Look back on Hugh Jackman's theatre roles ahead of 'From New York, With Love'
Jackman's work has won him a Tony, Emmy, Grammy, and more, and he performs tunes from his most beloved Broadway shows in his Radio City concert residency.
Although he's widely known for onscreen roles like Wolverine in X-Men, Hugh Jackman is a musical theatre star at heart. The Grammy, Tony, and Emmy Award-winning star is a seasoned stage performer and has plenty of credits to show for it — and he's reliving the highlights in From New York, With Love, a concert residency at Radio City Music Hall.
The Australian native's first major stage role was Gaston in the 1995 production of Disney's Beauty and the Beast in Melbourne. The actor would then go on to play Joe Gillis, the male lead in the 1996 Australian production of Sunset Boulevard, and earn accolades for Broadway musicals like The Boy From Oz, The Music Man, and many more. Jackman has also headlined several plays, starred in movie musicals, and hosted the Oscars and Tonys.
Revisit the most notable moments from Jackman's illustrious theatre career, and get From New York, With Love tickets to see him sing, dance, and even jump rope live on select weekends through October.
Get tickets for Hugh Jackman at Radio City Music Hall now.
The Greatest Showman
Sure, 2017's The Greatest Showman isn't a stage credit, but the film showcases Jackman at his most extravagantly theatrical. Jackman stars as P. T. Barnum alongside Zac Efron, Michelle Williams, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, and Keala Settle. Featuring nine original songs from Broadway composers Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (Dear Evan Hansen), the film was inspired by the story of P.T. Barnum's creation of Barnum's American Museum and the lives of its star attractions. As an ever-spirited Barnum, Jackman put on the greatest show and got a Golden Globe nomination for it.
Les Misérables
Jackman's other major movie musical appearance was in 2012, when he earned an Oscar nomination for starring as Jean Valjean in the film adaptation of Les Misérables. His co-stars include both screen veterans — Russell Crowe, Amanda Seyfried, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, Sacha Baron Cohen, — and stage ones — Aaron Tveit, Samantha Barks — in the musical epic set amid revolution in France.
The Boy From Oz
The Boy From Oz was one of the biggest new Broadway musicals in the early 2000s. At the Imperial Theatre in 2003, Jackman made his own Broadway debut in this musicalized true story based on the late entertainer Peter Allen. Allen was a protege of the legendary Judy Garland and was briefly married to her daughter, Liza Minnelli, before he died of complications from AIDS in 1992.
The show received mixed reviews, but Jackman got near-universal praise for his performance, cementing him as a Broadway star. Taking a page from Allen, he got plenty of buzz from bantering with the audience. For example, a Vanity Fair article reports that he provided World Series updates during a performance where he noticed multiple audience members checking their phones for the score. Jackman won a Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, Drama League Award, and Outer Critics Circle Award for playing Allen, and he reprised the role when The Boy From Oz toured in Australia.
The Music Man
The Music Man revival marked Jackman's latest Broadway musical appearance. He transformed into Professor Harold Hill, a con man who aims to swindle a rural Iowa town, and performed alongside two-time Tony Award winner Sutton Foster as Marian Paroo, the librarian who wins Harold's heart. The Music Man was an instant smash hit when it premiered on Broadway in 1957, winning five Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and running for 1,375 performances. The original cast album held the number one position on the Billboard charts, stayed on the album charts for 245 weeks, and later won the first-ever Grammy Award for Best Original Cast Album.
Perhaps you've seen the YouTube clips of him performing "Rock Island" on Jay Leno or at the Tony Awards — Jackman's openly longed to play Harold ever since he lost out on the role in high school. He finally lived his longtime dream!
Find out more about how The Music Man inspired Hugh Jackman.
Oklahoma!
Directed by Sir Trevor Nunn and choreographed by Susan Stroman, the 1998 West End production of Oklahoma! marked Jackman's debut (and only) turn on the London stage. Jackman starred as Curly McLain alongside Tony Award winner Shuler Hensley as Jud Fry, Josefina Gabrielle as Laurey, Maureen Lipman as Aunt Eller, Vicki Simon as Ado Annie, Jimmy Johnston as Will Parker, and Peter Polycarpou as Ali Hakim.
The production, put on by the Royal National Theatre was filmed at Shepperton Studios in London. Notably, the show marked the first time Jackman and Hensley were co-stars — the second time being in The Music Man on Broadway. Jackman plays con man Harold Hill and Hensley plays his former accomplice, Marcellus Washburn.
Oscars opening number
Years later, fans still call Jackman's opening number during the 2009 Academy Awards the best Oscars opening of all time. The act consisted of Jackman singing a catchy song that described the films, characters, and stories of that year's Best Picture nominees.
Anne Hathaway even joined Jackman for a few minutes on stage to perform together. But it was the ending that captured the hearts of many. Jackman ended the opening by simply saying, "I'm Wolverine," reminding us all of his status as both a talented theatre artist and a movie star all at once.
A Steady Rain
For three months in the fall of 2009, Jackman co-starred alongside Daniel Craig as the top cops in the Broadway production of A Steady Rain at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre. A Steady Rain, written by Keith Huff, explores love and rage on the streets of Chicago, as a routine domestic disturbance call sends two Chicago cops on a harrowing journey that will test their loyalties and change their lives. Coincidentally, both Craig and Jackman are making returns to Broadway this season: Craig is starring in the titular role of Macbeth alongside Ruth Negga.
The River
Over at the Circle in the Square Theatre in 2014, Jackman played alongside Laura Donnelly and Cush Jumbo in the original Broadway production of The River. The mysterious drama from Jez Butterworth (a Best Play Tony winner for The Ferryman), unfolds in a remote cabin in the woods. Adding to the mystery, Jackman's character is called simply The Man, who has an odd ritual of taking his girlfriends to said cabin. The 13-week limited engagement was completely sold out before opening night.
Hugh Jackman, Back on Broadway
From New York, With Love isn't Jackman's first concert residency — in 2011, he did one at the Broadhurst Theatre and performed his favorite Broadway and Hollywood musical numbers backed by an 18-piece orchestra. There was no particular story, just the man and his music. (Music Man pun intended.) And the Special Tony Award he received the following year for the show.
From New York, With Love at Radio City Music Hall
In Jackman's latest concert residency, held at one of the most famous music venues in the world, Jackman goes on a trip down memory lane, singing songs from The Greatest Showman, Les Misérables, The Music Man, Oklahoma!, The Boy from Oz, and more. The full set list is a surprise, though — Jackman performs special covers and delivers personal tributes at each show between now and October. Oh, and did we mention he jump ropes? (The routine apparently took five months to perfect!)
Jackman shows off his chops in singing, dancing, and acting in From New York, With Love, an entertaining reminder that he really is, well, the greatest showman.
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