When your hear the name P.T. Barnum, many of us think of the circus and the wonders it contains. But do you know anything about the man behi...

When your hear the name P.T. Barnum, many of us think of the circus and the wonders it contains. But do you know anything about the man behind it all? You might after watching Hugh Jackman play P.T. Barnum in THE GREATEST SHOWMAN, which releases in theaters December 20.

Note: I was invited as media to the movie screening and press junket by 20th Century Fox. However any personal views expressed are always 100% my own.

I attended an advance screening for THE GREATEST SHOWMAN film and was so impressed with everything from the acting, to the singing to the multiple storylines. After screening the movie, I had the chance to interview the cast and get a behind the scenes peek into the film.



Make sure you also read my other THE GREATEST SHOWMAN interviews

• The Greatest Showman Cast Interview: Hugh Jackman, Zendaya & Zac Efron

• Keala Settle, Rebecca Ferguson & Michael Gracey Interview for The Greatest Showman

• Behind the Songs for The Greatest Showman with Benj Pasek and Justin Paul

Sharing why they wanted to be part of The Greatest Showman

Hugh Jackman: So, this started in 2009, and I'd just hosted the Oscars. And the producer, Larry Mark, who's the producer of this, and Bill Condon, who directed the Oscars who wrote on this, came to me. At that point I hadn't done Les Mis. So, I'd done musicals on stage and I'd done movies, but I'd never done anything--a movie musical, and I was like, "Let's do it."

And they had the idea of P.T. Barnum, which I thought was perfect for a musical. I do think when you have a character who's in the world of show biz, who's larger than life, it lends itself to a musical. So, in that way, I thought this is a perfect type of character.

Zac Efron Some point in life, or at one time or another, I'm always wanting to do a musical. I think I'm like you (Hugh Jackman) in that respect. I’m always wondering, where can I find the next way to integrate music and that sort of song and dance side of me into my work. And where will it be effective. Where will it be useful?

And in Hugh's portrayal of P.T. Barnum, I felt like it would be effective. It could work through--Phillip could be a conduit to help show the magic of what P.T. Barnum did as a showman.

Speaking about the rehearsal work that goes into the dancing and singing performances

Hugh Jackman: I mean, some things come easily to me. But we did a lot of hat stuff, glass stuff, and I'm clumsy. And literally, I would put my hand there and--20 feet, the shot glass from you (Zac Efron) was always there. And you (Zac Efron) were at one point going, "I think you're pushing a little hard."

Zac Efron Well, yes, at that point, it was fun to watch you (Hugh Jackman) figure it out, because you're dealing with catching a hat on your foot and then flicking it back to your head. I'm, like, just sitting there in awe for half the numbers. You've already completed all that. If I figured out how to slide a shot glass, you know, the least I could do is, you know, show you (Hugh Jackman) the finesse to it.

Zac Efron It was really hard to do, actually, slide a shot glass full of liquid and keep it drinkable.

Hugh Jackman: Right. Yes. But it was great fun. It's so much fun to do.

About dancing on high wires and doing their own stunts

Zendaya: Literally as much as we could do we wanted to do. I think that was the cool part about it, we kind of had the freedom to just go for it and just have some fun.

And thankfully, I have a partner in crime who wanted to do it just as much as I did. Because when it comes to that, it's easy to get frustrated. It's easy to just say, "Oh, this hurts." Like, "I don't want to do this anymore," you know? But when you have someone that's like, "No, let's do it. We want that perfect take. We want to get it right," like, it makes for a better team.


Zac Efron: That's a testament to Zendaya, because I didn't know what to expect coming into the rehearsal process. And, it's scary what we were doing, aerial work. There's no qualms about it. It's something I had never done. I had my own nerves about it.

But on day one, she was totally committed. And once we kind of trusted one another, she just kept leveling it out. And I was like, "All right, let's go. Let's do this. Let's nail it." And that just made me that much more motivated to get it perfect. So, at the end of the numbers, we would often not want to quit.

What they hope kids and families take away from The Greatest Showman.

Hugh Jackman: Well, I definitely love the message of this movie, of accepting ourselves for who we are and what we love and the things that really make us feel passionate and not worry about what anyone else thinks.

I have a 12 year old and I have a 17 year old, and I think anywhere probably from eight to 17, the pressure not only from peers but from advertising, from so many different sources is that there is a preconceived idea of what is cool, of what is good looking, of what is going to get you acceptance, that actually more than ever--and this movie is speaking to that, that actually being yourself is the coolest thing you can do.

Zac Efron: Well, it's funny, because what he just put so eloquently is much harder for me to put into words 'cause I have less practice. And I guess I don't have my own kids or that perspective on it.

