THE GREATEST SHOWMAN

[jo]

Reposting an old post from 2015 --

Mar 29, 2015 21:08:24 GMT -5 jo said:

I have found this unusual site ( called The Range - a forum for vocalist discussion and their abilities) while looking for something else -- it is a discussion of Hugh's vocal range, with specific examples of his vocal range --

therangeplace.forummotions.com/t1406-hugh-jackman

Voice type: Hugh Baritone
Vocal range: C2-B4

Significant high notes:


•B4 (''Wolverine Scream'', ''My Baby She Wrote me A Letter'' live, ''Wolverine The Musical'')

•B♭4 (''Crying'', ''Wolverine The Musical'' live on BBC radio)

•A4 (''Oscars Medley'', ''Who Am I'', ''One Day More'', ''Addicted to Love'', 'Woverine Scream, ''People Will Say We're In Love'', ''Bi-coastal'' live, ''Love Crazy'' live, ''(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction'' live, ''Tony Awards Medley'' live)

•G♯4 (''Music of the Night'', ''What Have I Done'', ''Sure Thing Baby'' live)

•G4 (''Soliloquy'', ''The Highest Judge of All'', ''Ice Cold Rita'', ''To Where You Are'', ''Mack the Knife'', ''Too Much in Love to Care'', ''Not The Boy Next Door'', ''People Will Say We're In Love'', ''Bi-coastal'' live, ''Love Crazy'' live, ''Happy Birthday'' live, ''Where You Are'' live, ''Right Here Waiting'' live, ''(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction'' live, ''Being Alive'' live on Jonathan Ross, ''Tony Awards Medley'' live, ''Blurred Lines'')

•F♯4 (''Wolverine The Musical'' live on BBC radio, ''Sure Thing Baby'' live, ''People Will Say We're In Love'', ''Oklahoma! Ok!'', I Still Call Australia Home'' live, ''My Baby She Wrote Me A Letter'' live, ''(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction'' live, ''Tony Awards Medley'' live, ''Heartbreak Hotel'')

•F4 (''Oh What A Beautiful Mornin'' live, ''Not The Boy Next Door'' live, ''Sure Thing Baby'' live, ''I Got To Rio'' live, ''I'd Rather Leave While I'm In Love'' live, ''Everything Old Is New Again'' live, ''Oklahoma! Ok!'', ''Once Before I Go'' live, ''Bi-coastal'' live, ''Continental American'' live, ''Love Crazy'' live, ''When I Get My Name In Lights'' live, ''My Baby She Wrote Me A Letter'' live, ''Where You Are'' live, ''Right Here Waiting'' live, ''(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction'' live, ''Being Alive'' live on Jonathan Ross, ''Heartbeak Hotel'', ''Kiss'')



Significant low notes:


•B2 (''Tony Awards Medley'' live)

•B♭2 (''Duet with Neil Patrick Harris at the 2011 Tony Awards'', ''Where You Are'' live)

•A2 (''Mob Song'', ''Crying'', ''Tony Awards Medley'' live)

•G♯2 (''Music of the Night'', ''Who Am I'', ''Somewhere Over The Rainbow'' live)

•E♭2 ("Happy")

•C♯2 (''I'm Wolverine'')

•C2 ("Happy")


Thread Originally By Timmerbo

[njr]

That link lead me to an Apple page that said my iOS system was infected with a virus!!

[jo]

One of the endearing behind-the-scenes stories from the set of the film was the enduring friendship of Hugh with Keala Settle. Here's an article from Australian media focusing in some parts on that friendship ( and more details on the serious health issue which Keala faced after the 2018 Oscars). The rest are more insights on The Greatest Showman and an update on the upcoming tour preparations.

amp.couriermail.com.au/lifestyle/uonsunday/hugh-jackman-the-hollywood-star-whos-a-superhero-in-real-life/news-story/63aeadda452cead025f8c70053f85fbd

lifestyle

uonsunday


Hugh Jackman
Hugh Jackman: the Hollywood star who’s a superhero in real life
March 6, 2019 4:52am
Cameron AdamsU On Sunday


One slight problem with the world domination of The Greatest Showman … Hugh Jackman hasn’t been able to slip under the radar at his daughter Ava’s dance classes.

“I used to go every week,” Jackman says. “Nobody really cared. Her dance school was not your classic Wolverine fanbase. Now, I go there and songs from The Greatest Showman are playing in nearly every dance class, so it’s a bit different.”
Released at the end of 2017, and inspired by P T Barnum’s creation of the Barnum & Bailey Circus, the film received a lukewarm critical reaction, but word of mouth saw it become a box-office monster, taking more than $600 million.
Not only was the soundtrack (of all original songs) the No.1 album in Australia last year (spending all year in the Top 10), it even spawneda second volume of covers by the likes of Pink, Kesha and Kelly Clarkson.


“I knew we were selling a family movie,” Jackman, 50, tells U on Sunday. “I think people thought it was a drama, but we were making a family movie. Of course, some of the themes might seem, for some people, a little on the nose.

