The Greatest Showman Stage Musical Adaptation Sets Debut and Open Casting Search for Stars!

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On Wednesday, March 5, Disney Theatrical Group announced the world premiere of the highly anticipated stage musical adaptation of The Greatest Showman, the beloved 2017 movie about the the life of P. T. Barnum and his creation of the Barnum & Bailey Circus.

Performances begin at ATG Entertainment’s Bristol Hippodrome in the United Kingdom in Spring 2026. Broadway dates are expected to follow.

The film's hit songs from EGOT-winning composers Benj Pasek and Justin Paul — including "This Is Me," "Never Enough," "From Now On," "Rewrite the Stars," "A Million Dreams" and the title number "The Greatest Show" — will all be included in the musical, alongside new tunes composed by the duo.

“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," Pasek and Paul said in a statement.

Actor turned scribe Tim Federle will pen the musical's book. He's the Emmy nominee behind High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, Better Nate Than Ever and Broadway's Tuck Everlasting.

The acclaimed names among the creative team doesn't stop there. Direction and choreography will come from Tony Award winner Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon, Mean Girls: The Musical, The Prom). He's worked with Disney before, helming the hit stage version of Aladdin (now in its 11th year on Broadway) and the forthcoming production of Hercules, opening at Theatre Royal Drury Lane in June.

No casting has been announced yet for The Greatest Showman, but a nationwide search for stars is being held across the UK and Ireland. Open auditions will take place throughout March and April in Dublin, Belfast, Birmingham, Cardiff, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Leeds, Manchester, Exeter, Newcastle and London.

The Greatest Showman film was led by Hugh Jackman, with an ensemble cast that included Zac Efron, Michelle Williams, Rebecca Ferguson and Zendaya. Directed by Michael Gracey, the movie was based on a story conceived by Jenny Bicks, who wrote the screenplay alongside Bill Condon.

While the film has become one of the most popular movie musicals of all time, it was actually a surprise hit for 20th Century Fox, which in 2019 was acquired by Disney.

Opening in late December 2017 alongside Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, the film received lackluster reviews and a dim box office, but positive word-of-mouth from audiences proved it to be a slow burn. It's currently one of the highest-grossing movie musicals of all time, making nearly $462 million worldwide.

Much of The Greatest Showman's success can be attributed to its score.

Pasek and Paul's songs helped the original motion picture soundtrack become 2018 year’s best-selling album globally, according to the The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI). The album went on to win best soundtrack at the 61st Grammy Awards. "This Is Me" was nominated for Best Original Song at the 90th Academy Awards, and won the Golden Globe in the same category.

A remix album, The Greatest Showman: Reimagined, was released that year too, with a sea of covers by stars like Kelly Clarkson, Kesha, Pink, Panic! At the Disco, Sara Bareilles, Ty Dolla $ign, Missy Elliott, Jess Glynne and Zac Brown Band (among others).

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Disney Theatrical Group has been responsible for bringing a number of adaptations of hit films to the stage around the world. Those on Broadway alone have included Beauty and The Beast, Frozen, Newsies, Mary Poppins, Tarzan and The Little Mermaid.

This is the first 20th Century Studios (formerly 20th Century Fox) title to be adapted for the stage by Disney Theatrical Group and The Seelig Group, a producer of the original film

For more information on The Greatest Showman stage musical, visit its official website.