Chloe Rae Kehm has been obsessed with Moulin Rouge! The Musical since its run in Boston, even before it made its way to Broadway. Now, the Pittsburgh native, who won a Gene Kelly Award her senior year at West Allegheny and later went to Point Park University, is looking forward to returning home from New York City with a role in her beloved show.
“I never questioned musical theater as a possible career because of how much exposure I had in Pittsburgh,” Kehm tells Pittsburgh City Paper. “My grandmother has been a season ticket holder with the [Pittsburgh] CLO at the Benedum since 1980.”
Kehm has been attending musicals in the city’s Cultural District since she was a little girl. Her grandmother would take a group of family members Tuesday nights to see summer season shows, and, occasionally, national tours of musicals.
“When I decided that I wanted to do this as a career, it was never like ‘Oh, do people do this?’ It was, ‘Of course they do!’” Kehm says. “I’d been seeing it my whole life.”
And do it she did. Kehm has appeared in the ensemble of the national tour of The Prom, as well as in Pittsburgh CLO's productions of Grease, Oklahoma!, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Brigadoon, and Disney's Beauty and the Beast.
Kehm first auditioned for the touring production of Moulin Rouge! The Musical back in 2019. She says the four years it took to book the job were full of lots of “specific manifestations” and “specific training” to get the maturity and groundedness for the level that Moulin Rouge! The Musical needed.
“It was equal parts ‘Oh my gosh, you’re going to be doing your dream show that you’ve dreamt about for four years,' but it was also on the contrary me thinking, 'Chloe, you have literally worked so specifically and manifested this so intentionally, there’s no way that this wasn’t going to happen.'”
Kehm is a part of the ensemble, and an understudy for the supporting role of Babydoll.
Moulin Rouge! The Musical specifically splits the ensemble into two parts, Kehm tells City Paper. There are the “heels” ensemble and the “flats" ensemble. “Moulin Rouge! The Musical likes to keep things very gender neutral and welcoming to all humans,” she adds.
Kehm is part of the heels ensemble, meaning she wears a heeled shoe. She will be on stage for nearly every dance scene. She was eager to share that she’ll be part of “fun, big lifts” that are hard technical features, but also fun moments where she is above everyone’s heads.
A favorite dance section is “Roxanne,” which was a part of the 2001 movie. “The choreography is just so genius with really contemporary concert dance partnering put into a musical theater setting with intent and storytelling,” Kehm says. “It’s a very beautiful moment.”
Kehm's understudy role, Babydoll, was originated by Jeigh Madjus. The role is normally played by a male, but Kehm identifies as female.
“We don’t ever describe it as drag, but the character is a man dressed as a female in heels,” Kehm says. The show has one male and one female understudy for the role. Lines are tweaked to fit the circumstance of the particular performance.
For example, Kehm notes a line where Satine (the female lead) whispers into Babydoll’s ears “the corset is too tight, I’m all tied down.” Babydoll responds, “Tell me about it!”
“As a man, it would refer to being tucked or being in three pairs of tights and heels,” Kehm says. “I would have to kind of flip it and say something like, ‘I’m in a corset too, girl, I feel it!’”
Moulin Rouge! The Musical is a 10-time Tony Award winner, including for Best Musical. Kehm describes it as a spectacle, and immediate escape. You walk into the theater and are instantly immersed in 1899 Paris. The costumes, by longtime Broadway costume designer Catherine Zuber, are very intricate and what Kehm calls “some of the most beautiful things I have ever put on my body.”
While the show is set in Paris at the turn of the 20th century, it is a classic old love story with a contemporary twist. The musical takes things a step further than the 2001 movie, incorporating songs that have been released in the last 20 years, including favorites from Beyoncé, P!nk, Lady Gaga, and Adele.
“At the root of Moulin Rouge! is that it’s a place to belong for everybody — it’s a true celebration of artists, and a celebration of truth, beauty, freedom, and love,” Kehm says, noting the original movie’s main themes that are part of the musical, too.
Kehm particularly relates to the love part. “How many people can really say they do what they love every single day?” she posits.
Kehm believes the show will thrive in Pittsburgh, as we are a “city that does love and celebrate art in all forms.”
Moulin Rouge! The Musical runs September 27 through October 8 at the Benedum Center. Expect confetti canons, the can-can, and an overall glittery red spectacular.
Bonus! A Bohemian’s guide to Pittsburgh
If you’re feeling like the bohemians of 1899 Paris and want to grab a drink, buy a vintage outfit, or take in some art, here are some options to live like Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and his fellow boho friends at the Moulin Rouge!
1. To invoke the spirit of the unconventional artists who were the bohemians, ensemble member and understudy for the role of Babydoll Chloe Rae Kehm says we are lucky in Pittsburgh to have offbeat museums such as The Andy Warhol Museum, Randyland, and The Mattress Factory.“We have so many oddly beautiful installations in Pittsburgh,” Kehm says.
2. Prohibition era bar the Speakeasy at the Omni William Penn is a great place to stop before seeing Moulin Rouge! The Musical, as it offers cocktails like “Death in the Evening,” made with “The Green Fairy” (aka absinthe), a popular drink for artists and creatives (Toulouse-Lautrec was said to imbibe).
3. As a true bohemian, you’ll need a creative outfit. Three Rivers Vintage serves up some classic items. Spend some time in the shop (by appointment only) to put together a perfect period ensemble.
4. Of course, if you can’t get to Paris, a proper Parisian-inspired dinner is the next best thing. Paris 66 Bistro on Centre Avenue is a cozy French bistro serving authentic dishes like escargot, filet mignon, chocolate mousse, and macarons.
