Disney Developing Stage Adaptation of ‘The Greatest Showman’

Disney Developing Stage Adaptation of ‘The Greatest Showman’

As a long-time musical theater enthusiast who has seen everything from “Aida” to “Newsies” on Broadway, I can hardly contain my excitement about Disney’s latest announcement! The Greatest Showman, a film that has been a favorite of mine since its release in 2017, is now set to take the stage.


Disney is bringing The Greatest Show on Earth to the stage.

The Disney Theatrical division of the company is working on creating a stage adaptation of the 2017 movie “The Greatest Showman.”

At the thrilling D23 conference held in sunny Anaheim, California, I was lucky to be part of the audience as they unveiled exciting news. A captivating cast graced us with a performance of “The Greatest Show,” the iconic tune from the movie that left me spellbound.

The film starred Hugh Jackman as a young P.T. Barnum as he created the famous Barnum Circus.

Disney’s ongoing Broadway productions at the moment include “Aladdin,” which debuted in 2014, and a long-running favorite, “The Lion King,” which started its Broadway run back in 1997.

More recently, Disney Theatrical’s production of “Frozen” premiered on Broadway in 2018. However, it didn’t reopen following the 18-month shutdown of all Broadway theaters due to the pandemic.

As a devoted theater enthusiast, I’m thrilled to share that the company I admire has graced the stages of Broadway with a stunning array of productions, such as “Aida,” “Tarzan,” “Mary Poppins,” and “Newsies,” just to name a few. It’s fascinating to note that many of these shows don’t stop there; they often extend from Broadway to national tours and even international performances.

Prior to the announcement of “The Greatest Showman” as a musical, actors from stage adaptations of “Frozen”, “The Lion King”, and “Aladdin” combined for a medley performance. Notably, “The Greatest Showman” is the first film produced by 20th Century Fox to be adapted into a stage production by Disney.

In March 2019, Disney Theatrical Productions became the new owner of Fox Stage Productions, as a result of The Walt Disney Company acquiring the assets of 21st Century Fox.

Benj Pasek and Justin Paul composed tunes for the 2017 movie. They’re also the creators of “Dear Evan Hansen,” which took home the 2017 Tony Award for Best Musical, with leading actor Ben Platt receiving recognition as well. Their other stage productions encompass “A Christmas Story,” “Dogfight,” “Edges,” and “James and the Giant Peach.”

An energetic, standing ovation performance of “This is the Greatest Show” signifies that the 20th-century film, “The Greatest Showman,” will be adapted into a live stage musical.

— Borys Kit (@Borys_Kit) August 10, 2024

Read More

2024-08-10 06:55