I brought Showman in to Atlantic and oversaw the project for us with help from Pete Ganbarg and Brandon Davis. It’s been magical to watch how the world has responded to these songs and the film after the years of work which went into it. The album is nearing four million in worldwide sales and it has been an amazing project to be a part of.
Pasek and Paul are very special guys and incredibly talented songwriters and storytellers. We love having them as partners not only on The Greatest Showman, but also on Dear Evan Hansen, as well as our overall label deal together.
Pete Ganbarg and I are working with them on a Pop-covers version of the album, which will have new renditions of all of the songs. It will be from an eclectic line-up of artists and global superstars who have all been affected by the music. That album will be coming later in the year and will have some really fun new versions of the songs on it.
Thanks for the nice write up. I hope all is well.
Best,
Kevin
Kevin Weaver
President, Atlantic Records | west coast
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Sometimes we become too jaded and too artsy about our industry. The movie was great and the soundtrack even better. It’s nice to watch a film and not have to overthink it. Certainly easier to understand than The Shape of Water.
Larry Stessel
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Many, many years ago - Josh Deutsch told me we’d all end up working for Craig Kallman.
So…there you go.
Hugo Burnham
P.S. In which language does “fritzdoddy” translate as misanthropic wanker?
Asking for a friend.
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I was lucky to work on TGS showman as a background actor in which the scenes in the big tent was filmed in Brooklyn.
The first week we learned Come Alive and This is Me on the spot and we knew we were working on something special. As a songwriter myself when they play backed Come Alive thru the speakers and that chorus came across the Gmajor7 chord, it sent chills thru me even tho I didn't know what chords were playing at the time.
And all knew This is Me right there and then that the Academy should recognize this for an Oscar. As it turned out the picture was completely ignored except for the song and still didn't even win the Oscar. Little did we realize tho that some of the crew including the songwriters and Assistant Director worked on La La Land, the most overrated film to be acknowledge for awards. That's right I said it. And I work in the business, lol.
Everyday Hugh Jackman thanked us for being there and for all of our hard work.
And yes I did get a chance to meet him on our last day and wish him good luck on Logan which was coming out at the time. Reach out his hand and said "Thank You Mate !"
Yes ladies, the will deal: tall and handsome and very down to earth. A real Class Act.
So far the best working experience I've had working in this business.
Thx Bob for acknowledging TGS.
Frank Ball
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If you had kids, you'd have known about the 6 months ago.
Joe Pinto
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My girlfriend had it on repeat for months, some classic tunes on there
Robert McTaggart
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I'm sorry....I don't get it....sounds like typical show songs....just because something goes viral doesn't necessarily make it good....
Dan Young
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?What??!!
How did you not hear about this, Bob? It’s the biggest thing since Frozen!
Its songs have been littered on the Spotify charts around the world for the last 6 months!
Brett Alperowitz
Senior Vice President, A&R I Republic Records
General Manager I Casablanca Records
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I knew nothing of the movie other than that it was about P.T. Barnum. I set the dvd up for the wife and kids intending to go watch something on another tv. I watched the first 5 minutes and rolled my eyes when they broke into song as I despise musicals, but still found myself sitting there as the movie ended. Don’t know if that makes it a good movie or not but I think it says something....
Eric Beck
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Who, among the Hardest of the Hardcore, did not first come to his or her music sensibilities via the family entertainment console stacked with "West Side Story", "The King and I", "South Pacific", and "Oklahoma"?
We already know the quiet history of very young, postwar, tea drinking, British laddies turning the crank on the machine and then setting the needle. She was Julia; he was John.
Bob: This: even better than the potato chips seminar---if that were possible.
Dennis Brent
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The Greatest Showman is not only was a feel good flick for my fam, the songs still bring a lump to my throat. Why? The human element. These songs resonate deeply because we route for the underdog. Okay, I take that back. In light of recent news and my news feed, “we” i.e “the people”, have apparently abandoned the underdog. Especially when it comes to kids and the “familia” who is trying to better their lives.
If I ever write a song as good as half the songs from the sound track of this movie I will die well pleased.
