THE GREATEST SHOWMAN : Soundtrack

[jo]

Like a long lost friend

[jo]

Quite an honor because the Edinburgh Military Tattoo is a very famous presentation during the annual Edinburgh festival. A lot of people ( tourists, included) attend the presentation.


Jo

[jo]

Destined to be a true classic -- it is not just beautifully written but it is also very inspiring!

[jo]

[jo]

Am I wrong in thinking that the musical score of THE GREATEST SHOWMAN is the first major adult soundtrack hit with kids?? Ironically, except for A MILLION DREAMS, the songs have all pure adult themes? Like THE GREATEST SHOW and COME ALIVE- is it the pop sound to some extent and the Jackman choreographed motions that appeal to them? Is THIS IS ME only for kids afflicted with how they are treated socially...although many respond to the unlikely dance movements, too? Even for those who try to ape THE OTHER SIDE -- is it the music, the rhythm, or the choreographed movements of PT and Philip? What about NEVER ENOUGH - is it the vocal challenge that appeals to them? And FROM NOW ON - that gets them on both counts : The chorus and the choreography! And the youth appeal of Zac and Zendaya plus the aerial dance in REWRITE THE STARS seemed to be a hit with them, too. The rare exception which I have hardly heard sung by them is the beautiful, adult-themed ballad TIGHTROPE.

It seems it is both the music and the choreographed movements which have brought on the tremendous appeal of these songs with the very young.

Jo

[jo]

Sometimes kids make up their own lyrics

It sure didn't sound like "like an anthem in my heart"

But isn't it amazing that kids love TGS songs, which is not traditional music for the very young


Jo

[jo]

[jo]

There seems to be renewed interest in the soundtrack, esp during music festivals ?

[jo]

Hugh, Justin & Benz, Michael G ( who gave the song its title) will all be proud of this version of FROM NOW ON

[jo]

The film was meant to entertain and strived to do this with a heartwarming story and original music.

It is doubtful that the creatives and the actors/artists ever thought of the tremendous and immense impact of the movie and its soundtrack on the lives of people! Hugh must be very proud of this passion project!


Jo

[njr]

Aug 19, 2019 19:29:15 GMT -5 jo said:

Hugh, Justin & Benz, Michael G ( who gave the song its title) will all be proud of this version of FROM NOW ON

Very cute! Wish I could understand half of his lyrics though!

[jo]

Beautiful!!!

[jo]

And from my corner of the world - in a faraway island down south -- the graduating class of a local high school chose A MILLION DREAMS to share their aspirations!

POOR AUDIO -- but be patient and watch the choreography midway (including the sound and lights)!

[jo]

Too bad the audio is a bit too soft --

[jo]

"Come Alive" still inspiring people to come together!

[jo]

Another marching band borrowing the music and theme of The Greatest Showman!

[jo]

"The Greatest Show" fits all occasions!

[jo]

Everywhere in the world...they sing THE GREATEST SHOW!

[jo]

A unique instrumental interpretation of A MILLION DREAMS from the Philippines --

[jo]

Hugh Jackman with his Official Number 1 Album Award backstage at this year's BRIT Awards.

Only one other album is standing in the way of Lewis claiming the year’s biggest album - last year’s biggest-seller The Greatest Showman. The film’s cast recording spent four weeks at Number 1 at the start of the year and has remained in the Top 15 since, racking up 450,000 chart sales in 2019.

Maybe the continuing success of the album could also be traced in a big way to the very successful Hugh Jackman tour of the British Isles ( #tmtmts)?

Jo

[jo]

While looking up something else re the Greatest Showman project, I came across this snippet from that time when they had just started filming the movie ( and was just about to open Dear Evan Hansen on Broadway) --

And a peek at their songwriting style ( although this may or many not be exactly how they handled the score for SHOWMAN) --


Old-time songwriters sat at an out-of-tune piano with a burning cigar, but Pasek and Paul were often seen at Arena Stage, sprawled on the theater floor, peering deep into their laptops.

The term songwriters doesn't quite fit them. Even Leonard Bernstein recycled songs from show to show. Pasek and Paul are more like musical dramatists: Everything they do is fashioned with great specificity to whatever dramatic problem is at hand. The starting point is what they call "a third collaborator" - as in the libretto or already sketched story line. From there, they zero in on what's needed and where the song's narrative starts and ends. Sometimes, they write separately.

"It's in this lumpy, claylike state as we're trying to get it into shape," Paul says. "What we're trying to approximate is what might come out of one voice."...

This was later on validated in the special feature on the BluRay version re The Songs. It seems that Michael Gracey was the third collaborator, by providing the libretto or at least the intended storyline to be advanced or highlighted by the songs. I recall distinctly the background for A Million Dreams...and From Now On.

Jo

[jo]

It seems Jean Valjean likes to sing THE GREATEST SHOW


Hugh sang the role ( in the film adaptation)...

Alfie Boe sang the role at the West End and on Broadway...

Michael Ball sang the role at the Queen's state dinner at Windsor Castle for the Prime Minister of France ( at the request of Cameron Mackintosh).



Michael and Alfie's new album ( released November 1) has THE GREATEST SHOW as the first song choice! I have listened to it on SPOTIFY! Alfie's tenor notes are floating up there...while Michael's baritone takes the lower range. Hmm... this is the third song that Michael has sung from The Greatest Showman ( first one was THIS IS ME, at a concert...then a duet of A MILLION DREAMS with Susan Boyle...and now THE GREATEST SHOW). Might he be a real fan of the movie and the soundtrack??

If you have SPOTIFY  - you might want to give it a preview?


Jo

[jo]

They're still singing the songs --

[jo]

Very young voices singing A MILLION DREAMS -- Pitch perfect, even with only a guitar accompaniment!

[jo]

Dance is also inspired by the Opening song THE GREATEST SHOW --