The Greatest Showman, starring Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, and the queen herself, Zendaya is about the "birth of show business" and tells the story of P.T. Barnum- the founder of the Barnum & Bailey Circus. This movie musical was written by the geniuses who wrote the music for La La Land and Dear Evan Hansen, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.
When I saw this movie, I was in awe of the beautiful choreography, the singing, and the acrobatics. I continuously thought to myself that this movie could quite possibly be Broadway's next big thing. However, there are some changes to the movie that would need to be done in order for a stage adaption to thrive. Here are 3 ways the Greatest Showman could become Broadway's next big thing!
1. The Broadway Cast:
I'd really hope casting directors would stay away from casting movie stars as Broadway stars. Yes, Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, and Zendaya were all wonderful in their roles, but that is for the big screen. I do not think that they'd be Broadway material. Keale Settle would be the only actress from the movie who could pull off the Broadway run due to the fact that she has several Broadway shows under her belt. Performing live on stage takes a lot of effort that movie stars are not used to since they have the opportunity to re-shoot a scene if it didn't go as planned. In the theater world, you only get one chance and if it goes wrong, you need to keep going.
If this movie were to become a Broadway show, here is my dream cast:
P.T. Barnum- Ramin Karimloo
Charity Barnum- Philipa Soo
Phillip Carlyle- Jermey Jordan
Anne Wheeler- Ariana DeBose
Lettie Lutz (Bearded Lady)- Keale Settle (duh) but if she doesn't do it, Angela Grovey.
Jenny Lind- Laura Osnes
2. Character Development:
With the movie, I was a bit disappointed in the little to no storyline behind all the circus characters. We had a little bit of a story with Tom Thumb (the little person played by Sam Humphrey) and some backstory with Lettie Lutz (the Bearded Lady) but there was no story to other characters. If the movie were to be adapted for the stage, I'd love to see more of a focus on the circus characters rather than the side stories such as the daughter's ballet dream.
Further, if Anne Wheeler is included in the stage version, she too should have a story. If she is considered a "freak," why? If you compare her to the other circus acts, she has no physical deformity such as a beard, being extremely tall, or being hairy. So what makes her a "freak"? Since Anne was not a real person, the writers have so much creativity for developing her. She could have been orphaned and desperate for money and when she meets P.T. Barnum, she joins the circus. So since she does not have any physical abnormalities, the public accepts her a bit more which causes tension within the troupe. She could be the odd one out and not accept the fact that she is a "freak" until "This Is Me."
If you think about it, having more of a backstory to all the circus characters would make the song "This Is Me" one million times more powerful. The song is about accepting who you are and loving yourself for who you are and if the audience gets to see more of the circus acts transforming into confident people who love and accept themselves, I can assure you that there will not be a single dry eye in the theater.
3. Keep It Similar:
Nothing is worse than going to a show that you know some songs to and then the show not including them.That being said, the Broadway version should try and stay close to the movie as songs, basic storyline, and characters go. But it shouldn't be the exact same as the movie because if I wanted to see the movie, I'd just buy it.
I do think that this could be Broadway's next big show. With all the music and dancing, this would for sure keep the audience on their feet the entire time. Hopefully, Broadway producers see the potential in this movie and decide to create the stage production!
