Hugh Jackman is returning to Broadway in 2020.
The ‘Greatest Showman’ actor will play the role of Professor Harold Hill in the latest version of the Meredith Wilson classic, which will be directed by Jerry Zaks and produced by Scott Rudin with choreography from Warren Carlyle and it will open on October 22, 2020.
Revealing the history he shares with the production, Hugh said in a statement: "The first musical I was ever a part of was the phenomenal ‘The Music Man’. The year was 1983, and I was at Knox Grammar School in Sydney, Australia.
"I was one of the travelling salesmen, and I think I can actually (almost) remember that unforgettable opening number! That was probably the moment when the magic of theatre was born in me.
"The idea of bringing ‘The Music Man’ back to Broadway has been lurking in the back of my brain for a long time, maybe even for 35 years, and when Scott Rudin called me with that very idea, I was floored. To finally be doing this is a huge thrill."
Rudin added: "There is just no way to accurately describe the level of excitement I feel about the opportunity to present Hugh in what I think is the best role ever written for an actor in all of Broadway musical theatre. Although I have spent a lot of time and energy wishing there was a way to stop the passage of time, this is the one moment when I wish it would just move faster. I can’t wait for us to begin working on this together in earnest."
Hugh is best known for his role as Wolverine in the ‘X-Men’ franchise and the spin-offs, however, he has demonstrated his musical acting talents on various occasions; winning a Tony in 2003 for his Broadway debut as Peter Allen in ‘The Boy From Oz’, playing Jean Valjean in the 2012 big screen adaptation of ‘Les Miserables’ and starring his own 2017 musical movie ‘The Greatest Showman’ portraying circus founder P.T. Barnum.
This year, he’s hitting the road for his first ever arena tour with ‘Hugh Jackman: The Man. The Music. The Show’, and he previously revealed he has always felt "very natural" on stage.
He recently said: "I remember when I was about five or six doing ‘Camelot’ on stage at school and, from that moment I went on to the stage, it felt very natural to me.
"Halfway through the show they out a big crown on my head, which was too big and it slipped down and covered my entire face.
"I thought ‘Oh no this is a disaster’ but then I heard an uproarious laugh from the audience and thought ‘No, it’s all good, it’s fun’. I fell in love with it then and I’ve been that way ever since."
Hugh Jackman announces Broadway return
