The circus movie musical The Greatest Showman was something I was so excited for when trailers were coming out. I am someone who loves a circus, and I cry when I see them. What I found with it was disappointment, but still, one video from the whole thing has captured my heart.
Right now, everyone is bringing up the Hugh Jackman-led film because of his press tour for Deadpool & Wolverine. Ryan Reynolds himself has brought the movie up multiple times, talking about how his kids love it and how Jackman performed it for them. All of that is great, love it, better than the actual movie. (I am so sorry, Hugh. I love you, though.)
But there is one song (and one video) that I watch every couple of weeks. It is moving, inspirational, and my favorite video on the internet. I am, of course, talking about when Jackman was so moved by the music of The Greatest Showman that endangered his face stitches.
Before the movie landed producers, they did a showcase to get people on board. Right before it happened, Jackman ended up having to get skin cancer removed from his face, and the doctor told him he couldn’t sing in time for the showcase of Benj Pasek and Justin Paul’s songs. So Broadway actor Jeremy Jordan stepped in to play P.T. Barnum for investors to see.
By the time they got to “From Now On,” Jackman couldn’t let Jordan take it from him. Mid-song, Jackman takes over, so moved by the music that he says stitches be damned! It is truly my favorite thing to watch and makes me emotional despite my dislike of the film itself!
He is so inspired about P.T. Barnum. It makes me laugh and cry every time.
This is my Roman Empire
If I recall correctly, I have started every year recently with this video. I don’t know why it consumes me so, but it really is something I think about daily. Anytime Jackman is named, two facts pop to mind: The Fountain is his best movie and the music of The Greatest Showman moved him so deeply he didn’t care about his face scar.
It goes even deeper than that. The lore of this video truly never ends. Years later, at a show at 54 Below, Jordan shared the story of how that day went and what it felt like when Jackman took over for him.
Imagine you think your entire life is going to change and then Wolverine said, “Not today, bub.”
The song has a second life, though
Outside of the absurd amount of times that I have watched that video, the song continues to find a place for itself in our hearts (and on our TikTok FYP). To be fair, this song slaps. I am not surprised people love it. I am also not surprised people love the dance that goes along with it. The songs of The Greatest Showman are innocent; I have no issue with them.
The dance, though, has been taken over by the likes of Michael Meyers and Ghostface (my favorite trend around Halloween) as well as other characters we know and love. Given the boom in The Greatest Showman chatter thanks to Deadpool & Wolverine, everything finally came full circle when two guys in Deadpool and Wolverine costumes did the dance. Hey, Jackman and Reynolds … go get back in the suits as Wade Wilson and Logan and do this, please? For me?
So as you remember what The Greatest Showman gave to us (and then took away from me personally), don’t forget that the lore of “From Now On” is actually my Roman Empire.
Published: Aug 6, 2024 02:00 pm