MOULIN ROUGE - MAGNIFIQUE
October through May Only at Sage French American Café of Fort Lauderdale
Review by Bernie Hourihan

Dinner and a show has never been this wonderful. Local dance instructor and choreographer Maxwell 'Maxidus' Voce has joined with renowned chef and restaurateur Laurent Tasic to bring the Moulin Rouge to Sage French American Café.

Far beyond bawdy jokes and Can Can dancers La Vie, L'Amour, La Danse is an exotic mix of French Burlesque and flowing ballet with a hint of the colors and rhythms of Brazil and Old Spain. The music and costumes shift effortlessly between traditional and modern. The choreography and individual performances are as thrilling as anything that you'll see on a theatre stage. And while a traditional theatre has its raised stage and separating wall of curtains, sage places tables so close to the performers that you can feel the air flow past your face from the dancers' flying capes in the opening number.

But why replace valuable, always filled tables in a successful cafe with a performance floor? Well after twelve great years, Sage owner and Chef Laurent Tasic simply wanted to take local entertainment a step further . He helped launched the famous Texan bar and restaurant in Monaco and now he's bringing to Fort Lauderdale the rich intimacy of a European cafe where the guests could choose to reach out and actually touch the dancers.

Of course, who would dare to do so under the watchful eye of "Madame" (Rocio Ungaro) who sees all and frequently taunts both the audience and her dancers with her sharp tongue. The dancers include Andrea Cavrich, Christine Lopez, Lisa Malservisi, Jimmy Rodriguez, Ester Vazquez, and Jennifer Wilson and they all are skilled and marvelous as you could ever ask for. Several are from the City of Miami Ballet.

And each has the qualities of a soloist. But choreographer Maxidus blends these six distinctive talents in a flowing, rhythm ensemble that fills every inch of the available floor space.
Ah yes, the choreographer. Like Laurent, Maxidus rarely shows himself during the evening. While The Chef watches his kitchen and food, Maxidus stands at the soundboard behind a small partition. He focuses completely on the dancers, his own body moving ever so slightly in anticipation of their next change. Introduced to Laurent by Kim Smith, owner of the Fort Lauderdale based Identi-T, Maxidus spent almost four months developing the show and casting his dancers. This is a fully staged and thoroughly rehearsed production.

Appropriately, the show opened on Halloween to a full moon and a full Cafe. And while both Chef Laurent and Maxidus were thrilled with that initial night, they've always raised the performance levels each week.

This bit with the sound. That bit with the dancers moving deeper among the tables and guests. Great is simply getting better all the time. Yet, be warned!
Moulin Rouge happens only on Wednesday nights. Throughout the rest of the week Sage continues their quiet, warm ambiance. Perhaps surprisingly there is no cover charge for the Wednesday show. There is a special fitting menu that accommodates the production that will make the palate dance as well. Think of this as a wonderful gift to Fort Lauderdale and South Florida. Subsequently, make your Wednesday plans early. This has quickly become a prime attraction and the opportunity to experience this vibrant touch of Europe in cafe setting is limited to less than a couple hundred unobstructed seats a week.

The Moulin Rouge production is also available for private and corporate production by calling the restaurant.

954-565-2299 (ask for Jamie)
Sage Cafe
French-American Cafe
2378 N. Federal Highway
Fort Lauderdale, FL

Moulin Rouge Nights
Every Wednesday
Showtime: 9:00pm

Featured Show Menu
Entrees Include:

Chicken Roulade: baked chicken breast stuffed with fresh asparagus, brie and tomatoes, finished with a cranberry demi
Roasted Duck
Bouillabaisse
Filet Mignon-9oz. stuffed with French spinach and shallots, topped with a garlic merlot
Pan Seared Pork Chop: doubled cut pork chop topped with wild mushrooms, finished and finished with a pinot noir sauce
*subject to change

Reservations Suggested:
954-565-2299

Restaurant Hours:
Mon.-Sat. 11am-11pm
Sunday 11am-12pm