Just six weeks removed from her shocking decision to perform live music after being told she had ‘no voice’ and a bowel movement during an interview on ‘The Hollywood Reporter,’ Natalie Mendoza is back in the spotlight on Broadway in the new Baz Luhrmann musical, ‘Moulin Rouge!’
Mendoza, best known for her ‘Live from Lincoln Center’ performances in recent years, told the network earlier this year that ‘Moulin Rouge!’, which premiered at the Encores! Off-Center series in June 2017, was her first chance to sing live. She stunned fans when she went onstage to sing ‘In the Meantime’ during a preview performance, and has since sung at the New York Philharmonic.
Thanks to loving audiences in Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., New York and London, Mendoza’s ability to sing live onstage with all kinds of virtuosity and grace is reaching the masses again.
After opening on Broadway on Friday evening, the role of the quirky, outspoken Parisian journalist, Christiane, has resonated with critics. Maureen Ryan of The New York Times called her ‘dramatically radiant,’ and Elisabeth Vincentelli of the New York Post called her ‘singing a stylistic tightrope’ and ‘comfortable.’
The role is great ground for Natalie. For her, it’s a chance to show people what makes her stand out. She broke out on Broadway in ‘Jekyll & Hyde’ in 2008, where she played Molly Gannon, and starred in the musical ‘Footloose’ two years later. In 2015, she released her critically acclaimed solo album, ‘Doin’ Something,’ named after the title song on the new musical, ‘Moulin Rouge.’
Natalie goes full Hollywood diva in ‘Moulin Rouge!’ | RedEye
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Natalie is ‘recovering’ and will resume her show, ‘My Body and Other Parties’ when her performance schedule permits.