But I've kind of been in the limelight and had it happen to me. What got me started on the path was what you (Hugh Jackman) just said. Being sort of free and comfortable with who I was. And I really resonated with the people that I met and worked with that were a little bit older than me in the Conservatory for the Arts. They were freethinkers and they knew cool things, and it was different.

Zac Efron: It was kind of my own little world that I found in theater. And that's what put me on the path to do High School Musical.

So, what you (Hugh Jackman) just said I think is really, really important, remembering to be confident in who you are is the hardest message to get across and such an easy thing to say. But I wake up and every day start with the man in the mirror, and just have to accept that and be excited about that--And grateful for that.


Zendaya: I guess as a millennial, or someone that young people look to, it's a lot of responsibility. And I try to take it that way. Some people like to look at it as a pressure and a negative thing, and I think it's positive thing. It means 40 million people that I can positively affect, you know?

And I think what my message is and what aligns with this movie is, it's not telling you to be a certain way, right? We're not saying this is how you should be. It's saying we want you to be the best version of yourself.

So, nobody's saying I want you to be just like Zendaya. No, I don't want you to be just like me. I want you to be just like you.

Zendaya: And that path looks different for every single person in any walk of life. I call it the butterfly effect, right? Everybody has that at any point in their life and it's constantly changing, cause we're human beings. We're all still learning and growing as we go.

And I think that that's the beauty about what we do, is we get to kind of get stuck in a certain time period of our life where we can continue to be imaginative, because there's a time where, it's not cool to make believe any more. But that's what we do for a living. And it's fun and it's exciting.

This Christmas, dare to dream anything. The #GreatestShowman opens a world of imagination, in theaters December 20.

SYNOPSIS

"The Greatest Showman” is a bold and original musical that celebrates the birth of show business and the sense of wonder we feel when dreams come to life. Inspired by the ambition and imagination of P.T. Barnum, “The Greatest Showman” tells the story of a visionary who rose from nothing to create a mesmerizing spectacle that became a worldwide sensation.

Starring Academy Award nominee Hugh Jackman. Jackman is joined by Zac Efron, Academy Award nominee Michelle Williams, Rebecca Ferguson and Zendaya.

The Greatest Showman | Official Trailer 2 [HD] | 20th Century FOX


Directed By: Michael Gracey

Screenplay By: Jenny Bicks and Bill Condon
Story By: Jenny Bicks
Produced By: Laurence Mark, Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping

To learn more, visit - www.thegreatestshowmantickets.com

www.facebook.com/GreatestShowman
www.twitter.com/GreatestShowman
www.instagram.com/greatestshowman

In THE GREATEST SHOWMAN you'll get a peek into the life of P.T. Barnum, which includes women like Keala Settle as The Beard Lady and Reb...

In THE GREATEST SHOWMAN you'll get a peek into the life of P.T. Barnum, which includes women like Keala Settle as The Beard Lady and Rebecca Ferguson as Swedish opera singer Jenny Lind. While watching an advance screening I enjoyed how both women had a powerful effect on P.T. Barnum and the story-line.

Note: I was invited as media to the movie screening and press junket by 20th Century Fox. However any personal views expressed are always 100% my own.

So when it came time for the junket interviews, I couldn't wait to hear Rebecca Ferguson and Keala Settle talk about their roles in THE GREATEST SHOWMAN. The director Michael Gracey also joined the interview and shared what it was like on set with the ladies and cast.



Make sure you also read my other THE GREATEST SHOWMAN interviews

• The Greatest Showman Cast Interview: Hugh Jackman, Zendaya & Zac Efron

• Keala Settle, Rebecca Ferguson & Michael Gracey Interview for The Greatest Showman

• Behind the Songs for The Greatest Showman with Benj Pasek and Justin Paul

But first I had to ask Rebecca and Keala....

What appealed to each of you about your characters?

Rebecca Ferguson: I think for me it's kind of grander scale. I have never done musicals, first of all, so I was terrified of going into this genre and that I was going to play one of our cult figures of Sweden, which was even more terrifying.

And I'm not really a singer; bring on more terrifying. And I thought why not just do it and challenge myself? So, I think it was kind of all of those, trying something that I haven't done before and a little homage.

Keala Settle: I tried to hide from playing my part. I was so petrified because this is my first major motion picture, in a role that I didn't know was going to be what it is.

I had no idea. It changed over the course of how it was created as we were creating, you know, in rehearsals and stuff like that before we started initial photography. And the bigger that it got for me, the scarier that it got, because I wanted to hide even more. And I am still, even sitting here in front of you, fighting that right now.