Jeremiah Jones
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I thought it was worth mentioning that Greg Wells is the wonderful producer that helped make the soundtrack into a monster hit. Despite Greg having no prior film experience, Michael Gracey hired him to come in and shape the music to the visuals and story. Greg is a top-notch producer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who has worked with the likes of Adele, Pink, One Republic, Katy Perry, Celine Dion and Grace VanderWaal. His experience allowed him to bridge the classic and the contemporary, and approach the music in a way that truly helped bring the film to life. The Greatest Showman is a testament to the talents of all involved, including Greg whose recognition is well-deserved.
Best,
Carla Senft
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Hi Bob, I’m a sap for musicals and ventured into a nearby theater in Redlands, Ca, where The Greatest Showman was playing last year. Jered and I were seated in the front row of an overflowing afternoon showing. Thank God The theater had recently installed ‘lazy boy’ lounge chairs so we reclined and let the show begin. We were totally engaged and became emotionally involved in all . the performances. Shockingly, Zac Ephron blew us away as well as the bearded lady and Hugh Jackman. It’s not a hip flick so when ever we talked about it our recipients lost interest. Glad you turned onto it. Delighted you dove in to discover its success. Guess there’s a lot of us saps out there longing to be touched by a great tune on the big screen
Donna Loren & Jered Cargman
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You got through that without mentioning the epic centre-piece of the film 'Never Enough'. What a class act Showman is.
Don Jenkins
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Thanks Bob for giving The Greatest Showman some well deserved recognition. I work for the Feld organization and the film came out in December six months after we closed Ringling aka The Greatest Show On Earth. The film had personal resonance to a community of Circus performers, staff and management beyond the story telling and soundtrack. It was refreshing to see the genre used as a backdrop and still being appreciated. Everyone in the community acknowledges the music drives the film but the visuals and acting/singing were impressive and everything came together to make the magic work.
The sad thing is how the Hollywood elite seemed to ignore The Greatest Showman when the awards season came around. While this original work was ascending the box office, charts and playlists the elite were fixating over the usual quirky art films. Simply put The Greatest Showman was shunned, ignored and too lowbrow for the left coast film voting crowd. Oh yes they allowed This is Me to be played at the Oscars and it blew people away only to lose to Coco. Through it all the film made it on street credibility and good old fashioned word of mouth which is a testament to the creators and audience finding each other.
Bill Powell
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Thanks writing about this. I have had the same experience, via my granddaughter. I think we need to appreciate the deeper message in the film. A crucial and profound message, especially in our current environment of racism, deportations, hatred for the other. This film cries out for tolerance, love of our differences, and deep empathy for all of our fellow humans. What a great message to deliver to the very young (and their elders). I think this uplifting theme resonates with the kids, and is an important reason they love the film, even if they don’t realize it.
David Rubinson
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Mawkish, embarrassing movie. Not only does it waste a potentially fascinating true story, the "Frozen" style music was cheesy and typical Hollywood. Plus the bearded lady grossed me out.
Paul Christy
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When a female student sang “this is me” at the fifth-grade talent show, I realized the power and impact of that song — as well as the film. I also talked to a parent who said their kids have watched the movie a dozen times. You can’t get this info from Rotten Tomatoes or film reviews.
Mary Huhn
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The family friendly nature of The Greatest Showman has played a big role in its success. I took my 10 year old daughter to see the movie (after all of her friends were talking about it at school). I had zero interest in the movie but was hooked pretty much right away. I enjoyed the movie and the songs (I downloaded the soundtrack the night after seeing the movie), but it was also nice to have something to share with my daughter that I had absolutely zero issues with as a parent. Moana has a similar appeal. It's a fun movie with very catchy and 100% family friendly songs. That combination is going to drive downloads and streams as parents are fine with their kids accessing that content online and then enjoying it themselves as well.
I enjoy rap and hip-hop, but that's not something I can share with either of my pre-teen kids. (I'm sure they will hear it and reach their own conclusions, but it's not like I can pop in some Pusha T while we're driving to school.)
