I'm not a big Greatest Showman fan, as a musical. Though I enjoyed the movie much more than I expected, and I think many of the songs are wonderful as songs, it's hard for me to get into the whole thing as a Barnum musical.
But I do agree it was a better choice. Barnum is a lovely old fashioned kind of show, but it's not a major part of the regional or college or community repertoire, and if it ever was it hasn't been for a long time, so most audiences don't know it, even if they've heard of it, which most haven't anymore if they're not musicals nerds or paying attention to Broadway 30 years ago and still.
I don't we'll ever see a full scale revival of it on Broadway, but I do think Encores should do it.
I do think a stage version of The Greatest Showman would work and would sell well, though I would not recommend Jackman do it on stage. |
