1

The Greatest Showman Script – (Lights generally for a circus)

Projection 1
The greatest show - Lights bright and colourful

Scene 1

Projection 2

Charity’s house – lights for Inside room in house

(Charity walks towards the audience carefully with a book on her head.
Barnum makes her laugh.)

Charity’s father: Charity, come here. Is this how we have taught you to
behave?

Barnum Junior: It's my fault, sir. I made her laugh.

Charity’s father: Well, thank you for your honesty. Stay away from my
daughter.
Projection off

Beach scene – Sunny lights but only DSC around the beach towel

Barnum junior: Why are you crying?

Charity junior: Father is sending me to finishing school.

I don't know what my future will be.

Barnum junior: I do.

A Million Dreams – Dreamy blues and sparkling

Scene 2 – Projection 3
Lights for inside room in house

Barnum: Hey.

Charity: Oh God. You’re home early.

Barnum: And until further notice.

Charity: Oh I didn't think you were suited for that job.

Barnum: Or any job apparently.

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Charity: That's what makes our life together so exciting.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………
……

Barnum: Charity. This isn't the life I promised you.

Charity: But I have everything I want.

Barnum: What about the magic?

Charity: What do you call those two girls?

Charity: Hey, you partners, look who’s home...

Caroline: Daddy!

Barnum: Come here.

Caroline: Did you bring a present?

Barnum: Present for what?

Caroline: For my birthday.

Barnum: Your what?

Caroline: My birthday.

Barnum: It's not your birthday. Okay, I do have a present. But not just
any present. The most amazing birthday present ever… Happy birthday,
Caroline. This is a wishing machine. You tell it your wishes and it keeps
them safe until they come true. Even if you forget them, they are always
there.

Helen: Can I tell a wish?

Barnum: Step right up. Go ahead.

Helen: I wish to marry Santa Clause.

Barnum: That is a good wish.

Caroline: I wish for ballet slippers.

Barnum: Hey, that's a good wish too.

Helen: What is your wish, Mommy?

Charity: I wish … for happiness like this forever. For you and you and for
your father.
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Helen: Boring.

Charity: Boring? Since when has happiness ever been boring?

Take projection off

A Million dreams reprise – revert back to dreamy blues and

sparkling lights

Scene 3 Outside the museum –

Projection 4 and lights for outside

Charity: Why would a bank loan us 10,000 dollars?

Barnum: Because we put up collateral.

Charity: We don't have any collateral.

Barnum: Sure we do. In the South China Seas.

Charity: In the South China Seas?

Barnum: Deep in the South China Seas.

Charity: And what did we buy with this loan?

Caroline: Barnum's American Museum of Curiosity.

Helen: What kind of museum is it?

Barnum: A place to be transported. A place where people can see things

they've never seen before.

Charity: Ye…like dead stuff.

Barnum: But they’re not all dead. This is the Great O'Malley. Master of
sleight of hand, the king of deception.

Caroline: You don't look like a magician.

Mr O’Malley: I’m a thief.

Barnum: A very good thief. I caught him nicking my watch. (O’Malley

does a trick with a coin) You see?

Mr O’Malley: (To Charity) I'll get you something real nice just say the
word.
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Charity: Thank you.

Barnum: Now, I know how it looks.

Charity: If you didn't, I’d be worried.

Barnum: I mean it just needs a little work, but…

Charity: The loan has to be paid back every month.

Barnum: Oh yeah, we're gonna pay. We just need customers.

Charity: Hundreds of them.

Barnum: We're gonna get them.

Barnum: Welcome to the Barnum Museum. It is one hour of your time, sir
but it will change your life. We have a show on the hour, every hour.

Barnum: Surely not for the fainted heart. I can tell you’re gonna love it.
Half the price for anyone
who is wearing a hat. Ho ho, That's you, sir. Welcome to the Barnum
Museum.

Blackout

Scene 5 – Barnum meets Phillip Carlyle – Lights for a room

Barnum: Mr. Carlyle. I’ve heard you produce plays.

Phillip: Yes I do indeed.

Barnum: P.T. Barnum. (shakes hand)

Phillip: From the circus?

Barnum: Yes. You've been?

Phillip: God, no. But I've seen the crowds. People leave your shows a
great deal happier than when they came in. Which is much more than I
can say for my plays.

Barnum: And yet, you have no trouble selling tickets.

Phillip: That's because I'm selling them to the rich.

