{"id":189033,"date":"2026-03-12T18:42:44","date_gmt":"2026-03-12T18:42:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/189033\/"},"modified":"2026-03-12T18:42:44","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T18:42:44","slug":"amara-berhan-of-moulin-rouge-the-musical-at-ruth-eckerd-hall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/189033\/","title":{"rendered":"Amara Berhan of MOULIN ROUGE! The Musical at Ruth Eckerd Hall"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Moulin Rouge! The Musical\u00a0is at Ruth Eckerd Hall April 1\u20135, bringing its explosive blend of romance, spectacle, and bohemian heart to Clearwater. Among the first performers to ignite the stage is Amara Berhan<\/a>, who plays Arabia, one of the fierce and unforgettable Lady Ms.<\/p>\n

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Berhan steps into the role with a natural connection to its showgirl spirit. \u201cArabia is a showgirl, which, you know, is my job as well,\u201d she said. \u201cShe starts, she comes out the gate swinging. She\u2019s the first voice we hear. It\u2019s just fun to like take on that showgirl persona. And I feel like we\u2019re similar in that way because I love a spectacle. I love singing and dancing and that\u2019s what she\u2019s built her life around too.\u201d<\/p>\n

The production\u2019s intensity is legendary, and performing it eight times a week demands stamina and discipline. \u201cIt\u2019s very high intensity. It\u2019s a big show to do every night. This is the hardest physical thing I’ve ever done. You definitely feel it in your body sometimes,\u00a0but we’re well taken care of. We have, we have a great physical therapist. We have everything we need to set us up for success,”\u00a0she said.<\/p>\n

Touring also gives her the chance to explore each city between performances. \u201cI usually try to explore a bit of each city that we\u2019re in because that\u2019s one of the gifts of being on tour,\u201d she said. \u201cYou get to travel and see different parts of the country and even different countries. You get to see a little bit of what each city has to offer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her connection with the other Lady Ms is one of the show\u2019s most joyful backstage dynamics. They begin every performance together with a ritual that sets the tone for the night. \u201cWe call each other sisters. We\u2019re a unit for sure, which is so fun,\u201d she said. \u201cWe start every show together. We do a little pre\u2011show ritual every night. We give a little hug, and then we actually sing the beginning of Man, I Feel Like a Woman by Shania Twain<\/a> every night.\u201d<\/p>\n

Berhan joined the tour in January 2025, reaching a milestone she had imagined but never expected to arrive so quickly. \u201cIt was the best day ever,\u201d she said. \u201cI remember just being so happy and excited and realizing that that dream was coming true. I saw the tour a week before I graduated college and I remember thinking, oh my gosh, I would kill to be in a show like that. And about five months later is when I got the call.\u201d<\/p>\n

Playing Arabia allows her to channel a bold, unapologetic energy that resonates with audiences. \u201cIt\u2019s really fun to get to embody such a fun out there type of character and get to represent all the showgirls out there who are living for the spotlight and the spectacle of it all,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s definitely an honor to get to wear the beautiful Tony winning costumes and be under the beautiful Tony winning lights.\u201d<\/p>\n

One quiet moment in the show holds deep meaning for her, even though she isn\u2019t onstage for it. \u201cI will make you immortal,\u201d she said, quoting Latrec\u2019s farewell to Satine. \u201cI love it so much because it\u2019s a reminder that even though you\u2019re faced with mortality and everyone\u2019s story has to end eventually, we live on through others and who love us. Even though someone may be gone, they\u2019re never truly gone.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the stage door, she often surprises fans who don\u2019t recognize her without her signature wig. \u201cI have a very distinctive, pretty iconic wig,\u201d she said. \u201cPeople are like, wait, who did you play? And they\u2019re like, no way, I thought that was your real hair. I get that every stage door.\u201d<\/p>\n

But the reactions that stay with her most are the ones rooted in connection. \u201cI just love when people thank us for a fun night,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019ve even had people tell us what \u2018you can, can, can\u2019 means to them. You have people who have made it a mantra in their everyday life. It\u2019s definitely an honor to get to be a part of that kind of legacy.\u201d<\/p>\n

As people make their way out into the night, she hopes the show stays on their minds.\u00a0 \u201cI hope they go home and talk about, oh my gosh, did you see this? Did you see this?\u201d she said. \u201cBut I also hope they go home really thinking about what the four bohemian values mean to them: truth, beauty, freedom, and love. I hope that they take those four values away with them and put them into their daily life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Moulin Rouge! The Musical runs April 1\u20135 at Ruth Eckerd Hall. Learn more and buy tickets at rutheckerdhall.com\/events\/detail\/moulin-rouge-the-musical.<\/p>\n

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