://shrekthemusicaltour.com/

For a written review by Brian visit https://broadway.thecosmiccircus.com/shrek-the-musical-tour-review/

For Brian's exclusive interview with Timmy Lewis (Lord Farquaad) visit https://broadway.thecosmiccircus.com/exclusive-interview-timmy-lewis-talks-shrek-the-musical/

Follow us on social media @mycosmiccircus or visit the Linktree to find us: https://linktr.ee/cosmiccircus