Barnum: So come join our circus. You clearly have a flair for show
business. Teach me how to appeal to the rich.
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Phillip: Are you serious? Mr. Barnum, I can’t just run off and join the
circus.

Barnum: Why not? Sounds thrilling doesn't it?

Phillip: Let’s just say that I find it much more comfortable admiring your
show from afar.

Barnum: Comfort, the enemy of progress.

Phillip: Do you understand that just being seen with you could cost me
my inheritance.

Barnum: Oh it could cost you more than that. You’d be risking

everything. But, on the other hand, well, you just might find yourself a
free man.

Song - The other side – Projection 5 and lights maybe purple and
violet
Projection off and lights back to a room

Phillip: Who is that? (About Anne)

Barnum: WD, Anne, I want to introduce our newest member of the team,
Mr Philip Carlyle.

Anne: It's a pleasure to meet you.

Phillip: Yeah, pleasure.

Anne: And what is your act, Mr. Carlyle?

Phillip: I don't have an act.

Anne: Everyone’s got an act.

Barnum: (Reading article) Shame of the city. The protests amend Mr.
Barnum's reputation as a prevayer of the offensive and indecent.

Lettie: Offensive and indecent. Mr. Bennett, I'm blushing.

Helen: No, I'm blushing.

Charity: What do you care what Bennett thinks?

Lettie: He's a pig.

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Charles: And a snob.

Barnum: Yeah, all the snobs in the New York are reading me. Does their
thinking for them.

Anne: What ever happened to thriving off controversy?

Barnum: Yeah, well...(Phillip walks in) Look, hey..Do you have any
thoughts on this?

Helen: Philip!

Phillip: As a matter of fact, I do.

Barnum: Helen, come on. The master of the Household, has it in

command of Jennie Lind...
To invite Mr. Phineas Barnum and his theatrical troop to a pre theatre
reception.

Charity: Jennie Lind? Is this real?

Phillip: I had to pull a few strings. If you want society to accept you, you
may as well start
at the very very top.

Anne: Are we all invited?

Phillip: I guess I'll just have to tell her either all of us go or none of us will.

(Cheers)

Charles: Jennie Lind. Can't get much better than that.

Black out Projection 6

Scene 6 – Jennie Lind - Lights up and bright

Introducer: Ladies and Gentleman, may I introduce to you Miss Jennie

Lind.

Phillip: The opera singer.

Phillip: She is the most famous performer in all of Europe. She has sold
out La Scala a dozen times.
Not to mention the French Opera. (Leads Phillip over) What are you doing?

Barnum: Following you...so you can introduce me to Miss Lind.

Phillip: Introduce you?

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Barnum: Yeah.

Phillip: I don't know her.

Barnum: Everybody knows her. You just said so yourself.

Phillip: Yeah, exactly. You don't just walk up to someone you don’t know.

Barnum: Why not? We are presentable. She is a person.

Phillip: Miss Lind. My name is Phillip Carlyle. And this extraordinary

gentleman next to me...

Barnum: Phineas Taylor Barnum. The pleasure’s mine.

Jennie: Of course, I believe I might have heard of you.

Barnum: Oh well, I must have been doing something right.

Jennie: That, or something very wrong.

Barnum: Miss Lind, let me get to the point. I would very much like to see
you perform. And if you work with you...I believe I can make you the most
famous singer in the entire world.

Jennie: And have you heard me sing?

Phillip: Absolutely.

Barnum: No, I haven't. But like mine, your reputation precedes you...and
well, I trust your reputation more than my own taste.

Jennie: If you’ll excuse me Mr Barnum, my audience are waiting.

Phillip: Phineas, the audience are taking their seats. Speaking of which.
Tom and Lettie, the others,
where should I put them?

Barnum: Somewhere, anywhere, just out of the way.

Phillip: out of the way?

Barnum: The acoustics are actually better in the standing room. That's
where they should be.

Never Enough – Lights to spotlight on Jennie DSC

After song lights revert back to start of the scene
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Barnum: Jenny, this is my wife Charity and our girls.

Jennie: Of course, and I've heard so much about you. And your father
tells me you are a fan of the ballet.

Caroline: Yes, I'm studying ballet.

Charity: Oh, are you?

Caroline: Of course I am.

Barnum: Of course she is.

Barnum: Ladies and gentlemen, a toast. Jenny, America may not know it
yet, but they are going to love you. To Miss Lind.

