Natalie Mendoza to Star as Satine in Broadway’s “Moulin Rouge! The Musical”

Natalie Mendoza is seeing rouge

The 42-year-old part-Spanish Australian actress/singer has been cast as the lead role of Broadway’s Moulin Rouge! The Musical, filling the vacancy left when the Tony Award-nominated Karen Olivo resigned in April.

Natalie Mendoza

With the casting of Mendoza, the full Moulin Rouge! cast is in place for the resumption of performances on Friday, September 24, at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre.

The musical originally opened on July 25, 2019, but performances were suspended in March 2020 when Broadway went dark due to the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown.

Mendoza joins a principal cast that also includes Aaron Tveit, Danny Burstein, Sahr Ngaujah, Tam Mutu, Ricky Rojas and Robyn Hurder.

The casting is a bit of a homecoming for Mendoza, who portrayed a can-can dancer named China Doll in Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 film Moulin Rouge!

“From the moment Natalie was cast as China Doll in Moulin Rouge! the film, we knew we had discovered a major young talent,” Luhrmann said in a statement. “That young talent has now blossomed into the lead in our Broadway production. I could not be more thrilled that Natalie will be lowered in that glorious swing as Broadway’s Sparkling Diamond.”

Said Mendoza, “Having been involved with the film from its early conception, the role of Satine has always been close to my heart. This rare jewel of an opportunity to play a character like her on Broadway feels like a full circle moment. With this stunning group of bohemian artists and this uniquely conscious creative team I couldn’t be in better care.”

Mendoza, raised in Australia, previously worked with the Broadway musical’s director Alex Timbers when she appeared as Imelda Marcos in Here Lies Love at London’s Royal National Theatre.

 

He starred on the BBC One drama series Hotel Babylon and The Descent horror film franchise.

On the film side, she’ll next be seen in the buzzy Cannes Film Festival film Annette, directed by Leos Carax and starring Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard.

Mendoza’s other credits include Michael Winterbottom’s futuristic thriller Code 46, Miramax’s The Great Raid and, on television, ABC’s production of South Pacific, ITV’s McDonald & Dodds, CBS’ Blue Bloods and in upcoming episodes of Amazon Prime’s Jack Ryan.

On stage, additional credits include Miss Saigon, Spiderman: Turn Off The Dark and Ghost.

Santino Fontana Earns Tony Awards Nomination for “Tootsie”

Santino Fontanais back in the running…

The 2019 Tony Award nominations have been announced, with the 27-year-old part-Spanish American actor/singer earning recognition.

Santino Fontana

Fontana, previously nominated in 2013 for his starring role as Prince Topher in the Broadwaymusical Cinderella, is nominated in the Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical category for his work in Tootsie.

Fontana portrays Michael Dorsey/Dorothy Michaels in the Broadway musical adaptation of the film of the same name, which starred Dustin Hoffman as the lead character.

Eva Noblezadais now a two-time Tony Award nominee…

The half-Mexican American actress/singer, who received a Tony nomination in 2017 for starring in the 2017 revival of Miss Saigon, is nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical for portrayingEurydice in Hadestown.

Prior to appearing on Broadway in Hadestown, Noblezada opened in the lead role of Eurydice in the Royal National Theatre‘s production of the musical on the West End.

Sergio Trujillowill be crossing his fingers on Broadway’s biggest night.

The internationally recognized Colombian choreographer is nominated in the Best Choreography category for his work in Ain’t Too Proud — The Life and Times of the Temptations.

Trujillo previously earned a Tony Award nod in the same category for his work on the Gloria Estefan and Emilio Estefan musical On Your Feet! 

Hadestowntopped all nominees with nods in 14 categories including best musical, where it will go up against Ain’t Too Proud — The Life and Times of the TemptationsBeetlejuiceThe Promand Tootsie.

This year’s Tony Awards will air at 8:00 p.m. on CBS on June 9 from Radio City Music Hall, with James Cordenserving as host.

