The concert film The Greatest Showman this weekend enjoyed its peak social media buzz on Twitter and Facebook of all times. Mostly this was due to a #GloryToGlory performance in which the star of the film himself, Hugh Jackman, teamed up with his superstar counterparts Zac Efron and Zendaya to sing the same song as the lyric video showcased from the movie.
Lyrics from the original show about Puck and Rachel’s plight in the world show how consistent this is. After all, since 1992, when it first opened on Broadway and won 5 Tony Awards (making it the most successful musical of all time), it has been returned to the stage on a handful of occasions, and the story still maintains its novelty.
And that’s all thanks to the incredible young actress Ariana DeBose, who has been with the show since its 2011 Broadway premiere and who plays a pivotal role in both its original production and at the concerts, at which she belts the familiar song.
You don’t see her much on social media, but I have no doubt she’s the first to admit that she doesn’t enjoy reading about herself.
“Everyone always asks me how I keep up with the Twitter hype, and I tell them that I try to give myself to these wonderful times with the rest of the cast in a most non-stage-related way. So if I’m not napping on the set or backstage on tour, I’m on Twitter reading and responding to all the tweets.”
Two people didn’t bother to tweet her to express their thanks for another stellar performance, however: One commenter asked her out for a date, and the other one addressed her in an email. This gets the best reaction of all.
“I was such a fan of yours even before I saw the show,” he told her in his email. “However, I must mention, your back to back shows were outstanding.”
The latter commenter (if I may be forgiven for adopting his or her name) made it clear that he has no interest in love or romance (couldn’t resist), but his thoughts on her singing were something else.
“You have an amazing voice and I love your music, I wish I could be a part of the show one day.”
Holy Cow. Unsurprisingly, DeBose also enjoys sharing her personal stories on Instagram – this one with Zendaya, for example, where the two of them came together to tease the 2019 London production of the show.