Rewrite the Stars – Lights to dreamy and sparkling

Black out after the song

Projection 7
This is me – just spotlight on Lettie to begin with and then as
others enter to dance bring the lights up

Scene 8 – lights for room in the home

Charity: First it was buying a house on the same street as my parents.

Then meeting Jenny Lind and my father the other night and now you are
off on tour. When will it ever be enough for you?

Barnum: I am doing this for Caroline and Helen.

Charity: Look around you. They have everything.

Barnum: You don't understand.

Charity: I do.

Barnum: No. You don't understand! How could you? My father was treated
like dirt. I was treated like dirt. My children will not be.

Charity: You don't need everyone to love you, Phin. Just a few good
people.

Barnum: I know that. I must go, the tour cannot start without me (leaves)

Charity: (goes to say something) *sigh*

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Tightrope – spotlight on Georgia DSC

Jenny: (reading article) Following several sell out performances, it is as

though we've learned for the first time what singing really is. Miss Lind
deserves our nation's highest esteem and lavish ovations.

Barnum: I mean...

Jenny: The world at our feet. Making dreams come true.

Barnum: Thank you, Jenny… I, I’ve been thinking, I should go. I have been
away from home too long. After two months of missing my girls, I think I
need to go back. I'm sorry, Jenny. You should finish your tour without me.

Jenny: What? You're leaving? So that's it.

Barnum: What do you mean?

Jenny: I'm just another one of your acts… I'm done.

Barnum: Jenny, Jenny, please. You have to finish the tour.

Jenny: Must I?

Barnum: It will ruin me. I will lose thousands of pounds.

Jennie: Well maybe you should have thought about that before committing
to four months away from home. Black out

Scene 9 - (Lights for outside train station – Barnum arrives back)

Helen: Daddy.

Caroline: Daddy. Daddy!

Barnum: Girls. You have grown so much. Stop it!

Charity: What made you decide to come back early?

Barnum: I missed you.

Charity: That sounds an awful lot like humbug

Firefighter: Fire. Out of the way. Fire! Hurry, it's coming from the circus.

Barnum: Girls, stay with me. Come, quickly.

Blackout
Lights turn red
Scene 10 - Fire
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Phillip: Everyone! Stay close (carrying Lettie from the fire)

Barnum: Phillip, is everyone out? Is everyone okay? The animals?

Phillip: where is Anne?

Barnum: Where is Anne? (Phillip enters the fire) No, Phillip. No. Stop.

Firefighter 1: You can’t go inside. It’s too dangerous.

(Anne rushes from the fire)

Anne: WD.

Barnum: There she is. Phillip. Phillip.

Helen: Daddy.

Caroline: No dad. (Barnum enters the fire)

Helen: Daddy.

Barnum: He has taken a lot of smoke. He's still breathing.

Anne: (singing) What if we rewrite the stars? Say you were meant to be
mine? Nothing can keep us apart you are the one I was meant to find.
Black out

Scene 11 – lights on actors CS

Barnum: I have no money left to rebuild. (Crew walk in)

Charles: Figured you'd end up here. Feeling sorry for yourself?

Barnum: Folks if you have come to get paid, the money's gone. All of it.
Nothing left to give...

Lettie: Shut up, Barnum. You just don't get it. Our own mothers were
ashamed of us. Hid us our whole lives. Then you pull us out of the
shadows. And you gave us a real family.

Anne: And the circus...That was our home. We want our home back.

From Now On – Spotlight on CS

Barnum: I'm really sorry to disappoint you all but the bank won’t lend me
anymore money.
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Lettie: Don't worry, Barnum. We've gotten used to it by now.

Phillip: You know, Barnum...when I first met you...I had money and an
invitation to every party in town. And now thanks to you. All that's gone.
All that's left is this friendship, love and work that I adore. You brought joy
into my life.

Anne: Into all our lives.

Barnum: I need a bank who takes joy as collateral.

Phillip: They may not...But I will. I own 10% of the show. Knowing who I
was working for... I had the good sense to save my wages.

Barnum: Phillip, I can't let you gamble it on me...

Phillip: Sure you can.

Anne: Don't turn sensible on us now.

Phillip: Partners. Fifty fifty.

Barnum: Partners.

Phillip: The only this is…I don't know how we're gonna afford a building.

Barnum: Right. We don't need a building. I can get land for almost
nothing. All we need is a tent.

The Greatest Show - Projection 1 again

Lights bright and colourful for the curtain call

THE END