Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Viewers Upset by 'Risque' 'Moulin Rouge' Performance

Anna Rumer

11/25/2021 12:00 pm EST

The cast of Moulin Rouge! The Musical had some Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade viewers clutching their pearls as Natalie Mendoza (Satine) and the cast performed "The Sparkling Diamond" – a song from the musical that mixes classic with modern by sampling moments from Madonna's "Material Girl" and "Single Ladies" by Beyonce.

Some people even called the performance risqué, which they thought was incongruous when it came to the parade's family message, but were met by defenders of the musical and the performance. Keep scrolling to see people's reactions to the musical's performance.

'Catastrophic Fail'

Several people on Twitter called out NBC for airing the performance on the family program.

'What on Earth'

Others were simply confused by the wild performance altogether, with one person joking it was an "actual satanic ritual."

'Weird'

Some viewers thought it was "weird" NBC would show such "skimpy" outfits during the parade.

Complaints

Even those who weren't offended by the performance thought NBC would probably be receiving complaints from a "bunch of prudes" in society.

Defenders

The musical's performance also had plenty of defenders, one of whom joked the only "inappropriate" thing about the costumes was how cold they looked in the November chill.

'Stay Safe Out There'

People who liked the performance were quick to wish the performers well amid what they expected would be swift backlash.

Clapping Back

Others even responded to people complaining on social media with their thoughts about the matter.

Watch the Performance

Moulin Rouge! The Musical opened on Broadway in 2019 and has gone on to win 10 Tony Awards, including for Best Musical. Watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade performance for yourself here.

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