The Greatest Showman Stage Musical Sets World Premiere

The Greatest Showman, a new stage musical based on the 2017 film, will have its world premiere in spring 2026 at the Bristol Hippodrome in England.

With a score written by Oscar winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, The Greatest Showman has a book by Tim Federle (High School Musical: The Musical: The Series) and direction and choreography by Casey Nicholaw (Mean Girls). Pasek and Paul have written additional musical material for the production alongside their songs from the movie, including “The Greatest Show,” “A Million Dreams,” “Come Alive,” “Rewrite the Stars,” and the Golden Globe-winning “This Is Me.”

This is the first 20th Century Studios property to be adapted for the stage by Disney Theatrical Group and the Seelig Group, a producer of the original film. The production continues Disney Theatrical’s long-held relationship with the AEG Entertainment’s Bristol Hippodrome, which is where Mary Poppins made its world premiere, and where the UK tours of The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast began their journeys.

A casting search is underway 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. For more information, click here.

The musical film, directed by Michael Gracey from a screenplay by Jenny Bicks and Bill Condon, starred Hugh Jackman, Zendaya, Zac Efron, and Keala Settle. It explores the life and fortunes of the circus entertainer P.T. Barnum and became a box office smash, making $435 million worldwide. The soundtrack became the biggest-selling album of 2018 and the first number one album of 2019.