Musicals are a favorite of mine. The bombastic set pieces, the beautiful choreography, the elegant lyricism. Every aspect of a good musical can make a story come alive in ways other genres struggle. Movies already dramatize events when they cover real-life stories and people, which perhaps aids something like The Greatest Showman. It can keep the darkest details at bay while ensuring they aren’t outright ignored. All wrapped up in a nice little musical bow.
P.T. Barnum is a polarizing figure, especially as people become increasingly aware of what kind of experiences his showstopping performers had to endure. While aspects of this are included in Hugh Jackman’s portrayal of the man, it focuses more on how the “normal” world views his “freaks.” This distinction allows us to see him as a more tragic figure, blinded by ambition, rather than a capricious and cruel man who would gladly squeeze every last bit of talent out of the men and women who performed for him. While he certainly pushes them to their limits, it comes from a place that is not wholly dark or selfish. He grows and learns from his mistakes by the time the credits roll. It is debatable if the real man ever did so.
The Greatest Showman greatly benefited from a strong cast, with Hugh Jackman finally stepping out of Wolverine’s shadow and returning to what truly thrills him: musical theater. I can hardly remember when people openly questioned his casting in X-Men back in the late nineties for this precise reason (among others). At his core, Hugh Jackman is a theater kid – who executes a complex choreographed dance sequence flawlessly while singing in heels. Phillip Carlyle (Zac Efron) is a wealthy playwright on the outs with his family. He joins Barnum in his venture, providing the publicity that Barnum needs to bring Barum’s Circus out from under the shadow of poor reviews and lackluster attendance. Zac Efron’s presence, like Hugh Jackman’s, is a callback to his first foray into film – High School Musical.
The story follows Barnum on his journey (with Ellis Rubin playing Barnum as a child) to win the heart of Charity Hallet (primarily played by Michelle Williams, in addition to Skylar Dunn as a child).
Charity is the daughter of a wealthy family, and her father, Benjamin Hallet (Fredric Lehne), spends their childhood trying to keep the pair apart, going so far as to send Charity to finishing school. Their love drives the first portion of the movie, with every decision Barnum makes being in service of that goal – proving that he can earn her love. What Barnum, and her father for that matter, fail to grasp is that Charity fell in love with him and his dreams, not what he might become one day. “Share your dreams with me” is a poignant line, and it takes Barnum far too long to grasp that lesson.
But love was only ever the first step for Barnum – his dreams and ambitions push him further and further along and away. From a simple wax museum to the insanity that is the circus he births, it feels as if nothing is ever enough for him. The men and women of his circus act as an ensemble, with a handful having weightier roles. Lettie Lutz (Keala Settle), better known as the Bearded Lady, and Charles Stratton (Sam Humphrey), a dwarf known as “General Tom Thumb,” are the two most notable – next to the most obvious cast member, of course.
Keala Settle leads one of the most powerful songs in the film “This Is Me.” A powerful anthem about embracing oneself despite the opinions and biases of others.
Of the circus members, the one who has the largest presence is Anne Wheeler (Zendaya), an acrobat and the younger sister of W.D. Wheeler (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II). Beyond her athleticism, her star-crossed lover’s romance with Phillip is a counterpoint to Barnum and Charity.
Zendaya is, as always, conventionally beautiful, graceful, and capable – it is not hard to imagine anybody not falling in love with her. As a story that takes place in the 1800s, a black woman and a white man, a rich one at that, ending up together isn’t just unthinkable; it is a near-impossibility. Their song, “Rewrite the Stars,” analyzes this deeply. Whether love can truly overcome everything cannot be decided based on feeling alone. In this case, it is not enough for Phillip to show up – he must fight for her. And his willingness to do so is a major obstacle to their potential romance.
In addition, Deng Yan (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) is a Chinese acrobat and blade specialist. Vasily “O’Clancy” Karpov (Radu Spinghel) is the tall man of the group. Luciano Acuna Jr. plays Dog Boy, based on Fedor Jeftichew. Caoife Coleman and Mishay Petronelli act as the Albino Twins. The rest of the troupe is comprised of the Lord of Leeds (Daniel Everidge), the fat man, the Strongman (Timothy Hughes), Captain Constentenus the Tattooed Man (Shannon Holtzapffel), the Human Cannonball (Kenneth Wong Chan), and Chang and Eng Bukner (Danial Son and Yusaku Komori), the Siamese Twins. Mr. O’Malley (Eric Anderson) is a pickpocket who attempts to steal from Barnum, only to become his first hire – and Barnum’s closest to a number two before bringing Phillip Carlyle on. As the ensemble, they fill out the core group, appearing just often enough to reinforce that the circus is a thriving enterprise.
Finally, there is Jenny Lind (Rebecca Ferguson), whose singing voice was provided by Loren Allred – a beautiful alto whose song “Never Enough” was strong enough to forgive them, replacing the fact that she was one of, if not the most, famous Soprano of her time.
Jenny is the zenith of Barnum’s efforts to break out into the mainstream world of fame and fortune. To be known as someone for beauty and talent that aren’t just “freaks.” It is Jenny Lind whose voice and sold-out showcases grant him an audience with Queen Victoria (Gayle Rankin) at the expense of the men and women who got him to that point in the first place.
The Greatest Showman is a beautiful story, and its musical numbers were powerful enough to garner an Academy Award Nomination for Best Original Song. Is this the kind of film I recommend to learn more about P.T. Barnum and his circus? No, absolutely not. But if it’s the kind of film that gets viewers to look deeper, then perhaps that is enough.
Lloydd Marshall Books 