James N.

Bachman

THE GREATEST SHOWMAN

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

THE GREATEST SHOWMAN is a 2017 American musical drama film directed by  Michael

Gracey in his directorial debut, written by Jenny Bicks and Bill Condon and starring Hugh

Jackman, Zac Efron, Michelle Williams, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, and Keala Settle. Featuring nine

original songs from Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the film was inspired by the story of P. T. Barnum's

creation of Barnum's American Museum and the lives of its star attractions.

Principal photography began in New York City in November 2016. The film premiered on December 8,

2017, aboard RMS Queen Mary 2. It was released in the United States on December 20th and in the

United Kingdom on 26th 2017, by 20th Century Fox, seven months after Ringling Bros. and Barnum &

Bailey Circus ceased operations. The film grossed $435 million worldwide, making it the fifth-highest-

grossing live-action musical of all time.

The film was criticised for its artistic license, with some reviewers calling it "faux-inspiring and shallow",

[4][5][6]
 but was praised for the performances, music, visuals, and production values, and received

nominations for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy and Best Actor – Musical or Comedy for

Jackman at the 75th Golden Globe Awards. The film won the Golden Globe Award for Best Original

Song for the song "This Is Me", was nominated for Best Original Song at the 90th Academy Awards[7] and

won the Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards.[8]

Table of Contents
1) Plot
2) Cast
3) Production
4) Filming
5) Post-production
James N. Bachman

 PLOT
As a child, P. T. Barnum and his tailor father, Philo, work for the Hallett family. Barnum falls for the
Halletts’ daughter Charity. When Charity attends finishing school, she and Barnum write to each other
until reuniting as adults. They eventually marry and raise two daughters, Caroline and Helen, in New
York City. They live a humble life; though Charity is happy, Barnum craves more. (“A Million Dreams”)

Barnum loses his shipping clerk job when the company goes bankrupt. He later secures a bank loan,
deceptively using his former employer's lost ships as "collateral". He opens Barnum's American
Museum in downtown Manhattan which features various wax figures. Ticket sales are slow, so Caroline
and Helen suggest showcasing something "alive". Barnum adds "freak" performers, such as bearded
lady Lettie Lutz and dwarf man Charles Stratton. This garners higher attendance, but also protests and
poor reviews from well-known critic James Gordon Bennett (“Come Alive”).

Barnum renames his venture, "Barnum's Circus" and recruits playwright Phillip Carlyle to help generate
publicity (“The Other Side”). Phillip is mesmerized by the African American trapeze artist, Anne Wheeler,
but he hides his feelings. While touring abroad, Phillip arranges for Barnum and his troupe to
meet Queen Victoria. Barnum persuades famed Swedish singer Jenny Lind to tour America, with him as
her manager. Lind's American debut is a success. During her song, Phillip's parents see him and Anne
holding hands (“Never Enough”). As Barnum gains favor with aristocratic patrons, he distances himself
from his troupe, advising them to work without him. Dejected, they decide to stand against their local
harassers (“This Is Me”).

When Phillip and Anne attend the theater together, they run into Phillip's parents. They chastise him for
"parading around with the help". Phillip tries to convince Anne that they can be together, but she
disagrees, saying they will never be accepted socially (“Rewrite the Stars”). As Barnum takes Lind on a
U.S. tour, Charity, who stays home with the girls, feels isolated from her husband (“Tightrope”). While
on tour, Lind becomes romantically attracted to Barnum. When he rebuffs her, she threatens to quit and
later retaliates with a surprise kiss at the end of her last show, which is photographed by the press.

Barnum returns home to find his circus on fire, caused by a fight between protesters and the troupe.
Phillip runs into the burning building to save Anne, not knowing that she has already escaped. He suffers
serious injuries before Barnum rescues him. Barnum learns the culprits have been caught and that Lind
James N. Bachman

has canceled her tour after her and Barnum's "scandal". Barnum's mansion is foreclosed upon and
Charity takes the girls to her parents' home.

Devastated, Barnum retreats to a local bar. His troupe finds him there and say that despite their
disappointments, they still consider themselves a family. Inspired, he resolves to build a new show and
not let ambition rule him (“From Now On”). Phillip awakens in a hospital with Anne by his side, while
Barnum and Charity reunite.

A recovering Phillip offers his share of the profits to help Barnum rebuild the circus in exchange for
becoming a full partner, which Barnum readily accepts. To economize, Barnum transforms the
enterprise into an open-air tent circus. The revamped circus is a huge success and Barnum has Phillip
oversee daily operations so he can spend more time with his family. Barnum leaves the circus early and
arrives on an elephant to attend Caroline and Helen's ballet recital. (“The Greatest Show”).

 CAST
 Betsy Aidem as Mrs. Carlyle, Phillip's mother
o Byron Jennings as Mr. Carlyle, Phillip's father
 Damian Young as Mr. Winthrop
o Diahann Carroll as Joice Heth
 Ellis Rubin as Young Barnum
o Eric Anderson as Mr. O'Malley, a former pickpocket whom Barnum employs at his circus
 Fredric Lehne as Benjamin Hallett, Charity's father and Barnum's father-in-law
 Gayle Rankin as Queen Victoria
 Hugh Jackman as P. T. Barnum, an ambitious showman and entrepreneur
 Keala Settle as Lettie Lutz, a bearded lady.
 Loren Allred provides Lind's singing voice.[10]
 Michelle Williams as Charity Hallett-Barnum, the wife of P. T. Barnum
 Natasha Liu Bordizzo as Deng Yan, a Chinese acrobat and blade specialist
 Paul Sparks as James Gordon Bennett, the founder, editor, and publisher of the New York Herald
 Rebecca Ferguson as Jenny Lind, a famous Swedish singer known as the "Swedish Nightingale"
 Sam Humphrey as Charles Stratton, a dwarf performer who is also known by his stage
name General Tom Thumb
o Skylar Dunn as Young Charity
 Tina Benko as Mrs. Winthrop
 Will Swenson as Philo Barnum, a tailor and the late father of P. T. Barnum
 Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as W. D. Wheeler, an acrobat and Anne's older brother
 Zac Efron as Phillip Carlyle, a playwright who becomes Barnum's partner
o Zendaya as Anne Wheeler, an acrobat, a trapeze artist, W.D.’s younger sister and Philip’s
love interest.
 Ziv Zaifman provides Young P. T. Barnum's singing voice[9]
James N. Bachman

 PRODUCTION
During rehearsals for the 81st Academy Awards in 2009, producers Laurence Mark and Bill
Condon compared host Jackman to Barnum. After Jackman expressed interest in a Barnum
project, Mark and Condon approached Jenny Bicks, a writer for the ceremony. She and Condon
wrote The Greatest Showman.[11] The project was first announced in 2009, with Jackman already
set for the title role.[12] In August 2011, Michael Gracey was chosen to direct.[13] In 2013, Fox hired
lyricists Pasek and Paul to write the songs.[14]
On June 15, 2016, Zac Efron began negotiations to star in the film,[15] and in July 2016, Michelle
Williams was cast.[16] The film was choreographed by Ashley Wallen.[17]

 FILMING
Rehearsals on the film began in October 2016 in New York City, and principal

photography began on November 22, 2016.[18]

 POST-PRODUCTION
In December 2017, it was reported that James Mangold, who had worked with Jackman on
several projects (including 2017's Logan), had been brought in to serve as an executive
producer during the film's post-production. In an interview, director Michael Gracey noted,
"There were eight producers on this film, and it was amazing having one of them be a
filmmaker."[19]