Most people know Neil Diamond for the anthems and the spotlights, but this story lives far from any stage. During a recent New York Q&A, Hugh Jackman shared how Diamond reached out after watching Song Sung Blue. It was not a public compliment or a planned moment, because the call came late at night and Diamond was crying.
He told Jackman the film meant a lot to him and his wife, Katie, and you can feel how personal it was. Then came the part that surprised even longtime fans, because Diamond quietly gave the movie full access to his catalog. Jackman, hearing the emotion, did what close friends do and invited himself over for tea in Colorado.
One cup turned into an unplanned sleepover, and suddenly two global stars were just two people at a kitchen table. Over dinner they sang karaoke, bouncing between “Can’t Help Falling in Love” and “Sweet Caroline” like old pals. Diamond even sang “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Misérables, unaware Jackman led the 2012 film version.
That detail is funny, but the bigger point is softer, because it shows Diamond showing up without performance. Song Sung Blue hits theaters on December 25, and the real-life roots are full of struggle and grit.
Hugh Jackman Sang Karaoke with Neil Diamond After Filming “Song Sung Blue”
Neil Diamond’s late-night tears make more sense once you see what Song Sung Blue is actually celebrating. The official trailer puts faces, voices, and stakes to the moment Hugh Jackman described, with Jackman and Kate Hudson singing the hits themselves as Lightning & Thunder.
SONG SUNG BLUE – Official Trailer 2 [HD] – Only In Theaters This Christmas
Neil Diamond singing “I Dreamed a Dream” at that Colorado karaoke table is funny in hindsight, because it lands in Hugh Jackman’s world as one of Broadway’s most respected leading men. The cleanest link is Jackman performing “Soliloquy,” a defining song for Jean Valjean, the role he made famous onstage and on screen.