Wearing black tuxedo pants and jacket and carrying a black acoustic guitar, Hugh Jackman stepped onto the stage of the Hollywood Bowl on Saturday night. He greeted the crowd with humor and a promise of what was to come.
“Little bit of Neil Diamond,” he announced, just as the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra launched into the upbeat rhythm of “Crunchy Granola Suite.”
A longtime admirer of classic entertainers, the Australian actor and singer opened the show by echoing Neil Diamond’s legendary 1972 concert at the Greek Theatre, which became the hit album Hot August Night. But Jackman had more than Diamond on his mind. Throughout the night, he paid tribute to several iconic showmen.
In one section, he sang a medley of songs by Peter Allen, the Australian songwriter he portrayed on Broadway in The Boy From Oz in 2003. Later, he channeled P.T. Barnum, the inspiration behind The Greatest Showman, the 2017 musical film that brought Jackman massive success and a multi-platinum soundtrack.
“There’s 17,000 of you, and if any of you did not see The Greatest Showman, you might be thinking right now: This guy is super-confident,” Jackman joked after performing the film’s title track, which has more than 625 million Spotify streams.
Jackman’s high-energy performance style is a rare sight among male performers in modern pop. While today’s musical theater wave has helped lift stars like Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, and Chappell Roan, few male artists embrace the kind of theatrical flair that defines Jackman. This is even more striking considering he’s still best known to many fans as Wolverine, the rugged superhero from the X-Men film series.
Before Jackman took the stage, the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, conducted by Thomas Wilkins, performed orchestral selections, including music from John Ottman’s score for X2: X-Men United.
Though rising acts like Benson Boone—with his theatrical stage presence and athletic performances—may one day take up the mantle, Jackman showed no signs of stepping aside. His 90-minute show was full of life, humor, and movement.
He performed songs from The Greatest Showman, delivered a jazz-style salute to Frank Sinatra, and sang a second Neil Diamond tune—“Sweet Caroline.” He mentioned the song is featured in an upcoming movie where he plays a Diamond impersonator. He also revisited his role as Jean Valjean in Les Misérables, singing a few numbers from the 2012 film that earned him an Oscar nomination. With an Emmy, Grammy, and two Tonys, Jackman is now just one Oscar win away from the coveted EGOT.
In a quieter moment, he sat at a grand piano to play “You Will Be Found” from Dear Evan Hansen. For the fast-paced “Ya Got Trouble” from The Music Man, Jackman jumped into the audience, walking among the crowd and singing face to face with guests.
“I just saw a lot of friends as I went through,” he said, catching his breath back on stage. “Hello, Melissa Etheridge and Linda. Hello, Jess Platt. Hi, Steph, hi, David, hi, Sophia, hi, Orlando — so many friends. Very difficult to say hello to friends and still do that dialogue.” He paused, wiping sweat from his face. “It’s like 53 degrees and I’m sweating.”
The concert’s comedic highlight came with a rewritten version of John Denver’s “Thank God I’m a Country Boy,” which Jackman turned into “Thank God I’m an Aussie Boy.” He cracked jokes about Australia’s wildlife, poked fun at celebrity Margot Robbie, and took playful shots at politics. “Our leaders aren’t 100 years old,” he quipped, then quickly moved on. He followed with a line that got laughs and applause: “Life down under is really quite fun / I never have to worry: Does that guy have a gun?”
The emotional climax of the night came during “A Million Dreams” from The Greatest Showman, performed with help from 18 young musicians from the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s Youth Orchestra Los Angeles. Though the song’s lyrics leaned toward the sentimental and its melody was familiar, Jackman delivered it with heart and charm, winning the crowd over once again.
With a mix of music, humor, and heartfelt moments, Hugh Jackman brought classic showmanship to life, proving he’s still one of the most dynamic entertainers on stage today.
