Aug. 2 (UPI) — Natalie Mendoza has joined the cast of Moulin Rouge! The Musical.
The 42-year-old actress will play the lead role of Satine in the Broadway musical, producers announced Monday.
Mendoza replaces Karen Olivo, who left the production in April following workplace harassment and abuse claims against producer Scott Rudin. Rudin, who had no involvement in Moulin Rouge!, apologized for his “troubling interactions with colleagues.”
Moulin Rouge! The Musical producers shared news of Mendoza’s casting alongside a teaser of the actress as Satine.
Mendoza joins Aaron Tveit, Danny Burstein, Sahr Ngaujah, Tam Mutu, Ricky Rojas and Robyn Hurder.
The actress played the can-can dancer China Doll in Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 film Moulin Rouge!, which the Broadway musical is based on.
“From the moment Natalie was cast as China Doll in Moulin Rouge! the film, we knew we had discovered a major young talent,” Lurhmann 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.”
Mendoza is also known for playing Juno Kaplan in The Descent movies and Jackie Clunes on Hotel Babylon.
Moulin Rouge! The Musical will resume performances Sept. 24 at Al Hirschfeld Theatre in New York. The production originally opened on Broadway in July 2019 but shut down in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition, the Moulin Rouge! The Musical national tour has been rescheduled for 2022.