THE GREATEST SHOWMAN

[jo]

Benj Pasek and Justin Paul have degrees in musical theatre, have written a number of musicals, and were nominated for a TONY for The Christmas Story --

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasek_and_Paul

I am not familiar with their music, though.




Jo

[mamaleh]

Jo, if you can get hold of the CD of DOGFIGHT, you'll find some lovely songs on it. And as I said, I thought P&P wrote the best score last season for A CHRISTMAS STORY and should have won the Tony. Their time will come, I'm sure.

Ellen

[JH4HJ]

Didn't they do some of the music for the short-lived TV show SMASH?
Was it just for the play-within-the-show?

The hot new team of Benj Pasek and Justin Paul were employed along with another young writer named Joe Iconis. These three guys were responsible for most of what you heard regarding the Hit List story line along with a few other writers as well.

Article

You can listen to a few songs on NPR
(Scroll down/left side of the page)

Aaron Tveit singing Pasek & Paul's "Along The Way"


Many, many videos on YouTube, just search their names together.

[mamaleh]

Yes, they did write some "Hit List" songs for SMASH, too. In the video, that's Benj Pasek leaning on the piano behind Aaron Tveit's left shoulder. Must have been at his show at 54 Below.

Ellen

[jo]

Thanks, Ellen and Valerie!

If they are really the only songwriting team -- I am glad that Hugh and the producers have found them!! Their music carries a legitimate theatre vibe ( tone, storytelling qualities to advance the plot, heart) but it also sounds it can have excellent popular music appeal! A modern musical will have a much broader appeal ( esp to the younger demographics).

Is this going to be a rock musical with traditional theater roots ?? Prospects look great, even if we have not heard even one song from the musical!

I think their music will suit Hugh's vocal style and range -- esp his conversational tone with a song. The music and lyrics will probably complement the acting choices in just the right way. I do not want the music to overwhelm the acting portrayal, as this is the story of the greatest impresario who ever lived!

I wonder if they are going to release at least one song, ahead of the movie, as a calling card for the film? I hope so!


Jo

[jo]

Hugh's name is listed as producer, together with Laurence Mark on the IMDB page ( which has scant info at the moment, except for that unknown info). It seems that he is also acting as the marketing man - one tweet/instagram image and it's better than a press release

Ellen -- thanks for inquiring about the other people on the photo on the BWW message board. It looks like two are working or have worked with FOX Music ( which I guess is mainly responsible for the film scoring side of moviemaking) -- so it seems that FOX is really supporting this film project officially!


Jo

[jo]

It looks like the recording session is continuing on --

Sam Hollander ‏@samiamhollander · 5h
Mind blowing day working with @realhughjackman in (frigid) NYC.

http://instagram.com/p/kF4raqRBdf

[jo]

The Carey Mulligan rumor may not have panned out. Baz Bamigboye reports that she is due to open in her West End debut starting June 6, 2014 for an 11-week engagement in the play SKYLIGHT.

She is also busy in another film project right before the play rehearsals.

Jo

[jo]

It looks like there is hopeful news about GREATEST SHOWMAN ON EARTH --


deadline.com/2014/11/hugh-jackman-greatest-showman-on-earth-pt-barnum-1201286864/

Hugh Jackman’s PT Barnum: Hollywood’s First Original Tuner In 22 Years? Fox Eyes Summer For ‘Greatest Showman On Earth’


by Mike Fleming Jr

November 17, 2014 1:33pm


EXCLUSIVE: As Hugh Jackman garners strong reviews for the Jez Butterworth stage play The River, Fox is going through the budgeting process and is expected to start making deals with talent for a summer start in New York on The Greatest Showman On Earth. Believe it or not, when Jackman begins playing the role of master showman PT Barnum in New York next summer, it will mark the first original live action movie musical made by a studio since 1992 brought Disney’s Newsies. To put it in context, Christian Bale is about to open for Fox as Moses in Exodus: Gods And Kings. Newsies was one of Bale’s first prepubescent performances; he’s come a long way from slinging newspapers to dispersing The Ten Commandments.


The musical is one that Fox has had on low simmer with Jackman and director Michael Gracie. The current draft of the screenplay is by Oscar-winning scribe Bill Condon, (Gods and Monsters, Kinsey and Chicago), with earlier drafts by The Big C’s Jenny Bicks and Jordan Roberts, whose most recent credit is the box office hit Big Hero 6. Gracey is best known for his dance-filled commercials and for creating one of the original flash mob videos. The original songs are by Justin Paul & Benz Pasek (who were Tony-nominated for The Christmas Story), Bonnie McKee, Jake Shear and Brian Lapin. Producing is Laurence Mark, who teamed with Condon on the musical Dreamgirls. They are working from the draft by Condon, who opens tonight on Broadway in the revival of Side Show, which he co-wrote and directs.

