20th Century Fox – The Next Kid Thing

The Greatest Showman: Interview with Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, Zendaya and more

December 19, 2017December 20, 2017 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Accommodations were provided by 20th Century Fox

In the works for seven years, The Greatest Showman, is the story that captures the essence of P.T. Barnum and his legacy as a showbusiness trailblazer. In what was one of the most engaging press junkets I’ve participated in yet, I was enchanted by the entire cast and creators behind this film. Though my review of the film is embargoed until tomorrow, I will say, however, that I have not stopped thinking about or singing The Greatest Showman.

Hugh Jackman and Following Your Passion

Larger than life, much like the character whom he portrays, Hugh Jackman was the first actor who arrived to our junket. Sharply dressed for the evening’s events, Jackman started off by telling the group how the journey to creating The Greatest Showman began seven years ago.

Jackman was approached by producers, Larry Mark and Bill Condon, to do an original movie musical. “And they had idea of P.T. Barnum, which I thought was perfect for a musical. I do think when you have a character who’s in the world of show biz, who’s larger than life, it lends itself to a musical.”

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The face of the film, Jackman takes on what is, quite possibly, one of the roles of his lifetime. He showcased his vocal chops, strength as a dancer, range as an actor and solidified his role as a versatile entertainer while portraying the unstoppable P.T. Barnum.

He shared how his passion for dance and the stage has a parallel to one of the messages of the film:

“Actually owning up to the things that you love, the music that you like, the food you want to eat, who your friends are, the things you want to do whether it’s cool or not, that is where the joy of life is. And really should be your marker for your path. And I can speak, unfortunately from experience, of not always listening to that.

When I was 11, a teacher told me I had talent as an dancer. You should dance. I told my dad and he told me to go and get dance lessons. My brother overheard and said, “Ah, you sissy. You sissy.” And I was 10 or 11 at the time. And so, I didn’t do dancing. And then when I went to see 42nd Street with my dad and my brother, I was 18. And at interval, my brother came up to me and said, “I said something really stupid to you years ago. You belong on the stage and you should go and get dancing lessons.”

The Different Dimensions of Zac

Zac Efron, who most recently starred in comedies such as Neighbors, Neighbors 2 and Baywatch, rose to fame portraying Troy Bolton in Disney’s High School Musical series in 2006-2008. Efron secured his triple threat status in the revival of Hairspray in 2007.

During the junket for The Greatest Showman, Efron’s casual entrance shifted the tone for the interview. His laid back and warm demeanor was a contrast to the privileged, yet unhappy Phillip Carlyle. Efron was attracted to The Greatest Showman because it was a “merging of worlds”…that evokes a “modern sensibility and it’s about issues that mean a lot to us today.”

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When asked if he was looking to star in a musical, Efron answered: I’m always looking “where can I find the next way to integrate music and that sort of song and dance side of me into my work and where will it be effective.”

“And in Hugh’s portrayal of P.T. Barnum, I felt like it would be effective. It could work through–Phillip could be a conduit to help show the magic of what P.T. Barnum did as a showman.

And really, what Hugh does as a person in real life, and I’m here at a standing testament to it, he’s, like, one of the best teachers and, like, showmen in the world, literally. He quite literally is the most versatile probably actor alive—.”

Truly a wise talent and a multi-dimensional actor, Efron’s portrayal of Carlyle is engaging and showcases his broad vocal range and dance capabilities. Truth be told, I was caught off guard by how much I enjoyed Efron in The Greatest Showman. I not only adored his character’s trajectory, but felt that this role showcased his vocal talent and strength as a dancer.

Zendaya: Strong, Poised and Vocal

Zendaya is one of the young actors that I’ve been admiring from afar over the years. As a Disney loving family, we’ve probably watched every episode of Shake it Up and K.C. Undercover. The strong, sassy and diverse characters that she’s portrayed on Disney have helped her to catapult onto the big screen.

The Greatest Showman is her second film, but you would’ve never known it by the way she takes on aerialist Anne Wheeler.

