Hollywood: The Greatest Showman

Chapter 142: Soaring like a Rocket

"Well, are you planning to go to the recording studio now, or are you waiting until after you've signed with a professional music agent? If you need it, I can make a few calls right now." Andy's face still bore a Buddha-like smile, even though Renly had his eyes tightly closed and couldn't see it.

Renly could sense the gritted teeth behind Andy's words and waved his hand casually. "What's the rush?" His leisurely demeanor almost made Andy choke. "At least, I need to freshen up first." With that, Renly stood up leisurely and walked towards the bathroom with a lazy stride.

Watching Renly's figure disappear at the bathroom door, Andy let out a long sigh to calm his turbulent emotions.

He knew he had been a bit out of sorts today, mainly because there had been too many surprises in less than forty-eight hours.

Before the Emmy Awards, he had just taken on Renly as a client and hadn't had enough time to expand his operations. So he had set his first goal as the Toronto Film Festival. But who would have thought that last night's awards ceremony would bring such a surprise? Renly's win had disrupted the rhythm, and there had even been the rookie mistake of not picking up Renly.

At the subsequent celebration party, Renly's status naturally underwent a significant change, and many top industry producers and actors were present. It was a golden opportunity for Renly. With Steven Spielberg's intentional guidance, Andy introduced Renly to several big names—only for Renly to end up drunk.

Then came this morning.

One unexpected event after another, one mistake after another. Though they were all minor errors, they were avoidable, which was why Andy's emotions were becoming agitated. Now, he needed to calm down and regain his original rhythm, making the most accurate arrangements in the shortest time possible. This was a perfect opportunity he couldn't afford to miss.

While Renly was freshening up, Andy opened the desktop computer in the hotel room.

If it were any other agent, they might have just booked a random hotel room, given that Renly was a newcomer and had just signed a few days ago. They would have focused on getting through the Emmys first. But Andy had the foresight to book a luxury suite at the Sunset Tower Hotel as the first step in Renly's image project. Now, it seemed that this decision was undoubtedly correct. Not to mention whether there were reporters waiting downstairs, it also made handling work much more convenient.

Reopening YouTube, Andy saw that the "Ophelia" video had already entered the top twenty of the trending videos chart. The Emmy boost was evident, and its rapid climb far exceeded expectations—people were not just interested in a street performance, but in an Emmy winner performing on the streets instead of attending a celebration party.

Andy realized he still knew too little about Renly. Though he was aware of the single "Cleopatra," it had merely been a popular video on YouTube, a platform where many such videos appear daily. Moreover, the song's performance on the Billboard charts was unremarkable, seeming more like a casual side project. But now it seemed there was much more to explore in Renly's Pioneer Village experience.

Suddenly, Andy remembered something: Renly had a background in London's West End and Broadway. So, besides stage plays, had he also appeared in musicals?

If possible, he could secure a stage play—or even a musical—for Renly. To outsiders, choosing the West End or Broadway might seem thankless, lacking in attention and financial reward. But insiders knew that performing in stage plays was a significant plus for academy-trained actors. Winning a Tony Award could establish a strong reputation in Hollywood—demonstrating outstanding talent and solid skills.

Hugh Jackman became a Hollywood star through "Wolverine," a commercial film and comic book role that academy circles typically disdain. Yet, the academy has always favored Hugh, mainly because of his long struggle on Broadway and his Tony Award.

Andy's thoughts scattered, feeling a growing excitement about Renly's potential.

Regaining focus, Andy typed "Cleopatra" into YouTube's search bar. He intended to check the current view count of the video but was surprised to see a plethora of related videos.

Taking a closer look, Andy raised an eyebrow in surprise—these related videos were covers!

Social networks like YouTube and Facebook were changing lives. In 2008, Justin Bieber's rise on YouTube marked a new era for the internet. Over the past two years, Justin, as a teen idol, had skyrocketed to fame, becoming a cultural phenomenon. Since then, covering songs became a new trend, with many aspiring singers posting their covers, hoping to catch the eye of major agents or record companies. A group of professional cover artists even emerged, making a living from it.

However, these cover artists didn't cover just any song. To attract enough attention, their choices were strategic—either timeless classics or the latest hits from top artists. Only then would people click to watch. Covering obscure indie music would never get them noticed.

Now, at this moment, there were cover videos of "Cleopatra"? This was more sensational than the exclusive news in "US Weekly." Andy felt the developments were far beyond his expectations.

A completely unmarketed indie song, an unconventional folk tune, a neglected melody without any promotional support or music video, yet people were covering it! This was extraordinary!

Andy clicked to watch. While his music knowledge was limited, he had heard of some YouTube cover stars, as some had become opening acts for major artists or even signed with record companies.

The highest-rated cover was by Conor Maynard. This young British singer, only seventeen, had over 400,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel and was a rising cover star. He had covered both "Cleopatra" and "Ophelia," with both videos uploaded less than an hour ago, but their views had already surpassed 80,000 each—an astonishing rise.

The second was a female singer, Tiffany Alvord. This eighteen-year-old became famous for her Taylor Swift covers and had 250,000 subscribers on her YouTube page. Known for her lyrical ballads, her rendition of "Cleopatra" added a touch of sorrow and melancholy, like a fresh poem. Her video, uploaded just twenty minutes earlier, had already broken 10,000 views, showing strong momentum.

The developments were not only unexpected but also gaining unstoppable momentum. Returning to the homepage, Andy saw that the live video of "Cleopatra" had entered the top twenty trending videos, while "Ophelia" was in the top ten.

Andy realized he needed to reassess his evaluation.

If "Ophelia" were released as a single in the next week or two, it would likely achieve impressive sales. But as an agent, as Renly had said, Andy was more focused on Renly's acting career. He cared less about the single's sales and more about the positive impact of the buzz.

For instance, the single could spark heated discussions, and combined with the surprise Emmy win, Renly's chances of appearing on talk shows would increase significantly. Otherwise, even with an Emmy win, a newcomer actor's solo talk show appearance was near impossible. If Renly could get on TV, promoting an independent film like "Buried" would become much easier.

Moreover, the post-awards street performance could generate more buzz than the Emmy win itself. Word of mouth could turn it into an interesting anecdote, making it easier for Andy to find acting opportunities for Renly, whether in indie films or commercial ones.

So now, Andy needed to think not about the upcoming Toronto Film Festival but about maximizing the "Ophelia" wave before heading to Toronto, leveraging the internet's rapid spread.

Thinking it over, Andy searched his phone contacts, found a number, and made a call. After a short wait, the other party answered, "Hey, Jordan, it's me, Andy Rogers." On the other end was "Billboard" magazine reporter Jordan Nicole.

"Ha, I didn't expect you to call me..." In the face of the ridicule on the other end of the phone, Andy regained his usual demeanor and ridiculed it back.

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