Moulin Rouge star reveals full-circle ‘homage’ to Nicole Kidman

After six years on the Great White Way, Moulin Rouge is preparing to take it’s final bow on Broadway this summer.

The iconic musical is based off the 2001 spectacular Moulin Rouge!, Baz Luhrmann’s musical about a red-headed cabaret actress named Satine who falls for an English poet.

Nicole Kidman famously originated the role and her portrayal of the ill-fated courtesan earned her an Oscar nomination and cemented her in cinema history. 

Since then, numerous actresses have been cast as ‘Satine’ on Broadway, but now the theatrical run will be ending with an actress who has a touching similarity to Kidman. 

Singer Kelsie Watts has been playing Satine since February and, much like Kidman, has fiery red hair. 

‘She is the blueprint… So many people were really excited that they let me keep my red hair for the wigs,’ she told The Daily Mail in an exclusive interview back in June. ‘It’s like an homage back to Nicole.’

Broadway star Kelsie Watts spoke about her experiences portraying Satine in Moulin Rouge

Nicole Kidman famously originated the role of Satine in Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 film 

The role’s history boasts a number of stars to have played Satine over the years, a fact that has not gone unnoticed by Watts.  

‘To be the last one that gets to be on Broadway is amazing,’ she said. ‘The amount of people that have taken on a role… just all have their own individual unique take on it.’

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Moulin Rouge made a splash at the Tonys, where host Pink kicked off a star-studded rendition of ‘Lady Marmalade’ alongside Megan Thee Stallion. 

‘It was so, so cool,’ she said. ‘I’ve always been a huge fan of Pink, love Meg, and I love the way that they did Leading Lady Marmalade,’ she said. ‘It was iconic.’

Watts made her Broadway debut on Six yet is no stranger to the spotlight. 

In 2020, she auditioned for The Voice – where she received words of wisdom from Kelly Clarkson 

‘She did say at one point, she was like, “Make sure that you always feel what you’re singing, that people can hear your emotion through your voice.”‘

While Watts was ultimately eliminated from the series, she has developed an unlikely group of fans since – the cast of The Real Housewives of New Jersey. 

Watts has been playing Satine on Broadway since February, even sharing the stage with Megan Thee Stallion 

Moulin Rouge made a splash at the Tonys, where host Pink kicked off a star-studded rendition of ‘Lady Marmalade’ alongside Megan Thee Stallion

Singer Kelsie Watts has been playing Satine since February and, much like Kidman, has fiery red hair

Watts made her Broadway debut on Six yet she’s no stranger to the bright lights of the spotlight

‘I think the only person I haven’t met is Teresa. I haven’t met her. But everyone else, they came to see me in Six. We initially met at the Planet Hollywood reopening party,’ she said. 

‘They all follow me on Instagram, and so we only chatted on Instagram for a couple of times, and then I got there, and all I hear is, “Kelsie!” 

‘We all started hanging out, became friends, they came to see me in Six. I just did a thing with Dolores, Love Without Labels, for an animal shelter and so it was good to see her again,’ she said. ‘I love them. They’re awesome people.’

When Watts isn’t working on Broadway, she is also busy working on her own music – her latest single, Made For Your Love, has received over 100,000 streams on Spotify. 

Moulin Rouge! will officially come to a close on Broadway on Sunday August 30th, 2026. 

Set in the 1900s, the 2001 hit drama/musical follows the love story of a poet (Ewan McGregor) who falls in love with Satine (Kidman) who is the star of the iconic cabaret establishment, Moulin Rouge.

Reflecting on the advice Kelly Clarkson gave her, Watts recalled the American Idol icon telling her, ‘Make sure that you always feel what you’re singing’

In honor of the film’s 25th anniversary earlier this year, the duo reunited at the Academy Awards with a memorable skit before announcing the Best Picture winner.  

Ewan quipped: ‘Nicole, even though it’s been 25 years [since Moulin Rouge], every time I hear the word love, I still imagine someone is going to lower a chandelier and cue the orchestra!’

While Nicole ultimately scooped the role of Satine, many Hollywood actresses were itching to get the part.

Catherine Zeta-Jones, Renée Zellweger, Kate Winslet, Hilary Swank, Natalie Mendoza, Sharleen Spiteri, and Sophie Ellis-Bextor were all in the running.

Catherine, who was a keen contender, went onto star as Velma Kelly in the 2002 film adaptation of the musical Chicago after failing to get the part of Satine.