Hugh Jackman, a year and a half ahead of his return to Broadway in The Music Man, has taken it upon himself to get a head start on rehearsals. Check out his video below as he performs the musical's wordy opening number, “Rock Island."
As previously announced, the Tony Award winner and Oscar nominee will play Harold Hill in a new staging of the Meredith Willson musical, directed by Jerry Zaks. Performances will begin September 9, 2020, ahead of an October 22 official opening.
The star of the movie musicals The Greatest Showman and Les Misérables has professed his love for The Music Man in past interviews, sharing that he’s auditioned for high school shows with a rendition of “Rock Island.” In 2014, he rapped the song with L.L. Cool J and T.I. at the Tony Awards.
Watch the video of Jackman rehearsing his patter below.