The British pop star Boy George will play the role of the enthusiastic club owner Harold Zidler in “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” next year, returning to Broadway for the first time in two decades.
The singer, who made his Broadway debut in “Taboo,” a musical produced by Rosie O’Donnell that featured songs he wrote, will play Zidler from Feb. 6 to May 12 at Al Hirschfeld Theater. The actor Tituss Burgess is temporarily in the role, which was originated by Danny Burstein, who won the Tony Award for best featured actor in a musical.
Boy George and his band Culture Club are responsible for hit singles including “Karma Chameleon” and “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me.” The group won a Grammy Award for best new artist in 1984.
“Moulin Rouge!,” based on a 2001 film directed by Baz Luhrmann, is set in Paris at the turn of the 20th century and tells the story of a young composer who falls in love with a cabaret actress. It is directed by Alex Timbers with a book by John Logan and won 10 Tony Awards, including for best new musical.
The musical opened in 2019 and reopened in 2021 after pausing for the coronavirus pandemic.