Enter the World of “Moulin Rouge” at Kennedy Center with Yvette Gonzalez-Nacer

We caught up with “Moulin Rouge” star Yvette Gonzalez-Nacer during the company’s national tour stop in D.C. from August 16 to September 24.

With 10 Tony Award triumphs, “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” is one of the most acclaimed shows of the 21st century. The national tour of “Moulin Rouge” will be playing in Washington, D.C. over the next two months, with a run at the Kennedy Center from August 16 to September 24.

The popular jukebox musical is based on the hit 2001 Baz Luhrmann film of the same name. Book writer John Logan and music arranger Justin Levine have taken Luhrmann’s revolutionary film, remixed in new and vibrant musical mash-ups, and created a stage adaption that’s a celebration of truth, beauty, freedom and love as it celebrated more than 160 years of music — from Offenbach to Lady Gaga.

Yvette Gonzalez-Nacer, best known for originating the role of Fate in Broadway’s “Hadestown,” stars as Satine, opposite John Cardoza’s Christian. She recently took over the role and is thrilled to be a part of such a beloved show.

“I’m really looking forward to performing at the iconic Kennedy Center, and I am over the moon to be a part of it,” Gonazalez-Nacer says. “I saw the film when it came out, and I was so moved and inspired by it. Baz created such a colorful world and to combine so many genres like that, it was like nothing I had ever seen before. When I saw the stage version, I knew I wanted to be a part of it.”

As Satine, the doomed courtesan that Nicole Kidman played in the film, Gonzalez-Nacer is reminded every night how important it is to say what you need to say, be who you are and boldly love who you love.

“It’s a beautifully crafted piece of theatre and it’s so fun, yet heartbreaking, and I think it’s a great introduction to theatre as well,” Gonzalez-Nacer says.

The tour also stars Austin Durant as Harold Zidler, Nick Rashad Burroughs as Toulouse-Lautrec, Andrew Brewer as The Duke of Monroth, Libby Lloyd as Nini and Gabe Martínez as Santiago.

“This show is a spectacle and spectacular,” Gonzalez-Nacer said. “The dancing is amazing. The cast is incredible. And they use more modern songs in the show than they do in the movie, such as Adele, Beyoncé and Sia. Audiences love to hear them and the songs fit so well dramatically to be part of the storytelling.”

Of course, as any fan of the film will tell you, “Roxanne” is a must, and is the show-stopper of the stage version as well.

In addition to her impressive theatrical resume, Gonzalez-Nacer also played Cha Cha in “Grease Live” and performed as the lovable Kiki on the Nickelodeon hit, “The Fresh Beat Band” from 2009-2013.

“I still get recognized for that and I think it’s so wild,” she says. “At the stage door, we always get to meet people who loved the show and want to get their Playbill signed and there are a lot of fans who come with a picture of when they went to a Fresh Beat Band concert and met me, so there’s this beautiful feeling of support and I always appreciate that.”

Rapid Question Round with Yvette Gonzalez-Nacer

Intro to Music
Started playing violin at age 3

Favorite D.C. Activity
Biking through the streets

Looking Forward to Seeing
National Museum of African American History and International Spy Museum

Keith Loria

A theatre buff and huge music fan, Keith Loria is a D.C.-based award-winning journalist who has been writing about the arts for more than 20 years. He started his career with the Associated Press and has written for Soap Opera Digest, Playbill and Music Review. He looks forward to 2021 and the theaters reopening! He’s the proud father of two daughters, who often accompany him on his theater outings. Visit his website at keithloria.contently.com.