Zendaya says she was attracted to playing Anne because she is the natural leader of the so-called Oddities. “To me, Anne is very confident, very poised and very comfortable in her own skin.”

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It’s important to note that the 20-year old Zendaya has used her platform to voice her stance on important issues such as equality, diversity and helping the less fortunate.

As a true fan of this rising star who embraces her responsibility as an influential person who also happens to be biracial, I was so disappointed that I didn’t get a chance to personally ask Zendaya a question. However, when a question came up about what the actors hope that young people would take away from the film, I loved what Zendaya had to say:

“As a millennial or someone that young people look to, it’s a lot of responsibility. And I try to take it that way. Some people like to look at it as a pressure and a negative thing, and I think it’s positive thing. It means 40 million people that I can positively affect, you know?

And I think that what I think my message is and what aligns with this movie is it’s not telling you to be a certain way, right? We’re not saying this is how you should be.

It’s saying we want you to be the best version of yourself.”

Undeterred by boundaries, Zendaya, quite literally, reached for the stars as aerialist Anne Wheeler. In their duet “Rewrite the Stars” Zendaya and Efron worked beautifully to harmonize vocally and physically. The duo complemented each other well and did their own stunts. Zendaya emphasized, “I think that was the cool part about it, is we kind of had the freedom to just kind of go for it and just have some fun.”

Pasek and Paul: Songwriting Masterminds

Though the film takes place in the 19th century, the design music and choreography helped to make this period piece into a relevant movie musical.

At the genesis of the film, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul were up and coming songwriters. They had yet to hit it big when they signed on with The Greatest Showman. Pasek and Paul have since added quite a few more songs to their portfolio, not to mention an Academy Award and Golden Globe for “City of Stars” from La La Land and a Tony for the Best Original Score for Dear Evan Hansen.

The songwriting duo do not disappoint with the original music for The Greatest Showman. The musical features 10 original songs with varying tempos, but retain fluidity within the storyline. From the opening scene that introduces the anthem and title song, “The Greatest Show,” the lyrics help to unveil the story, where stacatto vocals articulate the grandeur, and the chorus leads to a transition and a melodic foreshadowing.

Since I’m one of the last people on Earth who has yet to see La La Land or Dear Evan Hansen, The Greatest Showman was my first experience to fully enjoy Pasek and Paul’s songwriting. Immediately downloading the soundtrack the night after screening the film and before our junket, I was hooked!Truly smitten by Pasek and Paul’s work in The Greatest Showman, I didn’t hesitate when it came to asking about their musical influences. The original music in The Greatest Showman is influenced by so many genres and artists. The song, “The Greatest Show” is the only song that they co-wrote with someone else; they wrote it with Ryan Lewis of Macklemore and Lewis fame. Director Michael Gracey insisted upon an anthem type feel, much like a Queen song, where the crowd would stomp and clap their hands to the beat.

Though all of the songs evoke their own style, it’s clear that they were influenced by many contemporary artists. Pasek and Paul said that influence in their original music came from artists like Ingrid Michaelson, Imagine Dragons, Billy Joel, among others.

Keala Settle’s Film Debut in The Greatest Showman

One of the many shining stars of the film, Keala Settle plays Lettie Lutz, also known as the bearded lady. Settle, who makes her film debut in The Greatest Showman is no stranger to the stage. Settle is an accomplished actor on Broadway, playing Becky in the stage musical “Waitress,” among other notable roles. One of the most important themes of The Greatest Showman is acceptance and inclusion despite your differences.

Settle, who revealed her fears about the role: “I was so petrified because this is my first major motion picture in a role that I didn’t know was going to be what it is. I had no idea. It changed over the course of how it was created as we were creating, you know, in rehearsals and stuff like that before we started initial photography. And the bigger that it got for me, the scarier that it got because I wanted to hide even more. And I am still, even sitting here in front of you, fighting that right now.”