It was wearing its heart on its sleeve too much.
“But these ideas of being yourself, being authentic, following your dreams and not living somebody else’s life really resonate with people. I’m OK if critics don’t get it. I’d much prefer to have a movie that everybody loves and critics don’t, than the other way around.”



His respect for the film, which explores the circus world and its misfits and outsiders, extends to its “family” of cast and crew, and in particular, co-star Keala Settle, who played Lettie Lutz, the bearded lady who sings the movie’s key song – This Is Me. The 43-year-old suffered a mini-stroke last year and had to undergo major brain surgery.

While she was in hospital, Jackman and his wife Deborra-Lee Furness, FaceTimed her daily for updates on her recovery.
“They were there for me,” says Settle, who will now share the stage with father-of-two Jackman on the global tour of his live show The Man. The Music. The Show. which lands in Brisbane in late August.


The show features songs from Showman, as well as tunes from Les Miserables and The Boy From Oz, plus some of his other favourites, as well as anecdotes from Jackman’s career.


Ten years ago, when Jackman hosted the Oscars, he performed a tongue-in-cheek number - with Beyonce, no less – called The Musical is Back. It was prompted by Mamma Mia leapfrogging Titanic at the UK box office, but Jackman says it may have been prophetic, given the success of Showman, Bohemian Rhapsody and A Star is Born over the past year.
“It’s so great, it makes me so happy,” he says.

“It was wishful thinking at the time, but we were probably right. The musical is back. The Greatest Showman, when we were greenlit, we were the first original movie musical in 23 years. It had been a long time.

“Hollywood has become very risk averse. Unless you’re a brand people know, or are using songs people know, nobody wants to hear about it.

“All of a sudden, things have really opened up and musicals have become some of the most bankable theatrical experiences in Hollywood, which is thrilling to me.”

The current tour is not the first time Jackman has stepped out in front of the red velvet curtains as a Broadway showman. Apart from his celebrated run in The Boy From Oz at Broadway’s Imperial Theatre in 2003/04, he opened a one-man show in San Francisco in early 2011, singing popular film and stage musical numbers.



With a bit of tweaking, the show opened on Broadway in October that year at the Broadhurst Theatre. Ushered in with rave reviews, Hugh Jackman: Back On Broadway had a limited 10-week season. So, when he donned the shiny silver suit to belt out The Greatest Showman’s theme at last month’s Brit Awards in London, Jackman was in full-blown Broadway mode, despite being mobbed by a stage full of acrobats, dancers and extras.

He obviously enjoys the ride, but Jackman is cagey when asked if he’s up for a Greatest Showman sequel, despite director Michael Gracey already confirming there will be one.

“I’m not a sequel guy. I will only do nine movies in one franchise, let me make that very very clear! Look, I heard someone pitch something, but hearing a pitch in Hollywood is like having breakfast in the morning. Who knows?”
However, the superstar isn’t ready to put The Greatest Showman to bed anytime soon. He’ll dedicate from May to September to take his new show around the globe.



He is delighted to have Settle on stage with him, along with a chorus line of dancers and an orchestra. The pair bonded instantly on The Greatest Showman set, with Jackman instrumental in convincing Settle to take on the role and to sing This Is Me.


“I had to learn something about myself before I could sing that song,” Settle says. “I didn’t want to be ready for that. That meant I had to face a lot of demons to get that song out. To be fair, I face a lot of demons still every day.”
The singer, who has Maori, British and American heritage, grew up in Hawaii, and has spoken previously about her insecurites and struggles to fit in as a child. “What made me realise the song meant something was when it was released and the whole entire universe responded,” she says. “It made me realise that in my feelings of being afraid to face those fears, I was not alone.”

Settle came from a Broadway background with roles in Priscilla, Les Miserables and Hairspray. Even after filming The Greatest Showman, she wasn’t prepared for the profile the movie would give her.

“I told Hugh I was going ‘to do a Greta Garbo’. I said, ‘I will hide, you will not find me. Don’t try and track me down!’ But I realised I didn’t even have enough time to go and get lost.




“All of a sudden, the trailer for the film came out and the damn song was in it! Are you kidding me? Now, I’ve really got to face it.

“It’s been a long journey, but such an important one for me. I can’t even imagine what it means for the rest of the world.
“I see it. I see it in children’s eyes. I watch them become empowered. I don’t have children of my own. I haven’t had that opportunity. To watch it happen in children’s eyes and see them learn, see that light get sparked in them, other than a video game on their phone or PlayStation, see a song that makes them come alive, it’s one of the most humbling things I could ever see.

“I never asked for that. I was just trying to figure myself out enough to sing the song.”



Settle recently marked one year since singing This Is Me at the Oscars, which also marked one year since she had the mini-stroke, just a week before that key performance. She’d lost half her body’s motor functions because of the stroke, with doctors diagnosing her with a rare cerebrovascular disorder known as Moyamoya disease.

Settle had 10-hour double-bypass brain surgery last April and will be on medication for life. She has changed her entire lifestyle.

“I had to learn how to talk again, write again, walk again. It took about two and a half months to get to a good place and work from there to get it to a great place,” she says.

Jackman and Furness FaceTimed her every day during her recovery.

