A stage version of the 20th Century Fox motion picture “The Greatest Showman” will premiere in Bristol, England in spring 2026.
The musical will feature the Grammy Award-winning and Academy Award-nominated songs by EGOT winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (“La La Land,” “Dear Evan Hansen,” Disney’s forthcoming film “Snow White”) including “The Greatest Show,” “A Million Dreams,” “Come Alive,” “Rewrite the Stars” and the Golden Globe-winning “This Is Me.” The stage show will also have brand-new songs written by Pasek and Paul especially for the musical. The book is by Emmy nominee Tim Federle (“Tuck Everlasting,” “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.”)
“The Greatest Showman” will be directed and choreographed by two-time Tony Award winner Casey Nicholaw (“The Book of Mormon,” “Aladdin,” “Mean Girls” and the forthcoming production of Disney’s “Hercules,” opening at Theatre Royal Drury Lane in June). It will premiere at ATG Entertainment’s Bristol Hippodrome, where “Mary Poppins” made its world premiere and the U.K. tours of “The Lion King” and “Beauty and the Beast” began their journeys.
Pasek and Paul said in a statement, “We are continuously surprised and moved by how much the songs from “The Greatest Showman” seem to have resonated around the world, and to now have the opportunity to bring them to the stage is truly thrilling.”
Andrew Flatt, Anne Quart and Thomas Schumacher for Disney Theatrical Group added, “It has been decades since an original film musical has been as passionately and broadly embraced as “The Greatest Showman,” and Benj Pasek and Justin Paul’s songs have found a treasured place in the world’s heart. Audiences responded to the film’s joyful energy and themes of self-discovery, community and the families we create. We’re excited to bring it to the stage as a purely theatrical piece and the natural next chapter in its extraordinary life. We cannot wait to see how this incredibly talented team of creatives elevate the beloved work still further."
They added, "Now we begin the search for the performers who will bring this story to life on stage.”
A casting search is underway across the U.K. and Ireland, with open auditions set to take place throughout March and April in Dublin, Belfast, Birmingham, Cardiff, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Leeds, Manchester, Exeter, Newcastle and London.
News of the adaptation was announced at D23, the Walt Disney Company’s biennial fan convention, accompanied by a performance of “The Greatest Show,” featuring Ryan Vasquez.
Like the movie, “The Greatest Showman” will tell the story of P.T. Barnum and his creation of the Barnum & Bailey Circus. The movie starred Hugh Jackman with Zac Efron, Michelle Williams, Rebecca Ferguson and Zendaya and was directed by Michael Gracey with a screenplay by Jenny Bicks and Bill Condon. With a worldwide gross of $435 million, it is the fifth-highest-grossing live-action musical film of all time.
This article previously appeared on Broadway.com.