It’s very easy to be scared and to stifle it and act like you're not. It's even harder to be afraid and admit it. And I was surrounded by so many people who I didn't know were there that were.

About acting with "real" emotions

Michael Gracey: I mean, this is how special it was. I would love to take credit as the director for the amazing performance, but I can't because everyone involved in this film, they brought so much to their performance and they did it in a way that was so truthful.

And that's what Keala is talking about, because it was so meaningful to her personally. And so, it was so powerful to just capture that. And it didn't make it easy.


Keala Settle: No, not at all, because I had to let go. You can't lie in a camera because they can see it. There are moments of being on a Broadway stage which are different, and it's a different way you perform and share those emotions that you can convey to that type of an audience.

But when you're in front of a camera, you can't lie. Which means you have to tap in. And the second that you let all of that go, you're not even in your body anymore, which is how it's supposed to be, because you have to let others see. That's what makes a great artist, when they can give of themselves enough to say I'm getting out of the way so that this can come through, wherever it came from.

Sharing how all the actors supported each other

Michael Gracey: I'm a huge believer in the environment that you set on--is reflected in the work. And this cast and this set and the crew created the most amazing environment, and it was such a sense of family with everyone.

You had huge stars coming down and just being on set to support other people's musical numbers. They were cheering. Usually when you work with big stars, you have this person from that time to this time--.And that's it.

And you are fighting desperately to get them just to show up for their scenes, let alone to come and be supportive of each other's scenes.

They all did it. Zac, Zendaya, Hugh, they all come down. Everyone was so enamored with each other and what they were bringing to this film. And that's really what makes it so special.

Discussing the properness between a man and woman (in current sexual harassment events and The Greatest Showman)

Rebecca Ferguson: We talked a lot about this before shooting it. I think one because she's not in the film a lot, but she's a generator for the film and how it moves forward, and especially in P.T.'s action and reactions, etc.

I think something that was important for me, was to not make her the--oh, let's simplify it to the bitch, the stealer, the sort of womanizing kind of sex object, but to actually have someone who creates this relationship with a man, which I find so beautiful.

She's an illegitimate child who has actually made it. She is the proof that what P.T. Barnum is struggling for is manageable. And I think that sparks a relationship between them which goes beyond the simplicity of eroticism.

Rebecca Ferguson: It is something stronger. There is an understanding for magic and creativeness. And, you know, she's a character who has been world famous in her own area. But he sees something else in her, and she can sense it. And it's that--those unspoken words-- I think, that we try to bring. Are they friends? Are they not friends? Are they like siblings? What is going on between them?


Michael Gracey: It's actually why that is such a dangerous relationship. It's not because it's a man looking at a woman and going, oh, I think she's attractive. It's a man looking at a woman who unfortunately has a connection because she's an illegitimate child and she's now this superstar.

But not just a superstar. She's revered, so she's transcended her class and she's become revered by high society. So, wherever she came from, she is now adored by all.

Michael Gracey: And that is all Barnum, at a certain point in his life, is struggling for. That's what he wants. He wants to be seen as a patron of the arts, not the guy who hangs out with all of these---.

And so, when he looks at this girl, it's everything that he wants to be.

Michael Gracey: He can talk to her in a way that he can't talk to his wife. And that is the dangerous thing.

Because she (the wife) comes from high class. She will never understand that struggle and that desire of him to be seen as legitimate, whereas Jenny Lind understands it fully. And that, to me, is why that relationship is so electric and so dangerous, because he appeal isn't just one that is physical. The appeal is that--.

This Christmas, dare to dream anything. The #GreatestShowman opens a world of imagination, in theaters December 20.

SYNOPSIS

"The Greatest Showman” is a bold and original musical that celebrates the birth of show business and the sense of wonder we feel when dreams come to life. Inspired by the ambition and imagination of P.T. Barnum, “The Greatest Showman” tells the story of a visionary who rose from nothing to create a mesmerizing spectacle that became a worldwide sensation.

Starring Academy Award nominee Hugh Jackman. Jackman is joined by Zac Efron, Academy Award nominee Michelle Williams, Rebecca Ferguson and Zendaya.

The Greatest Showman | Official Trailer 2 [HD] | 20th Century FOX


Directed By: Michael Gracey

Screenplay By: Jenny Bicks and Bill Condon
Story By: Jenny Bicks
Produced By: Laurence Mark, Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping

To learn more, visit - www.thegreatestshowmantickets.com

www.facebook.com/GreatestShowman
www.twitter.com/GreatestShowman
www.instagram.com/greatestshowman

After screening THE GREATEST SHOWMAN, I continued to hum some of the films songs. The songs were both catchy and touching thanks in part to ...