Thanks for the column,
Jon Humphrey
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Michael Gracey had me over to a loft on hollywood Blvd a few years ago to talk me through a PT Barnum movie he was putting together with Hugh Jackman. It did not start as a musical, but had turned into one. They didn’t have a deal in place yet, the music was in demo form. They had been working on it over a few years at that point. He was working on his pitch to studios, and wanted feedback on the music.
He moved through the entire piece brick by brick over the next four hours, acting out the parts himself with key pieces of what ended up being the dialog, showing vision boards, artists renderings of sets, and video of possible choreography, and playing demos of those songs.
As good as the movie ended up, it did not compare to the presentation of the vision that was going on in Michael Gracey’s head that I saw that night. I was stunned. Even just talking it down like he did, the piece had such heart. It felt as epic as “It’s a Wonderful Life.”
He had the vision, the focus, the clarity.
He is a low profile guy, so to see his name absent from your thread does not surprise me.
But it takes someone like Michael Gracey, a bit of a genius, who has a deep understand of the soul of the story and the perseverance to follow it through, in order to end up where this ended up.
Kim Bullard
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Love Love Love this song and this movie! Saw it Christmas Day! Perfect movie for us that are different and proud of it!!!
Thanks for writing!
Darlene Gorzela
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Bob - my three and a half year old daughter has been HARASSING us about watching this movie with her. All her neighborhood friends ask her if she's watched it and we keep letting her down! They sing the songs in front of her, her dance team did a performance to a song from the film. I'm totally in the dark - assumed it was another lame holiday cash grab.
I thought my "out of touch" dad phase was 10 years away - but in 2018, things move quickly.
Family movie night here we come.
Thanks as always for your words, my daughter will be happy.
Eli Chastain
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Could not agree more absolutely loved this. It’s flat out amazing. Kudos to my sister Audrey for getting me turned on to it.
Peter Eichler
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My girlfriend saw it alone in the theatre back in January. I production manage the canyon in Santa Clarita...she knew she had to see it on big screen....I then suspiciously heard the entire album,every morning on Alexa in the kitchen while I woke up upstairs....ending with the song From now on....I finally saw it on our oversized tv about a month ago...the last time my body buzzed like this after a film was when I saw Brave Heart.
Ps.... I never knew she had seen the movie in a theatre till 2 minutes before we watched on our Tv...explains the morning ritual now.
Chris Kissinger
imageFactory productions.
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"This Is It" is this generation's "I Am What I Am" from La Cage aux Folles -- Jerry Herman's simple, joyous, powerful anthem for us gay kids growing up during the ugly Reagan Moral Majority 1980s and the AIDS crisis. We embraced & lived that song in NYC & LA. So appropriate for nowadays.
Thanks tons for sharing all of this.
RICK REIDY
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Bob I guess I missed your original post / blog about The Greatest Showman but I am sorry this sucks. And let’s be honest if tweens and 10-year-olds like it it’s sucks. Sorry but the Barney song sucks, the songs on high school musical sucks ( I should know I was a part of that ) and these songs suck. Also that singer sucks who was singing “this is me”
All of it sucks except for you of course. You’re the best Bob
Cheers
Johnny Vieira
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Our 9 year old LOVES The Greatest Showman and the music.
Not as much as Hamilton though - she knows every line. In fact, I used Hamilton as one of our homeschool history lesson. She was hooked.
Sure - there is some swear words... BUT!! As a result, I am convinced that few 3rd graders in our circle know as much about the founding fathers as she does! (Pretty good trade off in my book)
The Greatest Showman is wonderful..but Hamilton is Genius.
It will go main stream as the Broadway Tour versions hits every major city in 2019.
Perhaps the world is still playing catch up?
With Gratitude,
Sandra Charamba
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Wow. Bob is really WRONG on this stupid fucking song.
Drek.
Kenn Kweder
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My kids - Ages 7, 6, 4 and 2 LOVE the soundtrack. The movie is historically inaccurate and overly simple, blah blah blah, but it’s about dreaming big, self-acceptance, and following your heart. The songs are dramatic - it stirs something in them, unlocks a creative channel and gives them permission to express. The dances they improvise to it are pure joy to watch as a parent.
James Van Der Beek
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