Preview: The Greatest Showman
January 31, 2018
by: Trae Christian
Since “The Greatest Showman” was released in theaters on December 8th, it has filled news feeds, entertainment blogs and maybe even your friends’ conversations with reviews and opinions. Your friends at Student Activities are here to give you some background on yet another popular musical that will make you say, “I’m glad I purchased a MoviePass so I can watch this movie three more times in theaters!”
“The Greatest Showman” is a musical that follows the life of P.T. Barnum as he works to create what is known as Barnum & Bailey’s circus. The film features original music written by Benji Pasek and Justin Paul, who both wrote for your favorite recent musicals “La La Land” and “Dear Evan Hansen”. There is also a star-studded cast featuring Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, Michelle Williams, Zendaya and many more talented actors/actresses. While the movie is nothing short of a visual masterpiece, its album also does an excellent job of taking listeners through Barnum’s journey of following his dreams with every song.
Speaking of the album, it starts off on a high note with “The Greatest Show”. This song fulfills its purpose of setting the tone for the rest of the movie. The songs “Come Alive” and “The Other Side” also do a great job of capturing the thrill and excitement of the circus life. While these three songs are more upbeat and fast-paced, the rest of the album offers uplifting ballads. When listening to “A Million Dreams”, one can only feel inspired as young Barnum sings “a million dreams are keeping me awake”. “This Is Me” tells the circus’ bearded-lady’s story of self-acceptance in an honest way, with lyrics such as, “When the sharpest words wanna cut me down, I’m gonna send a flood, gonna drown them out, I am brave, I am bruised, I am who I’m meant to be, this is me”.
Overall, “The Greatest Showman” is a well-written body of work that effectively communicates the journey and challenges that P.T. Barnum faces while trying to make his dream come true. Whether listening to the album or watching the movie, you can easily follow along with the musical’s uplifting message. Come feel the inspiration with us on March 3rd for Movie Night in the LaHaye Event Space!
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