The entire cast is phenomenal in their own rite, Settle nailed her first film. Her song, “This is Me,” is a relatable ballad for anyone who’s ever felt different or had to overcome a hardship. Her performance is one of the most memorable moments of the film. She is one of the breakout stars of the film; “Look out because here I come…”

From the music, to talent of the ensemble cast to the choreography to the relevant and relatable themes, The Greatest Showman is undoubtedly a film like no other. The positive undertones and dreamer mentality make The Greatest Showman a fun film for people of all ages.

Though this film has been in the works for seven years, The Greatest Showman embraces so many important themes that are more relevant than ever: inclusion, diversity, dream big, among other topical issues.

When asked what was his biggest takeaway from the film, Jackman said it best:

“I love the message of this movie, of accepting ourselves for who we are and what we love and the things that really make us feel passionate and not worry about what anyone else thinks.”

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Ladies and gentlemen, prepare to be enchanted by the magic of showbusiness. The Greatest Showman is in theaters December 20th.

This Christmas, dare to dream anything. The #GreatestShowman opens a world of imagination, in theaters December 20. TheGreatestShowmanTickets.com

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“The Greatest Showman” is a bold and original musical that celebrates the birth of show business and the sense of wonder we feel when dreams come to life. Inspired by the ambition and imagination of P.T. Barnum, “The Greatest Showman” tells the story of a visionary who rose from nothing to create a mesmerizing spectacle that became a worldwide sensation. “The Greatest Showman” is directed by exciting new filmmaker, Michael Gracey, with songs by Academy Award® winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (“La La Land”) and starring Academy Award nominee Hugh Jackman. Jackman is joined by Zac Efron, Academy Award nominee Michelle Williams, Rebecca Ferguson and Zendaya.

Genre: Musical

Directed By: Michael Gracey

Screenplay By: Jenny Bicks and Bill Condon

Story By: Jenny Bicks

Produced By: Laurence Mark, p.g.a, Peter Chernin, p.g.a, Jenno Topping, p.g.a

Songs By: Benj Pasek & Justin Paul

Score By: John Debney & Joseph Trapanese

Cast: Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, Michelle Williams, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya

Full disclosure: I was invited by 20th Century Fox to participate in this press junket. As always, opinions are my own.

Ice Age, AMNH and an Interview with Astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson

August 2, 2016August 4, 2016 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Last week, we had the esteemed honor of participating in a fun preview of Ice Age: Collision Course and interviewing one of the voice actors and famed astrophysicist, Neil DeGrasse Tyson.

So, you’ve heard how I loved the latest quirky installment of Ice Age, but we were over the moon (and stars) about meeting Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson. My work allows for so many incredible opportunities and interviews, but immersing the boys’ in Dr. Tyson’s brilliance via Ice Age was such a highlight.

In Ice Age, Neil deGrasse Tyson voiced his furry counterpart, Neil deBuck Weasel. DeBuck Weasel offered lots of scientific insight and hard facts throughout the film. And as he does in everything he voices, Dr. Tyson was engaging, authoritative and relevant.

Dr. Tyson helped the filmmakers with weaving scientific information in Ice Age. When asked if that was a fun part of the process, he said:

“I seem fastidious, right? If an artist says, ‘Here’s the science we want to include. What do you think of it?’ I had first asked, ‘Well, what are you trying to do? Where is the fun, you know, where do you want to put the fun in? Where is it kind of zany?” and because I don’t want to just be cold and hard about it, “No, this is wrong. You have to get this right.’ That’s no fun.

Once I know where they’re coming from, then I can make suggestions that can improve the science without losing any of the comedic parts. There are obviously some completely absurd aspects of this. I am not here to say that you could never have the Scrat in a flying saucer, you know, hit planets like on a pool table. Obviously that’s for the fun of it, but even what they are showing are that any adjustments you can make to boost the accuracy of the science or–because sometimes the science you can put in that makes it funnier, okay? If they didn’t know that, I would say that is some expectation they would have of me.

We loved listening to Dr. Tyson speak so candidly about science and how he’d love to pen a book on how parents can get kids interested in science. Though this book he’s imagining is years off, my takeaway from Dr. Tyson was this:

When it comes to kids and science and learning about the world them, “as a parent get out of their way, get out of their way.”

Speaking of curiosity, one of the kids asked Dr. Tyson about his path to becoming an astrophysicist. It was so fitting that he told this story to a crowd of parent bloggers with kids, including my own 8 year old.

It was a family trip to my local planetarium, the Hayden Planetarium. In fact, that’s where you’re all visiting in a couple of hours. You are leaving here, going to the American Museum of Natural History, where I went at age nine. My parents brought me, my brother, and my sister, saw the dinosaurs, saw the animals, and we went to the planetarium. And we sat in a room, it got dark, the stars came out, and I think the universe chose me. It said, “You will be an astrophysicist one day.” And I’ve been hooked ever since.

Before our event took us to the American Museum of Natural History, J made sure to corner Dr. Tyson to ask him whether Mars was once like Earth, in reference to the theory that Ice Age touched upon in Collision Course.

Dr. Tyson confirmed that scientists believe that Mars once looked like Earth because it has river deltas, river beds; we may never know what Mars looks like, he said. Mars is still an unknown frontier.

At the American Museum of Natural History, we were given a very cool tour of the exhibit, Dinosaurs Among Us. A few of the scientists and curators of the exhibit spoke to us in detail about the exhibit, and of course the kids loved stamping their booklets and exploring the kid-friendly features.

The kids loved their first time at the Hayden Planetarium, where we watched Dark Universe, voiced by none other than Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson.

I loved getting a look at the Titanosaurous, which is so amazing and huge! When I asked J about his favorite parts of our trip to AMNH, he admitted the secret elevators and playing Pokemon Go (so many!) among all the dinosaurs rank pretty high on his list of summer fun.

If you ask me, not much can top meeting Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson. Secret elevators at AMNH, though, are a close second.

Ice Age: Collision Course is currently in theaters.

The screening and event was hosted by 20th Century Fox and the American Museum of Natural History.

Ice Age: Collision Course is a Fun Family Film

July 21, 2016 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

In the latest installment in the Ice Age franchise, Manny and crew are back for more fun in Ice Age: Collision Course. In the latest film, Manny (Ray Romano) and Ellie’s (Queen Latifah) daughter, Peaches (Keke Palmer) is approaching a new phase in life. Peaches, who is getting married, hopes to explore the world with her new husband, Julian—much to her parents’ chagrin. IceAgeCC Poster

Alongside of this new phase in life, the Earth is experiencing its own changes, where Manny and his friends must team up to make things right. Along the way, they meet eccentric characters, such as Shangri Llama, who follow a different path in life, making this adventure even more colorful.

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Several weeks ago, I had the chance to screen Ice Age: Collision Course and interview Keke Palmer, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, as well as the director Mike Thurmeier. This was such a fun junket at the Crosby Hotel, and an equally funny family film that I can’t wait for my kiddos to see.

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I asked Keke and Jesse about their experience with exploring and roaming, and I loved what they had to say.

Traveling and roaming, exploration was a key component in this story, and it’s obviously a right of passage in many peoples’ lives. Have any of you taken any significant trips in your life that were, you know, life changing?

Keke said, “Significant trips? Probably when I was living in New York for the four months doing Broadway. That was the most significant change I could tell in myself because I’m so thankful that I used that time wisely because it really left me the opportunity to learn so much about myself. I used the opportunity of the discipline I had to have for Broadway to take time from my phone and to really sit with myself and discover more ways to meditate and do yoga. And that was a really cool time for me. Even though my mom was there, she really gave me my space, and she and I were transitioning into, you know, her seeing me also as an adult and respecting my boundaries. And that was a really cool time where I was able to see, “Wow, okay, you’re making a jump, sister.”

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Jesse Tyler Ferguson had a wonderful anecdote about traveling too:

“I just got to go to Cuba, which was really, really interesting. And you sort of have to go with a purpose, which I love. It wasn’t a trip for the weak of heart. We went, and we brought Capezio dance shoes to a dance troupe out there, and they performed for us. And I was able to immerse myself in the artists that were in the culture there. And we weren’t just having mojitos and smoking cigars. You know, we really got to like experience and see the parts of the city that I think are, you know, not shown on Instagram and Yelp.”

Be sure to check out the brand new adventure in Ice Age: Collision Course, which is out in theaters on July 22.

Full disclosure: I was invited by 20th Century Fox to participate in this press junket. As always, all opinions are my own.

Penguins of Madagascar is a Smart and Funny Family Flick

November 21, 2014November 22, 2014 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

The Penguins of Madagascar are back, and this time, they’re stars of their own movie. Produced by Dreamworks and distributed by 20th Century Fox, Penguins of Madagascar is a fast-paced and funny story about four penguin friends.

Penguins of Madagascar, which hits theaters on Wednesday, November 26, sheds light into the backstory of the funny foursome: Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private. The spinoff to the Madagascar franchise, the Penguins’ adventure follows their pursuits in preventing the peculiar Dr. Octavius Brine from taking over the world.

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Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private must work together with North Wind undercover agents while keeping their character in tact and eating as much Cheezy Dibbles along the way. Above all pursuits, Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private embrace their brotherhood and prove the importance of loyalty.

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Famous names lend their voices to this fun film: John Malkovich is Dave, Ken Jeong is hilarious as Short Fuse and Benedict Cumberbatch is Classified the gray wolf. Like other Dreamwork films, the humor in Penguins is witty and smart, relevant for the parental audience, but still silly and fun for the kid contingent. With all the action, adventure and fun, Penguins has all the elements for fantastic family film and impeccably-timed for the holidays.

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In honor of the Penguins Movie, we were invited to a press junket in the City. Together with several other bloggers’ families, we enjoyed the day at the Bronx Zoo, where we toured the Madagascar exhibit and watched a private feeding of Magellanic Penguins and were treated to breakfast and lunch courtesy of Residence Inn.

After our day at the Bronx Zoo and following our screening of the Penguins of Madagascar, we were hosted at the new Central Park Residence Inn. Residence Inn and the Penguins have a partnership promoting the family travel experience, and we were quite fortunate to experience this partnership firsthand.

Overlooking Central Park from a few blocks away, the Residence Inn is a convenient midtown location that’s close to a myriad of NYC tourist destinations. The decor is modern and sleek, the complimentary breakfast is expansive and the rooms are cozy and comfortable; the Residence Inn is ideal for families who seek a midtown hotel with ample amenities.

My kids were in amazement of the unbelievable views of the city from our room at the Residence Inn. As if watching the Penguins movie before anyone else wasn’t cool enough, getting to stay in a really cool hotel overlooking Central Park was certainly a highlight of the weekend.

Check out Penguins of Madagascar on Wednesday, November 26!

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Residence Inn announced a promotion in line with their partnership with the Penguins of Madagascar release. Contestants can enter the Penguins Picture Mission contest on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram by reenacting their favorite “Penguins of Madagascar” pose with the hashtag #PenguinsMissionPromo between now and December 7. Contestants can enter up to six times, once per week. Each image will be generated into an online photo gallery, giving fans a chance to check out the competition.

The grand prize includes round trip airfare to Tampa for four, a three-night stay at the Residence Inn Tampa Downtown, four tickets to see “Madagascar Live! Operation Vacation” at Busch Gardens Tampa, two-day admission tickets for four at Busch Gardens Tampa, and more. Every week for six weeks, participants will also be entered to win prizes including a package of Madagascar DVDs and a $150 Residence Inn gift card.

Full disclosure: my family was hosted at the Bronx Zoo, Residence Inn and to a screening of the Penguins of Madagascar, with thanks to DreamWorks Animation and 20th Century Fox. A big thank you to Big Honcho Media and the studios for hosting my family on such a lovely event.