Hugh Jackman on Broadway

In 2022, Hugh Jackman took on the mantle of con man Harold Hill, opposite Sutton Foster as librarian and piano teacher Marian Paroo in the hit musical The Music Man. Set in River City, Iowa, “Professor” Harold Hill sets about his usual con of collecting money for instruments and band uniforms before skipping town, only to be caught up in an accidental romance with Marian Paroo. The Music Man revival opened at the Winter Garden Theatre in New York City in 2022 and ran for 373 performances over eleven months. The Associated Press wrote, “Jackman is like a coiled spring, effortlessly leaping onto desks, two-stepping with kids, tossing books into the air and pounding out a rhythm on his thighs.” Meredith Willson wrote the book, music, and lyrics. Kate Horton, Barry Diller, and David Geffen produced this musical, which was directed by Jerry Zaks and choreographed by Warren Carlyle. Other cast included Jayne Houdyshell as Mrs. Shinn and Jefferson Mays as the Mayor. Popular songs from the musical include “Ya Got Trouble,” “Seventy-Six Trombones,” and “Till There Was You.” The original 1957 production of the musical The Music Man was so popular that it won five Tony Awards and went on to see film and TV adaptations and several Broadway revivals.

There was a great deal of buzz surrounding Sonia Friedman Productions and producer Scott Rudin’s mysterious new drama, written by Jez Butterworth. Starring Hugh Jackman as The Man, opposite Laura Donnelly and Cush Jumbo, The River tells the story of a man and a woman at a remote cabin in the woods for trout fishing, where nothing is as it appears. The Guardian described it as, “A bit of a love story, a bit of a ghost story, and a bit of a puzzler, it’s an atmospheric and elegiac piece, structured more like a fugue than a drama.” The show was completely sold out for its 13-week run of 97 performances at the intimate Circle in the Square Theatre in New York. During the show’s Christmas Eve performance, Mr. Jackman auctioned several clothing items worn onstage to support Broadway Cares. Taylor Swift, a longtime friend, donated $6,000 in exchange for one of his T-shirts. Ian Rickson directed, with production design by Ultz and music by Stephen Warbeck.

Hugh Jackman starred opposite Daniel Craig in A Steady Rain, which was also Craig’s Broadway debut. Written by Keith Huff, this play is based on real-life events surrounding the infamous Jeffrey Dahmer. Two Chicago policemen (Jackman and Craig) accidentally return a young boy to a serial killer who pretends to be the boy’s uncle, and they must suffer the consequences of this egregious error in judgment. John Crowley directed the 12-week run, which broke the record for the highest weekly gross of a non-musical on Broadway, coming in at $1,276,106. The production, which received rave critical acclaim, alternates between intense monologues and passionate dialogue scenes. According to the Los Angeles Times, “Although Jackman is from Australia and Craig is from England, they slip into the American reality of their characters as if it were a second skin.”

The Boy from Oz is a jukebox musical based on the life of singer and songwriter Peter Allen, who wrote the songs and lyrics for this production. Jackman’s performance in this production was nothing short of a raging success, bringing him a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical, a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical, A Theatre World Award, a Drama League Award for Distinguished Performance of the Year, and an Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Actor in a Musical. This musical, which received mixed critical reviews, ran for 364 performances.

The cast recording for this hit revival featuring the music and lyrics of the legendary Meredith Willson features cast members including Hugh Jackman, Sutton Foster, and Jayne Houdyshell. Fans love that the onstage chemistry translated into an electric and inspiring recording. Songs include: “Ya Got Trouble,” “Till There Was You,” “Seventy-Six Trombones,” and “Pick-A-Little, Talk A Little.”

The cast recording of Oklahoma! showcases the vocal talents of the 1998 revival’s cast members, including Hugh Jackman, Josefina Gabrielle, and Maureen Lipman. Many fans say this is the best recording of Oklahoma! you can buy, thanks to Jackman’s energetic performance and the updated arrangements. Songs include: “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’,” “The Surrey with the Fringe on Top,” “Lonely Room,” and “People Will Say We’re In Love.”

This cast recording, produced by Phil Ramone with music and lyrics by Peter Allen, features the original Broadway cast, including Hugh Jackman, Stephanie J. Block, Beth Fowler, and Isabel Keating. Fans appreciate that Jackman’s award-winning performance was so well captured in this recording. Songs include: “I Go to Rio,” “I Still Call Australia Home,” “Come Save Me,” and “Bi-Coastal.”

The film soundtrack from this motion picture was a huge success, topping the Billboard 200 charts for several weeks. It’s sold nearly a million copies worldwide to date. Vocals were recorded live on set with the help of earpieces and a live piano accompaniment. Cast members include Hugh Jackman, Russel Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, and Eddie Redmayne. Songs include: “Look Down,” “At the End of the Day,” “Suddenly,” and “One Day More.”

The original motion picture soundtrack for The Greatest Showman continues to be a sweeping success and a fan favorite. It includes numbers by original cast members, including Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, Zendaya, and Michelle Williams. One of the most popular songs, “This Is Me,” was released as a single and won a Golden Globe for Best Original Song – Motion Picture. More than 5 million copies have been sold worldwide. Songs include: “The Greatest Show,” “A Million Dreams,” “Never Enough,” and “Rewrite the Stars.”