The Greatest Showman #948 - Pre-sale Open

"'Cleopatra,' definitely 'Cleopatra!' I'm 100% sure! I read his interview on Billboard before, and he said this song is special to him."

"No, absolutely not! He never promoted this album, nor did he give an exclusive interview! 'The Beast,' it has to be 'The Beast.' At the 'One Man's Concert,' he said he couldn't sing it. Later, at the Grammys, he used this song during his acceptance speech, which was extremely significant."

"My God, you idiots! Haven't you heard of 'Believe in Belief'? It should be that one!"

...

Chattering, bustling, and clamor filled the air as a fierce quarrel raged on. Marc Lacante was already close enough to hear a few words. When he approached, everyone turned to look at him. Kristen Schutler was the first to speak up. "Mark, which song do you think is the most special for Renly?"

Mark was taken aback for a moment, then laughed. "I thought we were going to talk about movies. You know, I always thought that 'Transcendence' was Renly's best performance. 'Crazy Love' was excellent, very good, but 'Transcendence'—the depth of Renly's performance is staggering. God, I want to watch it again right now. I don't even know when it'll be released."

Niu Tou didn't respond to Mark's answer, but it didn't feel out of place. Someone nearby eagerly picked up the conversation and exclaimed, "'Buried Alive,' that's the peak of Renly's performance. 'Crazy Love' was average."

This time, the discussion grew louder. Voices mixed together, making it impossible to hear clearly. Everyone was expressing their opinions, even mentioning 'Fast and Furious 5'—it was clear that in just three years, Renly had delivered many incredible performances.

At this moment, Mark and his friends weren't in Berlin, but in London, outside the Almeida Theatre.

After the 84th Academy Awards, Renly vanished from the public eye.

Actually, saying that might not be entirely accurate. Renly had made it clear to everyone that he was returning to the West End to rehearse a new play and return to the theater stage.

However, after that, Renly did disappear from the public's attention—drama is a corner that no one focuses on, and its exposure, attention, and hype plummeted, nowhere near as notable as an independent film.

After the Oscars, the fates of "Artist" and "Hugo" diverged, becoming the topic of many discussions. Nonetheless, Renly remained the focal point of it all.

At just twenty-two years old, he became the best actor at the Oscars—a feat that was unprecedented.

Even when counting supporting actors, reaching the top at such an age made Renly the second youngest actor in history to win an Oscar. The record was previously held by Timothy Hutton, who won Best Supporting Actor for Ordinary People at the age of 20 years and 227 days in March 1981.

During the entire 84th Oscars, Renly broke all boundaries and became the most shining individual medal winner of the night, surpassing legends like Meryl Streep and Christopher Plummer.

However, amidst such intense attention, Renly chose to retreat for the first time—at least in the eyes of the mainstream media. When his career was at its peak, he chose to return to the theater. This was seen as a "retreat," and it certainly raised eyebrows.

Still, the media didn't fully criticize his decision. They knew Renly had always placed performance and artistic pursuits above fame. Even though the media wasn't overly optimistic about his West End performance, they refrained from harshly criticizing him, instead admiring his courage and conviction.

Later, Universal Pictures released a statement: "We wish Renly Hall all the best in the West End of London."

Reports confirmed that Universal's film version of Les Miserables had auditioned Renly many times, hoping he would play an important role. Director Tom Hooper and producer Cameron McIntosh had praised his skills.

Unfortunately, Renly ultimately declined the film version and chose the stage version instead.

"This is undoubtedly a loss for the crew," Hugh Jackman confirmed in an interview, expressing regret. "Honestly, I was really looking forward to working with Renly. I've watched his audition video—he's a fantastic actor. He and I were competing for the role of Jean Valjean. But, he's earned my admiration. If the chance arises, I would love to work with him."

Jackman, a seasoned stage performer with a Tony Award, offered Renly high praise, solidifying the fact that Renly was indeed very close to landing a major role in the film version of Les Miserables.

However, the shadow of "hypegate" still lingered online. Renly's sudden return to the West End sparked speculation, with some malicious netizens claiming he was trying to create more hype to divert attention from his previous controversy.

But before these speculations gained traction, Hugh Jackman's interview put an end to them: Long before "hypegate" and the Berlin Film Festival, Renly had been planning his return to the theater. These malicious rumors quickly died down.

After the Oscars ended, all the attention, excitement, and anticipation seemed to subside. Renly returned to the West End, as if he had never reached the pinnacle of success. The celebration had barely begun before he quietly stepped back into daily life, continuing to move forward.

"The youngest Oscar winner in history" was a perfect opportunity for more hype, but Renly allowed it to pass by quietly.

From then on, news about Renly became sparse—no official updates, no promotional campaigns, and no interviews. The occasional photos shared by fans captured him walking near the rehearsal room or attending the theater, but these were not picked up by mainstream media. They simply circulated among dedicated fans, mostly unremarkable.

This continued until May 1, two full months after the Oscars. In the fast-paced world of the internet, two months felt like a lifetime. The Oscars' brilliance had long been forgotten. But true fans—those passionate "Don Quixotes"—had been waiting for news.

On May 11, the Almeida Theatre officially announced auditions for Les Miserables, directed by John Codd and starring Renly Hall. Only 150 spots were available for industry professionals to attend the audition.

The demand was overwhelming. On the day internal applications opened, the Almeida Theatre website crashed multiple times, receiving over 36,000 applications.

The May 11 audition went smoothly, but the lucky attendees only teased, "Stay tuned," on social media.

Drama critics, meanwhile, were formulating their thoughts, eager to showcase their insights after the premiere. The suspense was unbearable, and everyone was waiting for the premiere night.

Finally, on May 18, the Almeida Theatre confirmed that Les Miserables would officially premiere. The performance would be split into two parts, each three hours long. Tickets for the first or second half could be purchased separately, or a full ticket could be bought for the entire performance. However, with only 350 open tickets available, the competition was fierce.

The Almeida Theatre also announced that Renly would perform at least three times a week, with the first lineup rotating every six performances. The show was scheduled for at least three months, with possible extensions depending on attendance and box office revenue.

For a six-hour experimental play, this was a rare occurrence.

But the true fans, the Don Quixotes, knew just how fierce the competition would be. They weren't just eager to see Les Miserables; they were desperate to see Renly's performance. This meant ticket sales would be intense.

Mark and his friends arrived at the Almeida Theatre early. The pre-sale for Les Miserables would begin at 9:00 AM the next day, May 16—just 18 hours away.