Hugh Jackman, the pop star, readies a large world tour

NEW YORK - Hugh Jackman is set to launch a pop star-like tour next year, but he’s done his research: he’s been to a Beyonce concert, a Justin Timberlake concert and a Michael Jackson concert.

“I’ve seen some of the greats,” Jackman said in an interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday. “And the great performers for me are the ones who can connect with the person in the back and in the front. And I’ll sometimes sit in the back ‘cause I wanna know am I feeling it back here? ‘Cause I’m from the theater, (so) for me everything I do has to connect to every single person.”

The regular concert attendee is hoping to make some strong connections with fans when he launches his first world tour - dubbed “The Man. The Music. The Show.” - next year. Accompanied by a live orchestra, he will perform songs from “The Greatest Showman,” “Les Miserables” and Broadway musicals, among other selections.

“I’ve always felt strangely at home on a stage, no matter how big the stage is - sometimes even more than in life,” said the actor, known for roles like Wolverine. “Never in my wildest dreams did I think when I turned 50 I would be playing Madison Square Garden or the Hollywood Bowl.”

Jackman, who was born in Australia, did an arena tour there three years ago, but he didn’t think he could replicate the success outside his native home.

“I had no idea really what the demand is for me. It’s not like I measure it or I ask. I always underplay it,” he said. “At that time three years ago I remember thinking, ‘I’d really love to do this around the world.’ And my agent in Los Angeles goes, ‘I’d leave it in Australia, dude.’”

But then came “The Greatest Showman” - a game changer for Jackman’s music career. The 2017 film was a box-office powerhouse, but so was - and still is - its soundtrack: the album has reached multi-platinum status and is one of the year’s top albums, matching the success of any major rap, pop or rock album. It came in fourth on Billboard’s list of top albums for the year and also made Apple Music’s year-end Top 10 list.

“The opportunity to go around the world ... I probably wouldn’t have had it if it wasn’t for ‘The Greatest Showman.’ That tipped me over,” Jackman said. AP