Hugh Jackman: His new stage show and how he's succeeded in entertainment

Australians will soon get to see actor Hugh Jackman in a new musical show.

Jackman will reportedly star in a show titled “Broadway to Oz” and the show will include the actor discussing his youth in Australia and his time working in films, including playing the famous character Wolverine in the “X-Men” movies. The actor will be singing, dancing, and joined by various dancers, musicians, and guest performers. 

The show will reportedly be based on the show “Hugh Jackman: Back on Broadway,” which played on Broadway in 2011.

Jackman has acted on Broadway in plays such as “A Steady Rain” and “The River” and won a Tony Award for best actor in a musical for the show “The Boy From Oz.” He also starred in an acclaimed London revival of the classic musical “Oklahoma!” 

The actor has proved proficient in multiple forms of entertainment – in addition to his Tony-winning stage career, Jackman has played the superhero Wolverine for six films and also starred in Christopher Nolan’s well reviewed movie “The Prestige.” He’s also used his stage skills to good effect in Hollywood, taking advantage of the current movie musical boom – he received an Oscar nomination for Best Actor for his lead role in the 2012 film “Les Misérables.” In addition, his performance in the 2013 movie “Prisoners” was praised by critics.

Another actor that’s dominating multiple forms of entertainment is Neil Patrick Harris, who recently won a Tony for Best Actor in a Musical for his work in “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” and has also starred in such Broadway shows as “Cabaret” and “Assassins.” He also won audiences over in comedy, starring in the long-running CBS sitcom “How I Met Your Mother” and the “Harold & Kumar” film series. In fact, Harris and Jackman have traded off the Tony Awards hosting gig over the last few years, with Jackman hosting from 2003 to 2005, Harris hosting in 2009 and from 2011 to 2013, and Jackman picking up the gig again in 2014.

As TV musicals gain popularity (NBC is set to broadcast its third with “The Wiz Live!” this Christmas and Fox is entering the game with “Grease: Live” this January), non-theater fans might see theater actors on TV in live musical productions and get to know them that way. NBC’s “Wiz” is set to star such already-household names as Queen Latifah, Common, and Mary J. Blige. But viewers who don’t like theater will get to know actor Stephanie Mills through the production when she plays Auntie Em – she starred in the original “Wiz” production on Broadway. And those who watch “Grease” will see Aaron Tveit as male lead Danny – Tveit has appeared in some TV shows and movies but is a familiar face on Broadway, where he’s starred in “Hairspray,” “Wicked,” and “Catch Me If You Can” and was a member of the original cast of the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical “Next To Normal.”