You know that scene. The one where the whiskey shots are flying, the piano keys are moving on their own, and Hugh Jackman is basically trying to Jedi mind-trick Zac Efron into joining the circus. It’s "The Other Side," and honestly, it’s arguably the most clever three minutes in The Greatest Showman. While everyone was humming "This Is Me" for months, the theater nerds and the eagle-eyed fans were obsessing over the rhythmic bar-tapping and the high-stakes negotiation of the other side Hugh Jackman made famous.
But if you look past the catchy hook and the top-hat-and-cane aesthetic, there’s a lot of weird, cool, and slightly manipulative stuff happening in that bar.
The Con Is On: Why P.T. Barnum Was Actually Cheating
One of the most hilarious things about the song is that Barnum (Jackman) is a total shark. If you watch the scene closely—and I mean really watch the liquid in the glasses—you’ll notice something. Barnum is getting Phillip Carlyle (Efron) absolutely hammered while he stays stone-cold sober.
Check the count. Efron’s character downs about five shots. Jackman? He takes maybe two. At one point, he even pretends to drink a shot while he’s at the piano but just sets the glass aside when Efron isn't looking.
It’s a perfect bit of character work. P.T. Barnum isn't just singing about "the other side"; he’s actively rigging the game to make sure his new partner is tipsy enough to sign away ten percent of his inheritance. It’s kinda shady, but you can’t help but love the hustle.
That Piano Isn't What You Think
There’s this moment where Jackman runs over to the piano and starts hammering away. If you look at the keys, they’re moving by themselves. It’s a player piano—a pianola.
Hugh isn’t actually playing. He’s just going through the motions. It’s a literal metaphor for the whole movie: the "Showman" making you look at the right hand while the left hand is doing the actual work.
How the Other Side Hugh Jackman Song Was Actually Made
Creating that level of "bar-room percussion" isn't as easy as just hitting a table. The choreography for "The Other Side" was apparently a nightmare to rehearse.
- The Rehearsal Grind: They spent eight weeks in a rehearsal space in Brooklyn before even touching a movie set.
- The Sound Secret: The percussive sounds—the sliding of the glasses, the tapping of the rings on the wood—were all carefully recorded by sound mixer Tod Maitland using specialized mics to make sure the transition from "actor talking" to "actor singing" felt seamless.
- The Whiskey Problem: They weren't drinking real whiskey (obviously, they'd be dead by take ten), but the rhythm of the shots had to be frame-perfect. If one glass was a half-second late, the whole song felt off.
Interestingly, the real P.T. Barnum was actually a teetotaler. He didn't drink, and he didn't let his performers drink. So the entire "let's get drunk and join the circus" vibe is purely Hollywood fiction. But hey, it makes for a better song than "Let's Drink Water and Discuss Contractual Obligations."
The Chart Success Nobody Predicted
When The Greatest Showman first hit theaters in late 2017, the critics basically threw tomatoes at it. The opening weekend was... not great. But then the soundtrack exploded.
By January 2018, the album was sitting at Number 1 on the Billboard 200. In the UK, it was an absolute monster, staying at the top for 28 non-consecutive weeks. The Other Side Hugh Jackman and Zac Efron performed didn't just stay in the movie; it peaked at Number 48 on the UK Singles Chart and became a staple for every musical theater audition for the next five years.
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Why This Song Actually Matters for the Story
Most songs in musicals are just "I feel sad" or "I am happy." "The Other Side" is different because it’s a negotiation. It’s a business meeting set to a pop-rock beat.
You have two worlds colliding. Phillip Carlyle represents the "swells"—the high-society elite who don't want to get "peanut shells" on their shoes. Barnum represents the "colorful," the "crazy," and the risky.
"I quite enjoy the life you say I'm trapped in." — Phillip Carlyle
That line is the heart of the conflict. It’s not about the circus; it’s about the fear of losing status. When Hugh Jackman sings about "the other side," he’s not talking about a physical place. He’s talking about the freedom to be a "clown" without caring what the critics think.
Actionable Takeaways for Fans
If you're looking to appreciate this scene on your next rewatch, try these:
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- Watch the Bartender: He’s the unsung hero. He’s sliding glasses across the bar with the precision of a Swiss watchmaker. If he misses a slide, the song stops.
- Follow the Shot Glasses: Count how many Efron drinks versus Jackman. It’s a masterclass in "The Art of the Deal."
- Listen for the "Hidden" Instruments: A lot of the percussion in the track isn't drums; it's the sound of the environment being used as an instrument.
The brilliance of the other side Hugh Jackman brought to life is that it feels spontaneous, even though we know every single finger-snap was rehearsed a thousand times. It’s the ultimate "showman" move: making the difficult look like a party.
To see the choreography in its rawest form, look up the "The Other Side" rehearsal footage on YouTube. You can see Jackman and Efron in their sweatpants, nailing the glass-sliding rhythm in a dusty dance studio, proving that the magic was built on a lot of hard work long before the cameras ever rolled.