“Every day, on two different phones,” she says. “Being in this industry, whenever I’m with Hugh and Deb, and their kids Oscar and Ava, and the dogs, I’m safe. I know that. I can be whoever I am and be whatever I want. I know that I’m OK.



“You have your real family and your chosen family. They’re my chosen family. He started that, not me. From day one, in the first seconds we met, he said, ‘Let’s go out, have some wine’.


“When it was the anniversary of singing at the Oscars the other day, Hugh looked at me and said ‘Look how far you’ve come’. I was already crying, so I said ‘Stop it, there’s no more room on my face for more make-up, mate’.”

Settle’s original album was put on hold during her health battle, and she’s now finishing it with producer Greg Wells, who has worked with Adele, OneRepublic, Pink, as well as on The Greatest Showman soundtrack.

“It’s starting to become the story of how I even got here, what it took to get me here and what I learned by getting here,” she says of the album.

“I think it’s going to be a soul-RNB-rock situation.”


Would she put her hand up for a Greatest Showman sequel?

“I wore a beard and a double-corseted dress which felt like a kilo! I have permanent set injuries from that show,” she says. “It was a lot of hard work. I’d have to see.”

Just ahead of his five-month tour of The Man. The Music. The Show., Jackman will have a new film in release. He voices fictional explorer Sir Lionel Frost, the world’s foremost investigator of myths and monsters, in the animated family movie Missing Link, which opens
next month.



Australian actor and singer Hugh Jackman performs during the BRIT Awards 2019 ceremony and live show in London.

Opposite him is Zach Galifianakis as Mr Link, a sasquatch, with the film also featuring voice work from the likes of Emma Thompson, David Walliams and Stephen Fry.

It marks a bit of light humour between his acclaimed role in this year’s political drama The Front Runner and the yet-to-be-scheduled for release film, Bad Education, a star-studded drama which details a massive public school embezzlement scandal in the US.


But first, the spotlight beckons.

Jackman has already started intense training and says he is finding it “surprisingly easy”.
“I sing and dance every day. In the past, I’ve always been so busy doing other projects I’ve come to it last,” he says.
“This feels easy because I’ve had more time to prep. The old rule is train harder than the show and then everything goes OK.

“I know in my bones that nothing can be harder than doing eight shows a week for The Boy From Oz which I did for a year. That gives me a lot of confidence to know I can pull it off.”


Hugh Jackman, Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Saturday, August 31 (2pm and 8pm); Sunday, September 1, 2pm, ticketek.com.au
Missing Link opens April 11

[jo]

Maybe with this news the follow-up project ( stage adaptation or film sequel) of THE GREATEST SHOWMAN may soon start rolling!

[jo]

Vanity Fair wrote a candid article on the realities of the distintegrating once-proud FOX Studio, as it gets folded in under the Disney banner. See the same article in the Off-Topic Section


www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2019/03/inside-hollywoods-disney-fox-freakout


I am reposting my comments on the implications of those realities --

Mar 15, 2019 10:20:00 GMT -5 jo said:

*The irony is that some of the big risks taken by the once-proud FOX studio ( e.g., Logan, The Greatest Showman, etc) were projects once directly developed and supervised by Emma Watts, who will now be supervising the new Small Fox under the Disney banner. And the smaller outfit is not expected to take on similar risks in the future under the Disney aegis ( which seems to go only for mostly juvenile-themed movies. This makes it a little uneasy for me to have faith in the possibility of a film sequel for THE GREATEST SHOWMAN. Not sure either if a stage adaptation of the movie is forthcoming. Although I hope I am wrong...

Maybe that is why Hugh decided to go on a worldwide music tour... and to return to Broadway in a different musical (The Music Man)


*Will we see Hugh Jackman still be making movies for new Small Fox? Maybe if it is mostly for indies distributed by the likes of Fox Searchlight or Fox 2000?


Hugh seems to be developing links with some of the remaining major studios. Warner Bros is the worldwide distributor of REMINISCENCE and Hugh had movies produced and/or distributed by WB in the past ( such as Prisoners, Pan, The Prestige, The Fountain). Sony recently released The Front Runner. His last Universal movie was Les Miserables.


Of course, being a performing actor/artist from the much desired creative group, Hugh is likely going to explore opportunities, even with the major Disney/small Fox group --

“If you want to stay relevant, you have to have product that people want to see that’s easily accessible when and where they want to see it,” said the agent. “This Disney deal is forcing Netflix to build up its own content. The same can be said for Amazon. So it’s good for the sellers in that respect. It’s good for the artists, too. It’s good for everybody except those that only want to make movies with the five studios. It’s just not going to be that way. If you are stuck in that mentality, it’s going to be very lonely.”

Jo

At least Hugh was able to make two of his most memorable artistic accomplishments ( Logan and The Greatest Showman) before the Disney avalanche came!

It's providential that he made the decision to leave the Wolverine role at that point in time ( and wind it up with Logan) -- he would not have been able to do that under the Marvel Studio.

I am not ruling out his working on projects under the Disney banner in the future, but he may not have the same kind of artistic freedom he is keen to take in his new career path in the movies now? It could even be another movie musical under the new Disney banner, who knows?

Jo

[jo]

Interview in Dubai re his trip there for the awarding of the GLOBAL TEACHER PRIZE -- a few mentions of The Greatest Showman.

Mar 20, 2019 5:02:55 GMT -5 jo said:

Hugh in a radio interview in Dubai --

I wonder if he is performing during the ceremonies for the GLOBAL TEACHER PRIZE?



Re the potential Greatest Showman sequel -- as we guessed, things are in limbo now after the Disney acquisition of FOX assets, including the filmed entertainment business. So, I guess we wait!


Lovely gesture from Hugh to meet up in Manchester with the sister of the radio host.


It seems Loren Allred might be performing in Dubai - did I hear that right?


Jo

The host also complimented Hugh about how THE GREATEST SHOWMAN has unexpectedly brought families closer together!

Maybe more than any of the numerous accomplishments of the movie and the soundtrack -- that particular impact on families must have made Hugh the happiest, after the risks and difficulties it took to get the movie made!


Jo

[jo]

Not the appropriate thread, but close enough because like James Cagney, he is the greatest showman/performer!

[jo]

Christ Pratt wants to do a musical --

www.broadwayworld.com/article/Chris-Evans-Reveals-That-He-Wants-to-Star-in-a-Musical-20190327

Is everyone now wanting to follow the footsteps of The Greatest Showman

[jo]

He keeps getting asked about a Greatest Showman sequel … and he keeps giving basically the same answer --


www.ladbible.com/entertainment/film-and-tv-hugh-jackman-confirms-work-has-begun-on-greatest-showman-sequel-20190401

News
Entertainment


Hugh Jackman Confirms Work Has Begun On Greatest Showman Sequel

Dominic Smithers in
Entertainment

Hugh Jackman has confirmed that work has begun on a sequel to The Greatest Showman.


The Australian actor was speaking to BBC Radio 2 about another new film - Missing Link - but when asked about the smash hit musical Jackman told host Steve Wright the news that fans had been waiting for - even if he was a bit coy to start with.

He said: "The real answer is 'could be', I'm not sure. I'm being completely honest with you, there is talk of something going around but no one is really sure.

"I think right now there's more emphasis being put on what will happen with... 'I was doing my show, will there be another live version'. No one is really sure right now, so that's the honest truth.

"But I think someone is working on a treatment for something... I know they are, they're working on a treatment for something."

However, when asked whether he would do it 'at the drop of a hat', Hugh played his cards pretty close to his chest.


The Australian actor confirmed that work had started on the sequel to The Greatest Showman. Credit: PA

He went on: "I don't know. I would like to be part of it, for sure, and I don't know if it would be centred on my character. The other thing is, it did take eight years to get [the first movie] made and that wasn't all eight years of convincing people. It takes a long time to write stuff."

This isn't the first time the X-Men actor has expressed his wish to get the call if a sequel was on the cards.
During an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live earlier this year, Jackman admitted he would jump at the chance, saying: "If a genuine opportunity came up where it felt like the right thing to do, then yep, I'd get the top hat back out."

And for some time there have been rumblings about a sequel to the original - which raked in $435 million worldwide.
Speaking to the Sun, the movie's director Michael Gracey confirmed that he and Jackman had initiated the process, saying: "When a movie becomes as big a success as this, it's only natural there is demand for a sequel.

"So those discussions have started and we are working on one right now."

Discussing the success of The Greatest Showman, the director admitted it had been a difficult project to get off the ground.

"There were huge doubts about it for a very long time and some backers withdrew their money," he said.

Featured Image Credit: 20th Century Fox
Topics: Tv and film Us entertainment Interesting

Michael Gracey sharing that some initial backers withdrew their financial support is true. I was quite surprised that eventually the names mentioned as funders were different from the original people who were present at the final workshop. And we know that FOX itself had some doubts. It was Fox decision not to promote the movie for awards consideration ( it focused on Logan, among others) and kept promoting it simply as a family-friendly film!

Jo

[jo]

Not sure what to make of this --

A report from ComicBook.com/Marvel on what happened at the CinemaCon Disney/Fox presentation.


comicbook.com/marvel/2019/04/03/disney-cinemacon-avengers-lion-king-aladdin-footage-spoilers-fox-xmen/

You may want to read the whole narrative of how the two studios will complement each other.

This part directly refers to something about The Greatest Showman's prospects --

Excerpts :

Fox then takes over, promising to look for their next big franchises, along with films such as Bohemian Rhapsody, The Martian, and The Greatest Showman. They will continue to work hard and take risks. In June, Dark Phoenix will arrive as "the final chapter" of the X-Men franchise. It's a "dramatic finale worthy of its predecessors Logan and Days of Future Past."

Is this an indication of what's to come specifically for Greatest Showman...or were they simply looking back at past FOX film accomplishments?

Are there plans to develop it as a musical franchise?

Hmmm... that is exciting, because there may be many back stories from the first movie that can be developed as separate stories.

I wonder if Hugh Jackman will have a role in any of this, if this ever materializes?


Jo

[jo]

This is The Hollywood Reporter's own report on the Emma Watts presentation.

The Hollywood Reporter


MOVIES
X-Men Appear in Disney-Fox Sizzle Reel at CinemaCon
3:48 PM PDT 4/3/2019 by Pamela McClintock



Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp./Photofest
'Wolverine'


"It’s a bit of a shock to be here as colleagues," said 20th Century Fox vice chairman Emma Watts in her first public comments since the historic merger closed.

The newly minted Disney-Fox film empire held its coming-out party Wednesday at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, where curious theater owners got their first glimpse of the combined might of the two studios.

The session began with a sizzle reel of brief clips from Disney and Fox movies, melding numerous expressions such as “I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore” to Hugh Jackman in character as Wolverine saying “What is this place?” to “Sometimes change can be good,” among many others. The reel drew loud applause from exhibitors.

"Hello, everybody. Well, I have to say, that reel just blows me away. I’m still getting my mind around this," said Walt Disney Studios chairman Alan Horn as he took the stage at the annual gathering of exhibitors and Hollywood studios. "So we are truly excited because together we believe we will be more than the sum of our parts."
After sharing new footage from Avengers: Endgame, Horn introduced Disney's distribution chief Cathleen Taff, who in turn introduced 20th Century Fox vice chairman Emma Watts, who joked that it must be "some form of Disney hazing that I follow Avengers."



While Disney touted a number of its other upcoming films with new footage — including The Lion King and Aladdin — it didn't show anything from Star Wars: Episode IX or Frozen 2. Instead, a major theme was Disney's assimilation of Fox. "It’s a bit of a shock to be here as colleagues," said Watts, who will guide Fox properties.


"This is a historic time in our business," she continued. "While we may be living through a lot of change, the good news is the formula for good movie and the studio role hasn't changed, and that is a single dedication to filmmakers. That will never change."

Watts added that Disney is known for big tentpoles, and "we intend to do our part. It is in that spirit that we will continue to create new stories," she said, listing off franchises Kingsman, Alien, Planet of the Apes and “of course, Avatar." The exec also talked about the success of such films as Bohemian Rhapsody, a different sort of proposition for Disney. "Though much has been written about the Fox legacy in past tense, we are ready to write our next great chapter."

Watts then showed off some footage from Dark Phoenix, calling it a "perfect sendoff for our X-Men team."



The historic merger gives Disney dominion over James Cameron's Avatar franchise, the Kingsman series and the X-Men universe, including Deadpool, which will now be guided by Kevin Feige's Marvel Studios. Avatar 2 has a plum year-end release date of Dec. 18, 2020.

Neither Watts nor Taff made any announcements about whether any Fox titles will be relocated. Fox's 2019 slate includes the faith-based film Breakthrough (due out April 17), X-Men spinoff Dark Phoenix (June 7), Stuber (July 12) and New Mutants (Aug. 2).

And in November, Watts has James Mangold's untitled Ford v. Ferrari movie, starring Christian Bale and Matt Damon. Exclusive first footage of the awards hopeful tells the story an eccentric American engineer and a British driver who are tasked by Henry Ford II to build a new car to compete in Le Mans.

Disney closed its $71.3 billion acquisition of a wide swath of 21st Century Fox late last month, giving Horn dominion over 20th Century Fox and Oscar powerhouse Fox Searchlight. Fox 2000 had also been expected to join the Disney fold, but at the 11th hour, chief Elizabeth Gabler was told the label would be shuttered later this year.

During his remarks, Horn also celebrated the 25th anniversary of Searchlight, headed by Steve Gilula and Nancy Utley.
It was Horn's first public appearance since the merger closed. Ditto for Watts. Even before the union, Disney was already positioned to have its best year on record.

Wednesday's CinemaCon presentation was bittersweet for many who work in marketing and distribution at Fox, since their fates are unclear. Taff thanked outgoing Fox domestic distribution president Chris Aronson and international distribution president Andrew Cripps.

"The Fox team has done a fantastic job over the years," she said.

There is no mention of Greatest Showman at all! 

Maybe the first writer on this subject simply added past successes as Greatest Showman and The Martian in a purely speculative manner?


Jo

[jo]

Even if Hugh's reply to a possible sequel was, at best, very tentative... there are many speculations on how any sequel might go. One speculation is that it may focus mostly on the Philip-Anne story.

metro.co.uk/2019/04/03/hugh-jackman-greatest-showman-sequel-look-cast-members-might-return-9104201/?fbclid=IwAR0p64NnfQm538GYY-ITagxZ_-cLZ7V03G8Q1cMDUi1saWmtv3cdCzGj8M4

It could also be what happens to the circus after Philip Carlyle takes over (Wasn't the circus waning during Philip's watch when Barnum joined Lind for her tour?)...which could unexpectedly provoke the return of the original ringmaster ( the brilliant ideas man!)... Or trace the impact of Barnum's dabbling into politics which may lead him back to his original calling as an impresario for mass entertainment!

Jackman is the main draw... no producer would want to lose him in a big way.

[jo]

I do remember the unexpected pocket reactions to the first screenings of Greatest Showman, Salt Lake City in particular!

Jo

[jo]

I was looking for something from the LesMiserables threads and saw this again --

Jan 24, 2013 20:49:55 GMT -5 jo said:

Here's the companion piece to the USA article on the interview with Tom Hoopper --

Merciless critics lead the 'Les Mis' rebellion

If 'Les Miserables' wins best picture at the 85th Academy Awards ceremony on Feb. 24, it will join a rather exclusive club of 10 other musicals that have taken Oscar's most coveted prize. If the adaptation of the long-running stage production has anything in common with these other titles, it is a signature song, 'I Dreamed a Dream' in the case of 'Les Mis,' that often becomes a standard. USA TODAY's Susan Wloszczyna names those tunes. Laurie Sparham, Universal Pictures


Susan Wloszczyna, USA TODAY7:58p.m. EST January 24, 2013

While many are raving, including Oscar voters, the people who hate the film REALLY hate it.


Story Highlights
Despite a 70% Rottentomatoes.com rating, a few prominent critics came out strongly against 'Les Mis'
"Overbearing, pretentious, madly repetitive," says David Denby of 'The New Yorker'
'Les Mis' has grossed $132 million domestic and $283 million worldwide

Les Misérables is much more than just the feel-sad movie of the Oscar season.

Not that the best-picture contender, the first musical to compete in the category since 2002's Chicago, doesn't live up to its name.

Consider that much of the story based on Victor Hugo's 1862 novel is devoted to chronicling the pitiful state of the impoverished masses in 19th-century France through the redemptive actions of Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman), the ex-convict who served 19 years for merely stealing a loaf of bread.

Meanwhile, four major characters die during the course of its 157 minutes, along with sundry student revolutionaries sacrificing themselves for a lost cause, all the while singing in close-up and live on camera without the artifice of lip-syncing.

But Les Mis also has earned the reputation as the feel-hate film of the year. Judging by their published vitriol, a number of notable pundits who experienced the big-screen version of Broadway's 1987 Tony winner leave the dark of the theater fairly frothing with anger, disgust, repulsion and, yes, hate.

STORY: Tom Hooper 'confused' by criticism of Les Mis
REVIEW: Les Misérables is luminous, enchanting
MOVIE FORUM: The Les Mis most miserable singer debate
MORE: This starry Les Misérables gets up close and personal

One of the most-read expressions of post-Les Mis stress disorder on the Internet comes courtesy of Matt Walsh. At least the blog entry by the Lexington, Ky., talk-radio host — which bears the telling headline "Les Misérables taught me how to hate again" — manages to be funny while lacerating the object of his scorn.

A sampling: "Les Misérables will stand forever as the most miserable cinematic experience I've ever suffered through. And this coming from a guy who saw Christmas With the Kranks in theaters, so that should tell you something."

But the king of Les Mis-anthropy has to be David Denby of The New Yorker, whose online screed reeks of condescension in its very title: "There's still hope for people who love Les Mis."

For him, the movie is akin to a cinematic Black Plague. Having never bothered to inoculate himself against the possibility of cultural cooties by attending a stage show that more than 60 million worldwide have seen, his first exposure to an adaptation was the film version, and it apparently sickened him to his core.

"The movie is not just bad," Denby brayed. "It's terrible. It's dreadful. Overbearing, pretentious, madly repetitive. I was doubly embarrassed because all around me, in a very large theater, people were sitting rapt, awed, absolutely silent, only to burst into applause after some of the numbers."

Mind you, these scoffing scribes and their ilk do not represent a majority opinion, given that Les Mis has gathered eight Oscar nominations and three Golden Globe wins. In fact, most critics lean toward the positive, judging by the 70% thumbs-up score on the review-tracking website Rottentomatoes.com.

As for the box office, it has proven strong — $132 million domestic and $283 million worldwide — and fairly steady ever since the $61 million production opened a month ago. Even the soundtrack is a hit, now sitting at No. 6 on the Billboard chart after topping the list for three weeks.

"There is every indication that we have a lot of returning customers for repeat viewings," says Michael Moses, co-president of marketing for Universal, the studio behind Les Mis. "We have witnessed firsthand since the earliest screenings how powerfully it connects to people. There are tears, applause, even standing ovations."

Industry professionals aren't immune to the emotional tsunami that is Les Mis. Reports of tears and applause at their screenings are common as well. That includes special showings for the Directors Guild of America (Tom Hooper, who was snubbed by Oscar voters for his direction, is in the running for the DGA's top honor on Feb. 2). The Screen Actors Guild, whose ceremony is Sunday, has the cast competing for its biggest prize, best ensemble.

Scores of celebrities, some with still-damp eyes, have taken to Twitter to express their rapturous seals of approval, including Katie Couric, Ellen Page, Jon Favreau, Larry King and Zach Braff (who wrote, "If crying 3 times during a movie musical is wrong, I don't wanna be right").

​Such widespread acceptance serves only to inflame the Les Mis detractors. The harder the public embraces the movie, the louder they bellow. Much like Russell Crowe's uncompromising Inspector Javert, the self-righteous pursuer of Jackman's parole-breaking Valjean, they have railed against the movie with such intense loathing that you might think it was more torturous than the waterboarding depicted in Zero Dark Thirty.

The wails took awhile to build to a full crescendo. Less harsh though still disparaging reviews, including those in The Hollywood Reporter("a battle against musical diarrhea") and New York magazine ("tasteless bombardment"), appeared before the movie arrived on Christmas. It had the audacity to lead the box-office tallies that day with a gross of $18 million — the best opening ever for a musical.

The New York Times initially ran an evenhanded though mixed review by Manohla Dargis, who mostly kept unbridled contempt at bay while joining the chorus of praise for Anne Hathaway's performance as tragic prostitute Fantine. But then theater critic Charles Isherwood felt compelled to chime in with a column in which he confessed to falling asleep during his first attempt to see the film, forcing him to go back again.

The second go-round only worsened his mood. "Should you, too, find yourself drifting off to dreamland at some point, rest assured that upon waking, you will find that someone is singing, and someone is suffering. Usually it's the same person, with a tear- or sweat-stained face stretched across the screen so that no nuance of misery will go unrecorded."

But the real fun began as The New Yorker suddenly decided to become Ground Zero for Les Mis abuse. Besides killjoy Denby, fellow critic Anthony Lane was his usual waggish self as he let loose with his slams in the magazine's print edition: "Fans of the original production, no doubt, will eat the movie up, and good luck to them. I screamed a scream as time went by."

Cameron Mackintosh, one of the most successful theatrical impresarios in history and proudly guilty of exposing the world to Cats and The Phantom of the Opera, has heard this type of nasty naysaying before as producer of Les Mis both on stage and screen.

"The French critics hated the novel 150 years ago when it was first published in Belgium," he notes, "but Parisians bought it in wheelbarrow loads." When the stage version premiered in London's West End in 1985, "the critics didn't get it early. But the public did. It's always been the 'people's musical.' The subject is about them, not the intellectuals who think they know better and can't cope with the fact that the great Victor Hugo is talking directly to and in support of ordinary people against the social structure of its time."

What is it about Les Mis, whose emblem should apparently be a bull's-eye instead of that doll-faced child of constant sorrow, that incites such intense negativity?

"Film criticism is so heavily dominated by men that it is sometimes plagued by a flood of testosterone," says Tom O'Neil, editor of awards website GoldDerby.com and an unabashed supporter of Les Mis. "In the case of musicals, they often emerge from the bushes like playground bullies to beat up the glee club. They can't just say they don't like Les Mis for this or that reason. They have to hurl nuclear weapons at it."

Says Adam Feldman, theater critic for Time Out New York and president of the New York Drama Critics Circle: "The film version of Les Misérables is unabashed about its musicality, sincerity and sentiment. There is nothing in quotation marks. While it is very risky to go with that, it also can be very moving. It tells its story in a form that is very dramatically and musically direct, and it can make some people uncomfortable."

It could just be that the dissenters sneer all the harder because the public doesn't give a sniff about their disdain. The only thing that critics hate more than Les Mis? Being ignored.

"People like being moved by the generosity that the suffering of others invokes in them," says Feldman. "And Les Misérables does do that. It's not Wagner. But Wagner wouldn't sell a ticket."

>>>
Says Adam Feldman, theater critic for Time Out New York and president of the New York Drama Critics Circle: "The film version of Les Misérables is unabashed about its musicality, sincerity and sentiment. There is nothing in quotation marks. While it is very risky to go with that, it also can be very moving. It tells its story in a form that is very dramatically and musically direct, and it can make some people uncomfortable."

It could just be that the dissenters sneer all the harder because the public doesn't give a sniff about their disdain. The only thing that critics hate more than Les Mis? Being ignored.

"People like being moved by the generosity that the suffering of others invokes in them," says Feldman. "And Les Misérables does do that. It's not Wagner. But Wagner wouldn't sell a ticket.<<<


Jo

How much like THE GREATEST SHOWMAN was received by critics but adored repeatedly by fans all over the world!

[jo]

[njr]

I hate Zac Efron as a blonde!

[jo]

It looks like more of an excellent portraiture rather then a photo.

[jo]

Round 2 for summer singalongs - circa 2019!

[jo]

It seems Hugh Jackman's appellation as THE GREATEST SHOWMAN has now transcended into the realm of national interest and politics

It would be hard to claim that title away from Hugh Jackman now

[jo]

The girls want to be Barnum and nobody else

[jo]

Barnum and Gen Tom Thumb meet again

[jo]

http://instagram.com/p/B0T6l8gl1wz

[jo]

Watching The Greatest Showman, the movie, with new eyes!

Will try this, too -- it would be like fantasy ( the film) merging with reality ( the show)



Jo

[jo]

www.thestage.co.uk/news/2019/twentieth-century-fox-legal-dispute-greatest-showman-welsh-community-theatre/#_=_

Legal dispute over The Greatest Showman adaption put Welsh community theatre at ‘risk of closure’


News
by Giverny Masso - Jul 31, 2019
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Twentieth Century Fox has settled a copyright dispute with a Welsh community theatre over an adaptation of The Greatest Showman, following legal proceedings that put the venue at risk of closure.

Lawyers have accused the US corporation of issuing “grossly disproportionate” legal action against the theatre, likened to “using a sledgehammer to crack a nut”.

The case centres on a fictional version of The Greatest Showman, set years after the events of the film, which ran in July 2018 at the 490-seat Stiwt Theatre in Wrexham, North Wales.


Across seven performances, the show made approximately £40,000 in ticket sales.


In September 2018, family run events company Cyclone Events Limited, which produced the show, and Stiwt Arts Trust Limited, which runs the theatre, discovered they faced High Court proceedings from Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation for copyright infringement.


According to law firm Virtuoso Legal, which was representing the theatre and events companies, the defendants “immediately held up their hands” and accepted liability for copyright infringement before proceedings were issued.

However Twentieth Century Fox, represented by Wiggin LLP, went ahead to issue High Court proceedings, citing that the claim against the theatre was “worth in excess of £200,000”.


Fox paid a fee of £10,000 to issue the legal proceedings, but lawyers for the defendant claim its court fee should have only been in the hundreds “if Fox’s representatives had been realistic about the value of Fox’s claim from the outset”.

According to Virtuoso Legal, Fox not only issued a claim against Cyclone Events Limited and Stiwt Arts Trust Limited, but also the individual directors, “[causing] all the defendants much distress over the course of a year, as any personal assets would be on the line”.

As a result of the proceedings, Cyclone Events Limited went bust.

After further dispute between the parties, the case was transferred from the High Court to the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court.

The parties settled the proceedings this month, “once Twentieth Century Fox started to become (a little) more realistic about the value of its damages claim”, said lawyers.

The defendants agreed to pay £15,000 in damages and £10,000 towards Fox’s legal costs, which were estimated to total more than £100,000.


A public fundraising page has been set up to help the defendants meet their legal costs.

Philip Partington, director of Virtuoso Legal and head of its disputes department, said: “These proceedings have been deeply regretful to witness over the last year. The defendants clearly made an early set of mistakes in the showing of their version of the Greatest Showman.

“However, in my view, they were simply naïve in their desire to put on a local theatre production for predominately children, rather than some sort of criminal mastermind infringement operation.”

“Unfortunately, Twentieth Century Fox did not see the case this way and embarked on a wholly disproportionate set of proceedings.”

Partington added: “If Fox had been more reasonable at the outset, these proceedings could have been settled within a month, rather than dragging on for almost a year, and in the process risk the closure of a local community theatre and costing Fox well over £100,000.”

Twentieth Century Fox has been contacted for comment.

Copyright infringement is a serious matter. Even community theatres cannot be unaware of the prohibition. Why did the community theatre decide to do an adaptation of the movie knowing fully well that copyright laws protect the rights of the owner of the intellectual property? Even someone like Hugh Jackman needed permission to use material from the movie ( such as the musical score) for his show. And I think the copyrights to the songs actually belong to Pasek and Paul ( with Fox presumably paying for their use in the movie). Maybe the community theatre wrote their own score but based on a story adaptation from the film. It is unfortunate for them that they became the test case for copyright infringement of a very popular intellectual property ( The Greatest Showman).


I remember how FOX did hunt after the ultimate violators of the upload of the movie XMEN ORIGINS: Wolverine before the movie was even released. After that, FOX ( especially then Chairman Jim Gianopulos) followed all the legal means within their corporate reach to seek penal sanctions to the violators.


Jo

[jo]

A teacher teaching music to K-5 level has requested suggestions on good musicals to show the kids ( Is that kindergarten - 5 year olds?) on BWW and has received a number of suggestions ( he/she didn't want Disney type animation or the like). Oklahoma! was among those mentioned.



www.broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.php?thread=1118436&dt=8

Theatrefanboy1
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Posted: 8/4/19 at 10:09pm
Im looking to add some DVDs or recordings to show a music class (grade k-5) authentic broadway or west end shows and was wondering if people had a list of recommendations. Im wanting to show good quality musicals that theyd enjoy and hopefully expose them to stories that are new to them. (So. Im looking to stay away from things like shrek the musical or high school musical. Or much of the Disney mainstream canon.). Thank you for your suggestions

But here was an interesting comment from someone --

Posted: 8/6/19 at 9:41am
K-5? Their attention span is of a flea. My niece and nephew were already film and TV savvy at that age and have no memory of any of the Broadway shows they saw during those years. Your best bet is to show them musicals featuring kids, especially ANNIE. Something that registers to them. Anything else will simply not make an impression as they have nothing to connect to.

I wonder


We have seen so many YouTube clips showing very young kids singing or dancing to the music of The Greatest Showman. We have seen so many social media shares showing kid birthday parties with the theme of TGS! We have seen toddlers trying to ape the singing of older siblings in car karaokes of the music from TGS. We have seen many kids attend Hugh's show ( remember Luciana, although maybe she is a little older?).

Has the taste of the very young started to change from just-Disney to Disney+ ( I am punning - Disney+ is the streaming service of the new Disney, called Disney-plus). Are they starting to appreciate a little bit more grown-up taste? Or was the movie itself and its characters (together with the catchy songs and dance numbers} which drew them to the unusual phenomenon of kids now idolizing Hugh Jackman and loving the songs of TGS


We need CarouselKathy here



Jo