The film will tell the story of Barnum’s invention of show business, and his ultimate invention of the three-ring circus. While it is hard to fathom that Hollywood hasn’t done an original live action musical in over 20 years, Chicago, Phantom of the Opera and Jackman’s last tuner, Les Miserables, were adaptations of stage plays. You can’t count High School Musical because it originated on the Disney Channel and the feature release was a sequel. The closest would be Once, but that’s not a burst into song musical, nor was Inside Llewyn Davis. The only thriving original movie musicals are animated.



I’m told this film cautiously heads for the start gate after much deliberation by Fox brass. It certainly helps that the film has a charismatic booster in Jackman, who holds a position of clout in one of the studio’s prized franchises, because of his recurring role as X-Men staple Wolverine.

This is good news for those film people who’ve hoped forever for a movie musicals renaissance. Some of them are scratching their heads and fearing the worst though for the collision course facing the next two major studio musicals, Into The Woods and Annie as those films chase the holiday buck next month. Annie opens December 19, and the star studded adaptation of Stephen Sondheim’s Into The Woods comes less than a week later on Christmas Day. Though the demos are different, it doesn’t seem possible that one film won’t dent the box office of the other.

“How long has it been since a studio slotted a musical,” asked one. “And they had no alternative but to pit two of them head to head?”

Mike Fleming is the new top honcho for FILM at Deadline, so the news must be quite reliable.

Since Xmen Apocalypse and Greatest Showman are both FOX projects, there will likely be no overlap conflict in the filming schedules!

From a fighting W-olverine to a singing Barnum - how versatile can an actor get


Jo

[mamaleh]

Glad there is finally some movement on this project. Pasek & Paul are a talented team who did the scores for DOGFIGHT and A CHRISTMAS STORY, both of which I liked very much.

Ellen

[foxie]

This is really exciting!woohoo!!!!

[jo]

At the CITS barricade today, Hugh shared that he will start filming GREATEST SHOWMAN ON EARTH in September!

I guess this means that the movie musical has already been greenlit by FOX??

Presumably after the filming of XMEN: Apocalyse ??


Jo

[carouselkathy]

Hallelujah, Alleluia, and any other alternate spellings of the same word! This is very good news.

[foxie]

Fantastic!!!!ur r right Hallelujah!

[jo]

On the other hand, he said today( Sunday) that he does not know yet if he will be part of XMEN:Apocalypse as he has not even seen the script!

As if Fox will let him escape from the franchise that has become synomymous with the character he plays


JO

[jo]

According to this report, the musical will be directed by Bill Condon ( who rewrote parts of the script),instead of previously-announced director Michael Gracie ??

www.courant.com/entertainment/behind-the-curtain/hc-rizzo-ticker-1123-20141120-story.html#page=1



Deadline.com, which broke out the news that the project is now moving, sill confirms Michael Gracie as director, though.


Jo

[carouselkathy]

I think Kelli OHara would make a terrific Jenny Lind. I was going to say something about Kelli as a possible " Jenny" to Hugh if I got a chance. Well, I had a chance and totally forgot! Kelli is beautiful and has the voice of an angel. Jenny was all about the voice. Anyway, I missed my chance to pass the idea on to Hugh. Bummer.

[mamaleh]

Back from my Thanksgiving trip to meet our son's future mother-in-law. I waved at the Curran theater as we rode along Geary St.

I read recently that the GREATEST SHOWMAN story was no longer about Barnum's infatuation with the Swedish Nightingale but rather about his development of the modern circus. Well, I don't see why the stories have to be mutually exclusive. Maybe they'll have room for both.

Ellen

[jo]

Just guessing, of course, but --

Maybe the refocusing of the movie theme was the way to get the FOX greenlight? It didn't seem that the project had easy sailing and maybe the hiring of the more prominent Bill Condon to rewrite the script was an important step for the project approval.

*The circus theme would have a broader and more universal appeal, including for worldwide audiences. It gives more room for spectacle, including in the score and dance numbers? And of course the circus itself!

*Barnum was a married man when his infatuation for Jenny Lind came about - so, maybe they wanted a more PG-ish rating?

*I would like Hugh to show us not just his singing appeal but also his dancing skills -- more like that number from TBFO with the top hat and the baton and the jazz hands

*Movie musicals still walk a careful line when courting the box office, so maybe the decision was more pragmatic?


I am just glad that the project is pushing through! Who knows, if well-written, well-directed, and well-performed, this might lead to another nod from awards bodies? Biopics usually call attention, esp if they focus on famous people of their times.

