Exclusive | Hugh Jackman’s 3 favorite Neil Diamond songs from ‘Song Sung Blue’ revealed

Hugh Jackman has no shortage of Neil Diamond favorites – and at least three of them helped shape his performance in “Song Sung Blue.”

Liz Caplan, the vocal coach and consultant who worked with Jackman on both the newly released film and 2017’s “The Greatest Showman,” revealed the actor’s top Diamond tracks while discussing his approach to the music.

“Besides ‘Sweet Caroline,’ I know Hugh loves ‘I Am, I Said,’” Caplan told The Post. “It feels anthemic, and it feels like really grabbing on to your own ownership of self. So I believe that besides ‘Sweet Caroline,’ that’s a big favorite of his.”

“Song Sung Blue” is a biographical musical drama based on the 2008 documentary of the same name.

The film stars Jackman, 57, as Mike Sardina (aka “Lightning”) and Kate Hudson, 46, as Claire Sardina (aka “Thunder”), portraying the real-life Milwaukee couple who led a Neil Diamond tribute band called Lightning & Thunder.

Directed by Craig Brewer, the movie follows the couple’s rise from local performers to fan favorites, driven by their shared love of Diamond’s music.

Caplan, however, revealed that Jackman didn’t need to be introduced to Diamond’s catalog for the role.

“We would be constantly trying to keep up with what was happening next and keep working and repeating, working on the songs and nuancing some of the aspects of Neil’s voice to Hugh’s voice,” she explained.

One song in particular sparked a moment that extended beyond the film.

“At one point, we were working on ‘Crunchy Granola Suite,’” Caplan recalled. “It starts, and it’s so rhythmic and it gets the crowd going.”

Mid-rehearsal, Jackman suddenly paused.

“He said, ‘Stop one second,’” Caplan shared. “So we paused. I said, ‘What are you thinking about?’ He said, ‘This song has so much energy. I think I just decided how I want to open by Radio City Music Hall residency.’”

Jackman followed through and opened his 2025 Radio City Music Hall run with the Diamond track, a choice Caplan said spoke to why the song resonates so strongly with audiences.

“That was the Neil Diamond inspiration for opening up his show for many reasons,” she explained. “But mostly because it’s the kind of song that brings the crowd together, and it gets you going and it makes you feel like you’re part of it. It’s almost like you and he are singing at the same time.”

The moment also reflected how naturally Jackman connects to music in general, which was something Caplan noticed right away when the pair first started working together for “The Greatest Showman” back in 2014.

“The silly story around that is that they had asked him if we could schedule something for the following week, based on when they spoke to him,” she recalled of their first meeting. “That exact day, I was going to see Hugh’s play on Broadway.”

At the time, Jackman was starring in “The River.” Caplan said that she attended the show with Amanda Seyfried, who had just appeared opposite Jackman in the film adaptation of “Les Misérables.”

“So we went backstage afterwards,” she shared. “We were all in Hugh’s dressing room. I had not yet met him, and Amanda said, ‘Hugh, do you know Lizzy Caplan?’”

Jackman quickly connected the dots.

“He looked at me and went, ‘Aren’t I supposed to be having a voice lesson with you next week?’” she laughed. “And I said, ‘Indeed, we are going to begin working on this film.’”

The pair’s natural introduction ultimately set the tone for what followed.

“So we ended up meeting in a very casual, low-key backstage environment,” Caplan shared. “So that when we did begin working the following week, it was very, very, very easy.”

That same sense of ease carried into “Song Sung Blue” nearly 10 years later, which leaned heavily into the 84-year-old songwriting legend’s extensive catalog as interpretation rather than imitation.

“There couldn’t be anyone better who has such a deep understanding of the human heart and how his voice is the translator of his heart,” Caplan told The Post. “When he sings, whether it’s singing as Hugh Jackman or singing to be – again, I say an interpreter and not an impersonator of – Neil Diamond, there couldn’t be anybody better to do it.”

She added that Jackman’s compassion is what anchored the performances.

“There’s so much warmth and heart in Hugh Jackman’s voice,” Caplan said. “And he knows how to bring people to him because he has a familiarity with his own self so much that it makes us all feel like we’re his best friend.”

Caplan, who called Jackman and Hudson’s musical chemistry “amazing,” also touched upon why she thinks “Song Sung Blue” arrived at the perfect moment for both Diamond’s music and audiences.

“Neil Diamond’s music is so universal,” she explained. “Neil’s gotten older, and I think he’s become appreciative of other people interpreting his material at this time.”

“I think the story is so beautiful, and it has so much heart in it,” Caplan concluded. “And I think we all need a whole lot of heart right now.”

“Song Sung Blue” is now in theaters.