That’s a delightful image, isn’t it? Hugh Jackman under the bright lights, dancing and singing and relieving himself. Can you see it? Then let’s get into the specifics, straight from the beautiful horse’s mouth!
“The first show I ever did, singing and dancing, was Beauty and the Beast. I was playing Gaston. Gaston has red tights, knee high boots, and it’s very physical. I had headaches everyday for two months. I went to an astropath [psychic] and he said ‘Well, you’re dehydrated.’ So of course [following his advice] I had four liters of water,” says Jackman of his 1996 theater days in Melbourne, Australia.
“I go down to the stage, getting ready for my first number…and I’m like I really need to go again. [The routine is] the most cardiovascular song I’ve ever done: literally I’m picking up Belle and as I pick her up, I stopped singing and right in that moment I realized the muscles you need to release in order to sing are the ones you do not want to release if you need to go.”
Urinating on stage in front of the audience, Jackman says he had to forgo the number in order to relieve himself.
“I’m carrying her [over one shoulder] not singing, and she’s going ‘What’s going on? What’s going on?’ So finally, it’s embarrassing at this point. I’ve not sung an entire verse.”
Oh, Hugh Jackman. Don’t worry, I’m sure that even whilst actually urinating on stage, it was still one of the most entertaining performances the audience had ever seen. That’s just you, Hugh. Don’t ever change!