The first four principal cast members have been announced for the new Australian production of Moulin Rouge! The Musical, which returns to Sydney in March 2027.
Tim Omaji will reprise his role as Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, joined by Ben Hall as The Duke of Monroth, Tyler Chapman as Santiago and Thalia Smith as Nini.
Producer Carmen Pavlovic said the first announcement offered an early indication of the new company being assembled for the Sydney season.
“Moulin Rouge! The Musical demands an extraordinary range of performance skills, and Ben, Tim, Tyler and Thalia are outstanding performers who each bring something uniquely special to these iconic roles,” Pavlovic said.
“Together, they capture the spirit and passion at the heart of this story. As we build this new Australian company, we’re assembling a cast that will honour everything audiences love about this spectacular production while bringing fresh energy and excitement to the stage for Sydney in 2027.”
Omaji returns to the role of Toulouse-Lautrec after appearing in the original Australian production. The recording artist, dancer and actor, also known as Timomatic, has since performed in TINA: The Tina Turner Musical, RENT and Pretty Woman. His earlier theatre credits include In The Heights, Saturday Night Fever, Fame and Madiba The Musical.
Hall will play the wealthy Duke of Monroth, whose influence over the Moulin Rouge threatens Satine’s relationship with Christian and the future of the club. A WAAPA acting graduate, Hall is known for playing Ned Willis in Neighbours from 2016 to 2022. His theatre credits include Les Misérables, Pretty Woman and Elvis: A Musical Revolution, with Whispering Jack: The John Farnham Musical among his forthcoming appearances.
Chapman has been cast as Santiago, the Argentinian dancer and bohemian closely associated with Toulouse-Lautrec and Christian. The role marks his professional musical theatre debut. A graduate of Brent Street’s Diploma of Musical Theatre and the Talent Development Project, Chapman has previously appeared in productions of & Juliet, Mamma Mia! and Gold Diggers, as well as working as a dancer and backing vocalist.
Smith steps into the role of Nini, one of the Moulin Rouge’s Lady M performers and Satine’s sharp-eyed confidante. A Victorian College of the Arts graduate, Smith has built an extensive musical theatre career across performance, swing and dance leadership positions. Her credits include Dance Captain and Swing in SIX The Musical, Swing in CATS, Assistant Dance Captain and Ensemble in Beauty and the Beast, and Dance Captain and Swing in Frozen The Musical.
Casting for Satine, Christian and club impresario Harold Zidler will be announced in the coming months.
Based on Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 film, Moulin Rouge! The Musical has a book by John Logan, direction by Alex Timbers and Tony Award-winning choreography by Sonya Tayeh. Its score draws on more than 160 years of music, combining songs heard in the film with popular music released since its premiere.
The original Australian production opened in Melbourne in November 2021 and toured to Sydney, Perth and Brisbane, concluding in February 2024 after attracting 1.4 million theatregoers. The production’s 2027 return follows open auditions held in Sydney and Melbourne earlier this year.
Moulin Rouge! The Musical opens at Sydney Lyric in March 2027. Tickets are currently on sale for performances through to 2 May via the official production website.