After screening THE GREATEST SHOWMAN, I continued to hum some of the films songs. The songs were both catchy and touching thanks in part to Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the songwriters for the film.

Note: I was invited as media to the movie screening and press junket by 20th Century Fox. However any personal views expressed are always 100% my own.

During the junket press interview, I had the chance to interview both Benj Pasek and Justin Paul about writing songs for THE GREATEST SHOWMAN.


Make sure you also read my other THE GREATEST SHOWMAN interviews

• The Greatest Showman Cast Interview: Hugh Jackman, Zendaya & Zac Efron

• Keala Settle, Rebecca Ferguson & Michael Gracey Interview for The Greatest Showman

• Behind the Songs for The Greatest Showman with Benj Pasek and Justin Paul

Talking about bringing a modern feel to music and songs

Justin Paul:  So, the first time that we heard anything about this film was when Michael Gracey, the director, pitch the film.

And we heard him tell this tale of how he wanted to make a film, sort of like the film that P.T. Barnum would have made about himself, this sort of larger than life figure who was an impresario, who was sort of the Steve Jobs of his time, the Jay-Z of his time, was sort of like the OG. You know what I mean?

The part of that concept was, "I want to make the music contemporary and the choreography contemporary also", sort of talk about the fact that he was ahead of his time. And that sounded sort of crazy to us, and we were like, "We don't get that at all."

Justin Paul: I remember reading the script and hearing him say that, and I was like, "That doesn't make sense." But that was also part of the intrigue of it and sort of made us feel like, well, that sounds like a really weird task and we're not sure how to do it.

But that's intriguing, to try to, figure out that challenge and solve the puzzle. So, that's sort of where it came from. And Michael's so visual and the visuals in the film are so bold and colorful and hyped up. So, that sort of lends itself to a contemporary feel.

The Greatest Showman | The Art of The Musical | 20th Century FOX

Sharing the process of writing and music

Benj Pasek: I write more words. He writes more music. But we always begin the process together and we always end the process together.

I think we would say probably, like, 80 percent of our time is just sort of knocking our heads against a wall or a piano and just trying to figure out what the concept might be. And then we go to our other--our separate little pods and he'll work on something and I'll work on something, and then we'll come back and weave it together in the end.

Benj Pasek: But I think that once music and lyrics are paired together they can't really be separated, ideally. And so, we kind of like to take credit for both things because a song is really a united, you know, congealed piece of something that you can't really separate.

And sometimes you'll underwrite a lyric to support a really soaring melody. Sometimes the melody has to get out of the way to just support a lyric that you really want to be heard. And so, we just try to work as closely as possible.

Working on "This is Me" song

Benj Pasek: This is Me was really inspired by the character. Everything for us starts with character, so the character of the bearded lady and these oddities, these people who have grown up living in the shadows, who have been locked in their parents' basements or attics and never really been sort of let out, and have been told their whole lives that they should be embarrassed about who they are, you know?

Originally the song was written for Tom Thumb, and it was kind of like a little ditty.


Justin Paul: It was kind of a little, like, folk tune on the ukulele. A song about how we're oddities and that's who we are, etc.

And Michael just kept circling back to it. And he was like, "I think that that needs to be a different number. I think it needs to be a big anthem for the oddities. We need a real statement piece of them."


Justin Paul: We didn't get how that's going to work in this moment in the film and also for that character. And so the song kind of came out of a lot of fighting back and forth with us and Michael being like, "Write the song." We're like, "We don't know how." He's like, "Write the song."

Benj Pasek: When we started to think about it, though, for the bearded lady, for Letty. And Letty was being played at that time, even in workshops, by Keala Settle, who we knew from the Broadway world. We felt really lucky to be developing this with her. When we began to think about it, in her voice and what her voice is able to do and also what she brings to the table, just who she is as a human being and it began to really click for us about what the song could be. And then, Yes, This is Me came about.

Doing research on P.T. Barnum and that time period

Benj Pasek: In terms of researching lyric content and thinking about that, I think we read every single slogan or advertisement coined phrase that P.T. Barnum ever had, to sort of think about what that language was.

But then ultimately, the movie is sort of a storybook version of his life. And as I said before, Michael really talked about it. It's like is this the true story of P.T. Barnum? Not exactly. Is this the movie that P.T. Barnum would have made? Totally.

This Christmas, dare to dream anything. The #GreatestShowman opens a world of imagination, in theaters December 20.

