When the show opened on Broadway though, I've always understood that the reviews were not strong, especially when compared to Rodgers and Hammerstein's other big hits. I've generally heard this ascribed to the Lindsey & Crouse book, which was not at the level of the books written by Hammerstein. But, of course, it found an audience anyway and ran a long time, even after the departure of the original stars, and the film really built it into our national culture.
I'm not saying that will happen with THE GREATEST SHOWMAN, which is what it is, unless someone decides to adapt it for the stage and we get the reverse situation, where it would get terrific reviews for a reworked stage version, perhaps better than the original version of the property. |
