Since the 2017 film “The Greatest Showman” became the biggest box office musical in history, adapting it for the stage has been easy. Disney has one in development, but in the meantime, this “epic circus” set between the Earl’s Court office block and the padel club will feature Benj Pasek and Justin Paul’s timeless anthem. , reused multiple times in a series of acrobatic routines.
Both the fluff-thin story and the museum-like venue are closely related to the film, in which Hugh Jackman’s P.T. Barnum opens a mansion of curiosities before hitting the jackpot by replacing wax statues with live music. On their way to the show’s big top, theatergoers pass a gallery with top hats hanging from the ceiling, canes framed on the walls, and creepy posters advertising acts such as snake charmers and strongmen. .
The inner arena is surrounded by Punch-Drunk-style decorations, including changing rooms, wagons, and a fortune teller’s hut. Mops are cleverly placed along the walls, while there’s also a luxurious bar where you can enjoy cocktails. Whether you’re at home, in the swells, or surrounded by peanut shells, there’s no shortage of selfie opportunities.
Inside the large peak, a small band resembling a hot air balloon basket is perched on a balcony. Simon Bailey plays an arrogant showman who mentors a newcomer (Aaliyah Mai) who is encouraged to reach her potential and step out of the shadow of a toxic partner (played by Kori Aulak). Despite hints of a successor arc in this film, the plot is barely there with a mediocre screenplay and the help of a mysterious circus hooey. Too often, Pasek and Paul’s vivid lyrical narratives don’t match what we see. Nuance can be forgiven in the throbbing, seat-shaking sound design.
Spinning…The performer uses the Cyr wheel in Come Alive! Photo: Luke Dyson
There is little sense of ostracized outsiders becoming glorious warriors and forming their own communities. One of the film’s weaker songs, “Tightrope,” features the cast bonding in a backstage-style tableau as an upside-down Antino Panza waddles along a laundry line, hand in hand. The scene is best expressed.
The same song is used for the aerial act, but is marred by the showman’s OTT observations (“Oh my god, look at that!”). Power and skill are on display in the Human Tower, a quartet on a teeterboard to the riff of This Is Me, and a retread of Rewrite the Stars that borrows from the film’s trapeze act. However, you will suffer if you are compared. The film’s dramatic fire is acknowledged by the amusing sequences of fire-eating and burning batons.
Sometimes a great many performers perform fairly standard circus tasks at once. Two of the high points are much easier. Charlotte-Hannah-Jones, Whitney Martins and Fallon Mondrain sing ‘Never Enough’ as a spinning Sile Wheel act perfectly matches the rippling refrain. The rendition of “From Now On” soars, reminiscent of a traveling troupe.
These are great songs, but they’re not enough for a show that’s more than twice as long as the soundtrack at 100 minutes. Some of them are penalized by becoming additional rinky-dink instrumentals. Creative director Simon Hammerstein has designed a vibrant experience, but it lacks a knockout performance. I can’t help but think that Chiara Settle, who appeared in this film, is now playing the lead role in a much cheaper musical elsewhere in the city.
At the Empress Museum, London until March 30th
