While many people might be more familiar with Hugh Jackman from his stint playing Wolverine in the X-Men movies, the Australian actor got his start on the Big White Way. He’s set to star in the upcoming revival of The Music Man, marking his first Broadway gig since The River in 2014. This time, however, Hugh Jackman is bringing his dancing shoes.
Hugh Jackman has been knee-deep in rehearsals for The Music Man, the classic Meredith Wilson musical that has enchanted audiences for decades. The production was meant to open in 2020, but was pushed back after the pandemic. This version of The Music Man will feature a good bit of dancing, including an intricate tap number that Hugh Jackman showed off on social media. Take a look at the clip below:
Hugh Jackman took a break from trolling Ryan Reynolds on Instagram to bust a move alongside Sutton Foster (Younger), a fellow Tony Award winner and Broadway heavyweight. While the video isn’t very long, it’s easy to see that Hugh Jackman’s dancing feet don’t skip a beat (rhyming verse not intended). Meanwhile, Sutton Foster is an old pro - the actress won a Tony Award for her performance as Reno Sweeney in the 2011 tap-heavy revival of Anything Goes.
Hugh Jackman will take on the lead role of Harold Hill, a fast-talking con artist who convinces the townspeople of River City, Iowa to form a marching band. Of course, after he gets their money for uniforms and instruments, he plans to disappear without a trace. Sutton Foster will play Marian, the local librarian who convinces Harold Hill to reconsider his life of musical crime. The original 1957 Broadway production of The Music Man won five Tony Awards, including the prize for Best Musical, and won the first ever Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. If Jackman’s dancing skills are anything to go by, he’s more than up for the challenge of tackling the beloved musical.
Indeed, while Hugh Jackman may have had to brush up on his Shakespeare, The Music Man is still firmly in his wheelhouse. He did quite a bit of dancing in the 2017 musical-film The Greatest Showman, and he embarked on a solo concert tour in 2019 entitled The Man. The Music. The Show. The tour featured several elaborate dance numbers, including a medley of ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ and ‘Sing Sing Sing’. It may not be the new Wolverine movie fans were hoping for, but The Music Man is sure to provide the perfect platform for Hugh Jackman to showcase his showbiz skills.
After a pandemic-related delay, The Music Man will begin Broadway previews on December 20, 2021, and officially open on February 10, 2022. Tickets are now available for performances through November 2022.
