The Greatest Showman is an American musical film, released on December 20, 2017. Surprisingly, in the first week of its release, the film was actually considered a box-office bomb. An early review boldly stated, “Considering the film that triumphantly declared itself ‘the greatest show’ had an $84 million budget, this is a flop for 20th Century Fox. Condolences to Hugh Jackman and his passion project.”

But then something extraordinary happened. The film caught on—in a BIG way. While typical Hollywood films rely on big opening weekends, The Greatest Showman ran opposite to box-office trends and has become the biggest film story of 2018. A recent article in The Guardian marveled, “The Greatest Showman’s success is not just surprising: it’s bordering on miraculous.”

Several months after its release, the film continues its record-breaking movie theater run. The success has been attributed largely to word of mouth, family friendliness, and one more thing—its massive soundtrack. The original music, written by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, is melodic, energetic, emotional, and accessible enough to keep audiences coming back for more. The soundtrack currently sits near the top of the iTunes Top Album chart, where it’s been since January. In the United Kingdom, the soundtrack just tied the record for 11 consecutive weeks at No. 1, a record that was first set by Adele in 2011. 

Some of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir’s recent guest artists were inspired to create their own cover versions of the music of The Greatest Showman.

Recent guest artist and former member of the Choir Alex Boyé performs his cover of “A Million Dreams.” Watch:

Lindsey Stirling, who joined the Choir for the 2013 Pioneer Day concerts, performs a medley of songs from The Greatest Showman.

The musical group Gentri were guests on Music & the Spoken Word in 2016, performing “Guide Me to Thee,” “Home,” and “Let There Be Peace on Earth.” Watch their video of “A Million Dreams.”