Here’s the full list of nominations:

Best Play
The Ferryman
Choir Boy
Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus
What the Constitution Means to Me
Ink

Best Musical
Ain’t Too Proud — The Life and Times of the Temptations
Beetlejuice
Hadestown
The Prom
Tootsie

Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Play 
Paddy Considine, The Ferryman
Bryan Cranston, Network
Jeff Daniels, To Kill a Mockingbird
Adam Driver, Burn This
Jeremy Pope, Choir Boy

Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Play 
Annette Benning, Arthur Miller’s All My Sons
Laura Donnelly, The Ferryman
Elaine May, The Waverly Gallery
Janet McTeer, Bernhardt/Hamlet
Laurie Metcalf, Hillary and Clinton
Heidi Schreck, What the Constitution Means to Me

Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Brooks Ashmanskas, The Prom
Derrick Baskin, Ain’t Too Proud — The Life and Times of the Temptations
Alex Brightman, Beetlejuice
Damon Daunno, Rogers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!
Santino Fontana, Tootsie

Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Stephanie J. Block, The Cher Show
Caitlin Kinnunen, The Prom
Beth Leavel, The Prom
Eva Noblezada, Hadestown
Kelli O’Hara, Kiss Me, Kate

Best Orchestrations
Michael Chorney + Todd Sickafoose, Hadestown
Simon Hale, Tootsie
Larry Hochman, Kiss Me, Kate
Daniel Kluger, Rogers + Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!
Harold Wheeler, Ain’t Too Proud — The Life and Times of the Temptations

Best Revival of a Play
Arthur Miller’s All My Sons

The Boys in the Band
Burn This
Torch Song
The Waverly Gallery

Best Costume Design of a Musical
Michael Krass, Hadestown
William Ivey Long, Beetlejuice
William Ivey Long, Tootsie
Bob Mackie, The Cher Show
Paul Tazewell, Ain’t Too Proud to Beg — The Life and Times of the Temptations

Best Revival of a Musical
Kiss Me, Kate
Rogers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!

Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Robert Brill + Peter Nigrini, Ain’t Too Proud — The Life and Times of the Temptations
Peter England, King Kong
Rachel Hauck, Hadestown
Laura Jellinek, Rogers + Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!
David Korins, Beetlejuice

Best Sound Design of a Musical
Peter Hylenski, Beetlejuice
Peter Hylenski, King Kong
Steve Canyon Kennedy, Ain’t Too Proud — The Life and Times of the Temptations
Drew Levy, Rogers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!
Nevin Steinberg + Jessica Paz, Hadestown

Best Original Score
Be More Chill,music & lyrics by Joe Iconis

Beetlejuice, music & lyrics by Eddie Perfect
Hadestown, music & lyrics Anais Mitchell
The Prom, music by Matthew Sklar & lyrics by Chad Beguelin
Tootsie, music & lyrics by David Yazbek 

Best Book of a Musical
Ain’t Too Proud — The Life and Times of the Temptations, Dominique Morisseau
Beetlejuice, Scott Brown & Anthony King
Hadestown, Anais Mitchell
The Prom, Bob Martin & Chad Beguelin
Tootsie, Robert Horn

Best Choreography
Camille A. Brown, Choir Boy
Warren Carlyle, Kiss Me, Kate
Denis Jones, Tootsie
David Neumann, Hadestown
Sergio Trujillo, Ain’t Too Proud — The Life and Times of the Temptations

Best Scene Design of a Play
Miriam Buether, To Kill a Mockingbird
Bunny Christie, Ink
Rob Howell, The Ferryman
Santo Loquasto, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus
Jan Versweyveld, Network

Best Costume Design of a Play
Rob Howell, The Ferryman
Toni-Leslie James, Bernhardt/Hamlet
Clint Ramos, Torch Song
Ann Roth, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus
Ann Roth, To Kill a Mockingbird

Best Sound Design of a Play
Adam Cork, Ink
Scott Lehrer, To Kill a Mockingbird
Fitz Patton, Choir Boy
Nick Powell, The Ferryman
Eric Sleichim, Network

Best Lighting Design of a Play
Neil Austin, Ink
Jules Fisher + Peggy Eisenhauer, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus
Peter Mumford, The Ferryman
Jennifer Tipton, To Kill a Mockingbird
Jan Versweyveld + Tal Yarden, Network