Jo

[Jamie]

The original Musical "Barnum" focused on the whole of his life with Charity, the Museum, politics, and then after her death the circus. The whole Jenny Lind part was just the one song: Love Makes Such Fools of Us All. It makes sense that the movie as a musical would be the big picture to go with the big show rather than just one little piece of his life which would probably be more appropriate for a non musical drama.

[jo]

Is this for Greatest Showman?

Hugh Jackman @realhughjackman · Dec 1

Monday morning line read-through. A bit early for memory retention! #manicmonday

http://instagram.com/p/wEKXZzihHQ

Or for some other project? He is formally dressed, maybe for another appointment?


Jo

[ruby]

Dec 3, 2014 8:24:58 GMT -5 jo said:

Is this for Greatest Showman?

Hugh Jackman @realhughjackman · Dec 1

Monday morning line read-through. A bit early for memory retention! #manicmonday

http://instagram.com/p/wEKXZzihHQ

Or for some other project? He is formally dressed, maybe for another appointment?


Jo

Pictured at the UN From a couple weeks ago

[jo]

From an update by Deadline.com --

deadline.com/2014/11/hugh-jackman-greatest-showman-on-earth-pt-barnum-1201286864/

The current draft of the screenplay is by Jonathan Tropper, who will be the writer polishing and working through production. Drafts have been written by Oscar-winning scribe Bill Condon, (Gods and Monsters, Kinsey and Chicago), and also by The Big C’s Jenny Bicks and Jordan Roberts, whose most recent credit is the box office hit Big Hero 6. Gracey is best known for his dance-filled commercials and for creating one of the original flash mob videos.

[jo]

Now that INTO THE WOODS and ANNIE are both out, what is the next film musical?



Is it THE GREATEST SHOWMAN ?



On the positive side --

*It has Hugh Jackman as the main figure of the story, and the film could highlight his famed triple-threat talent ( seen only on stage, as Les Miserables was mostly an acting exposition complemented by the singing choices)

*It will be supported by a major studio ( which used to be identified with some great musicals -- Sound of Music, South Pacific, King and I, etc., but has only Moulin Rouge among the more contemporary musical hits).

*Barnum was the biggest name in his day, as the first bigtime impresario.  And the big circus was his legacy.  But are there more current forms of entertainment that resonate to his contribution to the entertainment world?  Cirque du Soleil?  Some Las Vegas acts? Others?  Do some of newer stage musicals carry the kind of spectacle that he was known for?  Others?

*The songwriting team seems to have appeal to the younger demos, although I am not all that familiar with their portfolio --

Here's one of Jeremy Jordan singing a song from SMASH--

www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3pXeMh6wB4

*Will the success of INTO THE WOODS further open up the acceptance of movie musicals these days. It seems that ANNIE has not been that well-received, though.

*Bill Condon has made some contributions in polishing the film project.

*There is a fresh creative team, with possibly new inputs and new talent.




On the apprehensive side --

*How will the musical score be received? It may find an audience with the younger demos, but what about the more mature audiences - the songwriting team of Paul and Pasek is not well-known. Of course Hugh Jackman can be the pied piper to draw in the audiences and so long as the musical score has a contemporary vibe, that combination may be all that is necessary.

*The director Michael Gracey is new to filmmaking ( although he has two other film projects now attached to his name, other than GREATEST SHOWMAN) but is well known for his major commercials and MTV's. If that doesn't ring a bell -- how about the Lipton Tea commercial where Hugh danced in a supposedly Tokyo Hotel, which Gracey directed ...That is Hugh's best-selling hit as an advertising personality ...Presumably, since this is the story of how the big circus came to life, Gracey can deliver at very least on the spectacle side?

*How will this sit with overseas markets ( which can make or unmake a film musical box office potential these days)? Pasek and Paul are unknowns overseas. Hugh's name will have to carry the burden of selling this movie. Can Fox provide the support to carry it to international prominence?

*Will the release date be in the last quarter of 2016? Does this have a chance against the awards bets? Maybe if done very well...Can it be released during the holiday season, for a family-friendly audience?



Moving forward --

Should Hugh release a song from the musical ( maybe a very catchy one or a very dramatically sensational one), as a calling card to the new movie? Will it get disqualified for Oscar best new song award...or could labelling it as directly coming from the musical still qualify it for awards honors?





We'll have to wait and see


Jo

[JH4HJ]

From the Sydney Morning Herald:
Happy Hugh Year: Jackman signs on for PT Barnum musical biopic

Hugh Jackman's year is set to get a whole lot busier, with the Hollywood actor confirmed to take the lead role in the movie musical The Greatest Showman on Earth.

S can reveal that Jackman will begin shooting the biopic, which tells the story of legendary showman P.T. Barnum, who created the three-ring circus, in August.

Full article