Boy George is Harold Zidler in MOULIN ROUGE! THE MUSICAL: We Got the Video!

Boy George is Harold Zidler in Moulin Rouge! The Musical

Because you can-can-can! 80s pop star turned gay celebrity Boy George will officially take on the role of Harold Zidler in Moulin Rouge! on Broadway from February to May.

The stage version of the Baz Lurhman masterpiece Moulin Rouge has become a big hit on Broadway. Not only has it become the tourist "must-see" show, but it has also employed some of Broadway's brightest stars such as Aaron Tveit, Tituss Burgess, and the current Courtney Reed (Aladdin). Moulin Rouge! won ten Tony Awards in 2021, including Best Musical. The show got a bit of a rocky start as the show had to shut down due to COVID. It's a modified version of the film, some of the music is different, although the plot and characters are basically the same. It's been lauded for its lushness, over-the-top sets, and pure energy. Even theatre die-hards have enjoyed the show. This just follows the success of film to musical trends like Mean Girls, Legally Blonde, Beetlejuice, Back to the Future, and the upcoming Devil Wears Prada and Death Becomes Her. The movie musical has been credited with bringing younger audiences back to Broadway. It also makes musicals overall more accessible to crowds who never thought about going to a musical...make a musical about a well-loved film? Boom! Moneyyyyyy. Some transfers work better than others.

For anyone older enough to remember, Boy George first hit the scene in the very early 80s, topping the music charts with his group, Culture Club, with hits like “Karma Chameleon” and “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me." Way ahead of his time, he was pushing the fashion envelope with his signature look, which was totally non-binary (now we have a term for it). His look was copied by the youth of the time and can be seen in just about every 80s-themed film. Like Madonna, you know who the look was immediately. He has sold over 100 million singles and 50 million albums with seven UK Top 10 singles, nine Top 10 singles in the USA, and nine Top 20 singles in Australia. He was nominated for 4 Grammys, and won one. He has become part of pop culture history and has since made appearances on world tours, released new music, and has shown up on some reality TV shows, including The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

Unfortunately, Boy George's first Broadway go-around was for his semi-autobiographical musical Taboo, for which he starred and wrote the musical. Despite some Tony nominations, it was considered a flop, even with involvement from Rosie O'Donnell and Charles Busch.

Let's hope this Broadway splash fares better. In the words of Harold Zidler, "The show must go on!"

Here's a sneak peek: