Some musical theater videos are exciting because they are polished from top to bottom.
Others are exciting because they feel handmade, bold, and full of live-show nerve.
This Hugh Jackman Oscars opening belongs to that second group.
In this 2009 Academy Awards performance, Jackman opens the show with a musical number about the year’s Oscar-nominated films. Instead of a giant, glossy Hollywood opener, the number leans into cardboard sets, quick jokes, big energy, and old-fashioned showbiz charm.
Then Anne Hathaway joins him for a surprise duet, and the whole room lights up.
That is what makes this video such a great fit for Big City Broadway.
It is not just an awards-show opening. It is a reminder that when a true theater performer takes control of a room, even the Oscars can feel like a Broadway stage.
Watch Hugh Jackman’s 2009 Oscars Opening Number
Why This Hugh Jackman Oscars Opening Still Feels So Fun
This clip works because it does not try to hide the joke.
The number looks big and small at the same time. It is on one of the most famous stages in Hollywood, but the props look like they were built for a school play with a giant budget of enthusiasm.
That is the fun.
Jackman is not pretending the opening is a massive movie-musical production. He is leaning into the opposite idea. He sings, dances, jokes, and races through the Best Picture nominees with the energy of someone who knows live entertainment is supposed to feel alive.
That makes the whole thing feel fresh.
It is silly.
It is clever.
It is messy in the best way.
And it is completely committed.
Hugh Jackman Shows Why Theater People Love Him
Hugh Jackman is famous around the world as Wolverine, but theater fans have always known he is also a serious song-and-dance man.
This opening proves it.
He commands the room from the first moment. He knows how to sell a joke. He knows how to move with confidence. He knows how to make a live number feel exciting even when the whole thing is built around cardboard props and fast costume shifts.
That is not easy.
A performer has to be relaxed enough to be funny, but focused enough to keep the number moving. Jackman does both.
He makes the Oscars feel less stiff and more human.
For a few minutes, Hollywood’s biggest night becomes a musical comedy stage.
Anne Hathaway’s Surprise Duet Steals the Spotlight
One of the best parts of the number is Anne Hathaway’s surprise appearance.
Jackman pulls her into the performance for a musical bit about Frost/Nixon, and she jumps into the joke with full energy. The moment is funny because it feels sudden, but it also works because Hathaway can really sing.
That surprise became one of the biggest reasons people remembered the opening.
It showed a side of Hathaway that casual viewers may not have expected at the time. She brought comic timing, vocal sparkle, and a willingness to play along with the chaos.
That is classic musical-theater energy.
A performer gets handed a moment, steps into it, and makes the room pay attention.
How the Oscars Became a Broadway Stage
The Academy Awards are usually about movie stars, speeches, gowns, trophies, and red carpets.
But this opening turns the night into something much more theatrical.
Jackman does not just talk about the nominated films. He sings about them. He jokes about them. He builds little stage pictures around them. He takes serious movies and gives them a playful musical spin.
That is what theater does so well.
It can take almost anything and turn it into a live moment.
A historical drama becomes a duet.
A major Oscar nominee becomes a punchline.
A room full of movie stars becomes an audience at a musical revue.
That is why the clip still works.
It makes the Oscars feel like a show, not just a ceremony.
The Handmade Style Gives the Number Its Charm
One reason this performance has lasted is its scrappy style.
The sets and props are part of the joke. They look simple on purpose. Instead of trying to compete with the movies being honored, the number celebrates them with theater-kid imagination.
That gives the whole thing a warm, playful feeling.
It is the kind of number that says, “We may not have the movie budget, but we have a song, some jokes, and Hugh Jackman.”
And honestly, that is enough.
The handmade look also makes the live performance feel more daring. You can see the effort. You can feel the timing. You can tell everyone has to hit the right marks for the number to work.
That is the thrill of live theater.
Fans Still Remember the Energy of This Opening
A big reason people keep coming back to this clip is the energy.
Viewers often describe it as one of the great modern Oscars openings. Some point to Jackman’s charm. Others remember Hathaway’s surprise duet. Others love the way the number mixes Hollywood glamour with Broadway silliness.
That reaction makes sense.
The opening has a rare quality. It feels like it could fall apart, but it never does. It keeps moving, keeps joking, and keeps finding new ways to pull the audience in.
That balance is hard to create.
Too polished, and it might feel cold.
Too silly, and it might feel sloppy.
This number lands right in the middle.
What to Watch For in the Performance
When you watch the clip, pay attention to how fast the number moves.
Jackman has to guide the audience through several films, jokes, and musical ideas in just a few minutes. The pace is part of the excitement.
Also watch the props and staging.
They may look simple, but they are doing a lot of work. Each piece helps create a quick visual joke or a tiny version of a nominated movie.
Then watch Anne Hathaway’s entrance.
That is the moment where the number gets an extra spark. She jumps in with confidence, and the audience clearly loves it.
By the end, the whole opener feels like a love letter to movies, musicals, and live performance all at once.
Why This Oscars Clip Belongs on Big City Broadway
Big City Broadway celebrates musical moments wherever they appear.
Sometimes that means a Broadway stage. Sometimes it means a movie musical, a concert, a live TV event, or an Oscars opening number that turns Hollywood’s biggest night into a playful stage show.
This clip belongs here because it shows Broadway energy in a very public place.
It has a true song-and-dance host.
It has a surprise duet.
It has jokes, timing, and theatrical guts.
And it gives casual viewers an easy way into musical performance. You do not need to know every nominated film from 2009 to enjoy it. You just need to watch Hugh Jackman sell the moment with everything he has.
That is the good stuff.
An Oscars Opening Number Worth Watching Again
Hugh Jackman’s 2009 Oscars opening number is worth watching because it is funny, fast, and full of live-show charm.
It proves that a big awards show does not always need to feel stiff.
Sometimes it can feel like a Broadway revue.
Sometimes cardboard sets can be funnier than giant effects.
And sometimes all it takes is Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, and a room full of movie stars to remind everyone that live musical performance still has a special kind of magic.
Watch the video above, enjoy the chaos, and see why this Oscars opening still feels like one of Hollywood’s best Broadway-style surprises.