Broadway musical “Moulin Rouge” at the Musical Dome Cologne

The Musical Dome in Cologne has been hosting the spectacular Broadway musical “Moulin Rouge” for over a year now. Mehr-BB Entertainment extensively rebuilt the theater right next to Cologne Cathedral using a large amount of PROLYTE trusses. In addition to a visual makeover in entrance and foyer, this also included an extensive redesign of the stage technology and the auditorium.
 
It is the largest and most spectacular transformation the Musical Dome has ever experienced. The entire theater is unrecognizable and the large hall is completely resplendent in the splendor of Paris' most famous nightclub, the Moulin Rouge.
 


Countless chandeliers float above the spectators, everything is wrapped in red velvet curtains and the typical Parisian windmill and the world-famous blue elephant sit enthroned between the magnificent, gold-decorated walls.
 
Technically, the Musical Dome presented a lot of challenges. The theatre was first put into operation as a temporary venue in 1996 and no one expected it to remain in operation for such a long time. Due to a lack of hanging points in the theater, a prerigg made of Prolyte M145RV and lots of H40R, H30V and H30D trusses was used for the elaborate decoration including new sound and lighting technology. The entire rig hangs on a total of four side supports and spans the entire, almost 30m wide auditorium.
 
 

But a lot has happened not only in the auditorium. The stage house also received a major upgrade and was brought up to the latest technical standards. In order to meet production requirements, the entire upper machinery was replaced, among other things. In addition to new cable winches and controlling systems, Prolyte trusses were also used as a supporting structure.
 
A truss with an height of 125 cm was developed specifically for the project in Cologne. “The length of the span was not the problem in this case,” remembers Jens Kannacher from Prolyte. “The type of load in combination with the requirement for very low deflection and a certain rigidity of the entire system made a custom-made product necessary. Larger systems from our range would have been too heavy or the height would not have been appropriate. Therefore, we used a modified truss based on our B100 truss for the project. The result speaks for itself. The stage design is gigantic and you completely immerse yourself in another world. A visit to the Musical Dome is worth it for that alone.”