Meg Donnelly Makes a Dazzling Broadway Debut as Satine in Moulin Rouge The Musical
The Zombies and Winchesters star trades TV soundstages for Broadway glitter, stepping into the role of Satine with charm, sequins, and star power.
New York, October 24 EST: The Green Fairy’s got some new magic and it’s wearing sequins. Meg Donnelly, the Disney alum best known for Zombies and The Winchesters, is trading her cheerleader uniform for a corset and feathers. The actor-singer is officially stepping into Satine’s glittering shoes in Broadway’s Moulin Rouge The Musical and the first photos just dropped, courtesy of PEOPLE, setting the internet on fire (and maybe a few absinthe bottles too).
From Disney Darling To Diamond Diva
Donnelly’s leap to Broadway is the kind of pop-culture pivot that feels both surprising and perfectly timed. After years of leading Disney musicals and slaying demons on network TV, she’s now headed for the Al Hirschfeld Theatre starting November 11, with performances running through March 1, 2026. It’ll be her Broadway debut and, judging by those newly released images, she’s arriving in full sparkle armor.
In the shots, Donnelly channels old-Hollywood decadence: cascading curls, blood-red lips, the kind of crystal-encrusted costumes that look heavy enough to come with a neck brace. But the confidence is unmistakable. She’s not just wearing Satine she’s breathing her in.
“I cannot believe I am saying the words, ‘I am making my Broadway debut,’” she told New York Theatre Guide when her casting was announced in late September. “I’ve been dreaming of this moment since birth.”
And honestly? You can tell.
Why This Casting Clicks
Moulin Rouge The Musical isn’t just another jukebox show. It’s Broadway’s champagne fountain a mash-up of pop bangers and heartbreak, built on the bones of Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 film. The stage version, directed by Alex Timbers, turns the theater into a red-velvet fever dream, packed with songs from Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, Adele, and more.
It’s also a production that thrives on fresh energy. So bringing in Donnelly a Gen Z multi-hyphenate with a built-in fanbase and the pipes to back it up feels like a savvy next move. Her audience grew up on Disney Channel musicals; now, they’re old enough to buy Broadway tickets. It’s generational marketing with glitter.
The role of Satine, of course, is no small task. It was immortalized on film by Nicole Kidman and originated on Broadway by Karen Olivo, both known for emotional fire and precision. Donnelly’s challenge will be balancing that iconic sensuality with her own youthful optimism. Still, as early press photos suggest, she’s leaning all the way in finding something in Satine that feels lighter, more modern, more hers.
A Career Glow-Up In Real Time
Let’s be real: it’s not every day a Disney star graduates to Broadway’s biggest party. Donnelly’s move echoes what Ariana DeBose and Lea Michele pulled off turning screen success into a stage triumph. But where they leaned on powerhouse belting and Broadway polish, Donnelly brings something different: a current, slightly digital-era charm. She’s not a throwback; she’s a remix.
And Broadway could use that. Moulin Rouge has been running since 2019, and while it’s still a reliable hit, every long-running musical needs a new jolt now and then. Donnelly’s arrival paired with the pop-driven DNA of the show could help it trend again on TikTok, where theater kids and Disney diehards already overlap heavily.
The Buzz Is Building
Within hours of PEOPLE’s photo drop, fan accounts were already dissecting the costumes and gushing about Donnelly’s look. The reactions range from “Queen behavior” to “Disney kids are really taking over Broadway.” That’s not an exaggeration Donnelly joins a wave of young TV and streaming stars (think Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Rodrigo, Joshua Bassett) who’ve made the jump to live performance spaces, bridging fandoms in real time.
Industry watchers have also noted a subtle uptick in ticket searches for the Al Hirschfeld Theatre’s winter block. That’s not just coincidence that’s star power doing what it’s supposed to do.
What’s Next
Rehearsals are ramping up in New York, with Donnelly expected to join the company full-time in early November. Behind the scenes, the Moulin Rouge team is reportedly preparing updated choreography and styling tweaks tailored to her strengths a common move when introducing a new lead with a distinct pop sensibility.
Her debut run is slated to last until March 1, 2026, but don’t be shocked if it extends. If she connects with audiences and all signs point to yes this could mark the start of a longer Broadway chapter for her.
For now, though, the first photos have done their job: they’ve lit the fuse. Donnelly’s transformation from Disney to diva feels like a full-circle moment not a reinvention, but a revelation.
And in a theater world hungry for new faces who understand both the spectacle and the scroll, Meg Donnelly might just be the crossover Broadway didn’t know it needed.
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A bi-coastal pop culture critic and former indie screenwriter, Gia covers Hollywood, streaming wars, and subculture shifts with razor wit and Gen Z intuition. If it’s going viral, she already knew about it.