SYNOPSIS

"The Greatest Showman” is a bold and original musical that celebrates the birth of show business and the sense of wonder we feel when dreams come to life. Inspired by the ambition and imagination of P.T. Barnum, “The Greatest Showman” tells the story of a visionary who rose from nothing to create a mesmerizing spectacle that became a worldwide sensation.

Starring Academy Award nominee Hugh Jackman. Jackman is joined by Zac Efron, Academy Award nominee Michelle Williams, Rebecca Ferguson and Zendaya.

The Greatest Showman | Official Trailer 2 [HD] | 20th Century FOX


Directed By: Michael Gracey

Screenplay By: Jenny Bicks and Bill Condon
Story By: Jenny Bicks
Produced By: Laurence Mark, Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping

To learn more, visit - www.thegreatestshowmantickets.com

www.facebook.com/GreatestShowman
www.twitter.com/GreatestShowman
www.instagram.com/greatestshowman

The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's has returned to New York City Center for performances from Nov.29 to Dec.31, which includes the...

The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's has returned to New York City Center for performances from Nov.29 to Dec.31, which includes the Family Matinee series on Saturdays at 2pm.

Note: I received tickets for review purposes. Views expressed are always 100% my own.


We attended a Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, family matinee performance and enjoyed it so much! We saw AMAZING performances including:


The Winter in Lisbon - rhythmic and colorful ballet celebrating four decades of Dizzy Gillespie’s brilliant music.


Mass - a 2017 company premiere by Artistic Director Robert Battle with a score by frequent collaborator John Mackey, showcasing Mr. Battle’s signature ritualistic choreography.


Revelations (with live music!) - Springing from Ailey’s childhood memories of growing up in the south and attending services at Mount Olive Baptist Church in Texas, Revelations pays homage to the rich cultural heritage of the African-American and explores the emotional spectrum of the human condition.


After the family matinee performance, there was a question-and-answer session with 3 of the Ailey’s dancers. The dancers answered audiences questions including

- How do dancers get into Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater?
- What do they do when something goes wrong on stage?
- How do they prepare before performances?
- What motivates them to dance?

And LOTS of other questions! I'd share some of the answers with you but I think it's better for you to take your family and ask/hear in person. It's a great way to get a peek into the lives of the dancers, as well as hear what it means to them to dance with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

Robert Battle: Why see Ailey now?


The Ailey Organization invites audiences of all ages to experience the Family Matinee series - performances on Saturdays at 2pm that are all followed by a question-and-answer session with Ailey’s acclaimed dancers.

The finale of every Family Matinee program will be Alvin Ailey’s timeless American masterpiece Revelations - one of the most well-known and respected ballets in the history of dance, acclaimed as a must-see for all.

Whether watching as a child for the first time, as a parent remembering his or her childhood experience with live theater, or as a family that has made Ailey a holiday tradition, all will enjoy the magic of Ailey.


SEASON HIGHLIGHTS & SPECIAL PROGRAMS

Family Matinee Series (Dec. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30)

On Saturday afternoons, bring the whole family to enjoy the performance and stay for a free Q&A with the Ailey dancers in the theater following the inspiring finale of Revelations, which is acclaimed as a must-see for all ages.

Celebrating the Men of Ailey (Dec. 17 at 7:30pm)

Ailey celebrates the strength, power, and dynamism of its male dancers in a special one-night-only program featuring performances by veteran dancers Clifton Brown, Vernard Gilmore, Yannick Lebrun, Jamar Roberts, and Glenn Allen Sims.

Christmas Eve Performance (Dec. 24 mat)

Dance into the holidays with a festive matinee performance on Christmas Eve, featuring Twyla Tharp’s The Golden Section, Billy Wilson’s The Winter In Lisbon, Robert Battle’s Ella, and Alvin Ailey’s timeless Revelations.

New Year’s Eve Season Finale (Dec. 31 eve)

Join Ailey for a very special New Year’s Eve Season Finale, including repertory favorites, and a Revelations finale. Revelations - performed with live music

TICKET TO DANCE

The New York City Center season welcomes the return of “Ticket to Dance,” which invites audience members to try their first Ailey Extension class FREE with the presentation of a performance ticket stub (returning students receive a free class with the purchase of a 10 - class card). The offer is valid for 60 days from the performance date.

Tickets starting at $29 are on sale at the New York City Center Box Office, through CityTix® at (212) 581-1212, or online at www.nycitycenter.org

Discount tickets are available for Ailey Super Fans who purchase tickets for more than one performance, for students with an appropriate ID, and for groups of 10 or more (discounts do not apply to $29 tickets). For group sales, call 212-405-9082 or e-mail groupsales@alvinailey.org.

For information about Ailey’s New York City Center season, visit
www.alvinailey.org