Meg Donnelly, a former student at Bedwell Elementary School, has recently made an exciting step in her career. She made her Broadway debut in November 2025 in the musical Moulin Rouge. She stars as Satine, the glamorous star performer of the Moulin Rouge nightclub. Meg Donnelly, a vivacious and bubbly persona, brings fresh energy to the iconic character.
Before her Broadway debut, she was widely recognized for her role as Addison in the Disney franchise Zombies film series. Because of this popular role, she already had a strong and loyal fan base eager to watch her live and see her transition from Disney to a more mature role. Many fans who grew up watching her films were excited to see how she would take on such a dramatic and demanding character. Moving from film to live theater is a major change to any performer, but Donnelly made it look swift and easy and embraced her new opportunity.
Early reviews were largely positive, critics claiming that she looked luminous and beautiful, praising her ability to sing live and bring so much emotion to the character. Since the musical was set in Paris, critic Evelyn Palma of The Prospector said that her accent could use improvement, but it did not take away from her performance. The musical features almost 70 songs, with Donnelly’s performances highlighting “Elephant Love Medley” and “Backstage Romance”. These moments allow her to showcase both her vocal abilities and dancing skills. Moulin Rouge, as previously ranked No.1 at the box office for several weeks and scored eight Academy Award nominations, winning the Oscars for art direction and costume design, setting the bar very high for Donnelly.
The story of Moulin Rouge follows a young writer named Christian, who travels to Paris with dreams of becoming a successful artist. While there, he meets Satine (Meg Donnelly), a performer in the Moulin Rouge nightclub, and the two meet and immediately fall for one another. However, the nightclub is struggling financially, and the owner attempts to save it by convincing the wealthy Duke to help them out of debt. While he agrees to do so, he says he will only go through with it if Satine promises to be with him instead of Cristain. This decision forces her to choose between her job and love. Throughout the musical, the characters face challenges such as jealousy, secrets, affairs, and difficult decisions while still keeping Moulin Rouge alive.
Satine’s character is crucial to the story, which only makes Donnelly’s performance especially important to the production. Her songs, performance, chemistry, and relationships with other characters shape the direction of the story.
Mrs. Brooten from Bedwell has been to the musical herself, and when asked how Donnelly was as a student, she says, “Meg is and always was the total package – talented musically, an actress, and an all-around kind, smart, and humble human who never takes one moment of her life or her experiences for granted.”
Mrs. Brooten continued by expressing her pride in Donnelly: “I am forever proud watching her soar, and I can’t wait to see what challenges she takes on next!”
For students and staff at Bedwell Elementary, Donnelly’s Broadway debut is a proud moment. Charlotte Caggiano ‘28, a fellow Bedwell student, says, “I’m happy for her; she came from Disney, so it’s obviously a far jump, but yeah, I’m really happy for her.”
Seeing someone who once walked the same halls go and perform on one of the most famous stages in the world and be as successful as her can be an inspiration to anyone.
