Moulin Rouge first wowed audiences 130 years ago. Take a look behind the scenes at the work that goes into performing for 600,000 audience members a year

• 2019 marks 130 years since the famous Moulin Rouge first opened its stage doors.
• After the show debuted in 1889 in Paris, France, it eventually led to cabarets opening across Europe.
• A cabaret is a performance where audiences are seated at large tables usually drinking or eating dinner.
• Today, Moulin Rouge has become a tourist attraction, bringing in around 600,000 audience members each year.
• Each cabaret show is equipped with 60 performers who must quickly change into the show’s 1,000 costumes.
• Here’s a backstage look at what goes on behind-the-scenes.
• Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.

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Moulin Rouge is one of the most popular cabaret shows in the world. You may know it from the film “Moulin Rouge” or the new Broadway show.

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Debuting 130 years ago, Moulin Rouge has become a Paris staple, attracting 600,000 audience members a year.

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Show-goers buy tickets months in advance to experience this famous cabaret. Ticket prices range from $112 to $468 (102 to 423 euros).

Source: Moulin Rouge

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It’s described as an eccentric show filled with performers clothed in feather boas, sequins, and sparkles.

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Audience members often get served dinner and champagne based on the performance time.

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Each show is made up of 60 talented performers from 14 different countries.

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After auditioning and getting the job, it's not an easy task being a Moulin Rouge dancer.

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Dancers are required to work six days a week, performing in two shows a night. The first show is at 9 p.m. and the second goes on a little past 11 p.m.

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When it comes close to performance time, dancers usually give themselves about 90 minutes beforehand to do their hair and makeup and to stretch.

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Since movements such as cartwheels, high-kicks, and splits are performed throughout the night, the performers must be properly warmed up.

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The can-can performance is considered one of the most physically grueling numbers in the show, as leg-kicking non-stop for several minutes requires a lot of stamina.

Source: Glam

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Back in the day, the can-can was viewed as a provocative dance, since women were kicking their legs high in the air, and it was considered "too revealing."

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Today, this dance is synonymous with Moulin Rouge, and it's something audiences look forward to seeing.

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In order to maintain stamina and energy during the two-hour show, the performers need to be in good physical shape.

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There is also a strict height requirement for both female and male performers. Male dancers must be at least 6'1 and female dancers must be 5'9".

Source: Moulin Rouge

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In addition to the performance on stage, what goes on backstage is just as important.

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In order for each show to happen seamlessly, all of the crews need to be in sync with one another.

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Each dancer has to make about 10 to 15 costume changes, which totals around 1,000 costumes per show...

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...and they are only given about 90 seconds to change before they're required to be back on stage.

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It must be a synchronized process backstage to make sure every dancer changes into the correct outfit.

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Once the lights dim low in the theatre after a number is finished, a troupe of performers rush backstage.

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Within seconds, the performers are removing their current costumes to change into their next one.

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To avoid confusion and chaos, each dancer knows exactly where to go once they rush off stage to find their next costume and its accessories.

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Backstage a team of people lay out the next number's costumes.

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Feather boas hang from rails and thigh-high leather boots hang from racks.

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As the dancers are changing costumes, a crew is changing the scenery on stage.

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Once the dancers are back under the beaming lights, the team puts away the previous costumes and the entire backstage process repeats.

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All 1,000 costumes are sewn, bedazzled, and tailored on site. All of them are hand-made, and it takes 33 artisans to work on them all.

Source: Business Insider Today

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It takes roughly 1,300 pounds of ostrich feathers to make all of the ensembles.

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Each look is tailored to a dancer's body, so it’s a perfect fit.

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And these costumes don't come at a cheap price. Some can cost up to $11,000.

Source: Business Insider Today

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The dazzling costumes and performance of Moulin Rouge went on to inspire other renditions of the famous show.

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In 2001 the motion picture film, Moulin Rouge debuted in movie theatres...

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...and then "Moulin Rouge! The Musical," appeared onstage in Boston in 2018. It arrived on Broadway in the summer of 2019.

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Both the film and the musical prove just how influential and special the beloved 130 year old Moulin Rouge really is. But you'd never know from watching just how much effort goes into making the production seamless.

Source: Reuters