All people have memories from their childhood that they will never forget. It can range from a favorite birthday, or learning how to ride a bike for the first time. For others, it’s visiting the circus which is an experience that, as of 2017, will end with this generation, at least when it comes to the ‘Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus.’
Even if you haven’t had the opportunity to visit the famed circus in your lifetime, you’ve heard the stories from your parents or grandparents of the excitement that a simple red tent could bring. Not many however know the story of how one of the world’s most popular attractions came to be, until now.
‘The Greatest Showman’ tells the true story of who was once known as ‘The Greatest Showman,’ P.T. Barnum (Hugh Jackman), a man who’s one intent is to support his growing family with his wife, Charity Hallet (Michelle Williams), by creating the one and only circus in New York. Along the way he changes not only his but his employee’s lives, who are dubbed as ‘freaks,’ due to their unique qualities that helped them get a job with Barnum.
Following the path of other movie musical successes such as ‘Les Miserables’ and ‘Pitch Perfect,’ ‘The Greatest Showman’ finds no better way to share Barnum’s story but with music. One song that resonates well with most and has even won a Golden Globe is ‘This Is Me,’ featuring the cast of the circus who are sick and tired of being looked down upon and decide to be proud of themselves no matter what anyone else thinks.
The song features ‘The Bearded Lady’ (Keala Settle) as the lead singer who we see overcome her insecurities most of all throughout the plot of the film, while showcasing her amazing talent; her voice. She and the song now stand as an inspiration to many and will be an anthem for many occasions.
Although ‘This Is Me’ seems to be the front-runner, the other songs included in the film should not be forgotten. Other popular songs include ‘A Million Dreams,’ ‘Never Enough,’ and ‘Rewrite the Stars,’ which have helped the soundtrack for the movie reach #1 on the ‘Billboard Hot 100.’
Another reason for the films success is all due to the cast, which includes Zac Efron as ‘Phillip Carlyle’ and Zendaya as ‘Anne Wheeler,’ who share a separate plot-line as they struggle to enter into a biracial relationship, something that was sadly frowned upon during this time.
‘The Greatest Showman’ does a terrific job telling a story beginning in the late 1800’s and still finding a way to relate it to today, surely being on its way to standing next to the great past movie musical successes.
You can witness one of the greatest stories ever told, ‘The Greatest Showman,’ at any local theater with the DVD release date to be determined. The soundtrack is available on CD or any music streaming services.
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