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''Barnum'' is an American musical with a book by
Mark Bramble, lyrics by
Michael Stewart, and music by
Cy Coleman. It is based on the life of showman
P. T. Barnum
Phineas Taylor Barnum (; July 5, 1810 – April 7, 1891) was an American showman, businessman, and politician, remembered for promoting celebrated hoaxes and founding the Barnum & Bailey Circus (1871–2017) with James Anthony Bailey. He was ...
, covering the period from 1835 through 1880 in America and major cities of the world where Barnum took his performing companies. The production combines elements of traditional musical theater with the spectacle of the
circus
A circus is a company of performers who put on diverse entertainment shows that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, dancers, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, magicians, ventriloquists, and unicyclis ...
. The characters include
juggler
Juggling is a physical skill, performed by a juggler, involving the manipulation of objects for recreation, entertainment, art or sport. The most recognizable form of juggling is toss juggling. Juggling can be the manipulation of one object ...
s,
trapeze
A trapeze is a short horizontal bar hung by ropes or metal straps from a ceiling support. It is an aerial apparatus commonly found in circus performances. Trapeze acts may be static, spinning (rigged from a single point), swinging or flying, an ...
artists and
clowns, as well as such real-life personalities as
Jenny Lind and
General Tom Thumb
Charles Sherwood Stratton (January 4, 1838 – July 15, 1883), better known by his stage name "General Tom Thumb", was an American dwarf who achieved great fame as a performer under circus pioneer P. T. Barnum.
Childhood and early life
Bo ...
.
The original
Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
production ran for 854 performances and was followed by a London production, among others.
Synopsis
In the middle of the 19th century, Phineas Taylor (P.T.) Barnum introduces his circus acts as he stands in front of a tent, proclaiming ("There Is a Sucker Born Ev'ry Minute"). He loves spectacle and excitement, using hype and "humbug" to promote his exhibits. His wife Charity disagrees with his use of "humbug" but loves him and aims to keep him grounded. Barnum then introduces the oldest woman alive,
Joice Heth
Joice Heth (February 19, 1836)"Joice Heth", Hoaxes.org was an African-American woman who was exhibited by P.T. Barnum with the false claim that she was the 161-year-old nursing mammy of George Washington. Her exhibition under these claims, and ...
, and thanks to some Barnum humbug she becomes a success ("Thank God I'm Old"). His wife Charity ("Chairy") urges him to get a job in a factory, but Barnum refuses ("The Colors of My Life
art One) and Charity wryly admits and accepts the disparity between their views ("The Colors of My Life
art Two). Barnum enlists clowns to help in building a museum to house his attractions (with expected comical results) and it's up to Charity to encourage him to keep going ("One Brick at a Time"), with the result that "everything about
ismuseum was spectacular" ("Museum Song"); however, the museum burns down accidentally. Barnum finds two new star attractions,
Tom Thumb
Tom Thumb is a character of English folklore. ''The History of Tom Thumb'' was published in 1621 and was the first fairy tale printed in English. Tom is no bigger than his father's thumb, and his adventures include being swallowed by a cow, tan ...
, who appears to advise that "Bigger Isn't Better", and
Jumbo the elephant. Barnum then becomes manager of the famous Swedish opera singer
Jenny Lind ("Love Makes Such Fools of Us All"). Barnum becomes enamored of her and sees the attraction of going on tour with her ("Out There"). He accompanies Jenny on tour, leaving Charity behind, as a marching band greets them ("Come Follow the Band"). Although all seems to be going well for Barnum, he finds that without Charity in his life he is miserable, and he decides to break ties with Jenny and return home to the woman he loves ("Love Makes Such Fools of Us All
eprise). Upon his return to Charity, he promises to live the more sedate life she desires for him, in "Black and White." After a failed stint running a clockworks factory and a failed attempt to build his own city, he turns to politics; when his campaign looks doomed to fail due to lack of interest, Charity realizes how important his talents and passion are in his life and allows him to inject color and life into his campaign. He is elected Mayor of Bridgeport, and the two of them recognize the value in each other's approach to life and how they complement one another ("The Colors of My Life
eprise). Barnum is prepared to run for Senator, but his beloved Charity dies suddenly, leaving Barnum bereft and alone. When Barnum finds himself cheated of the Senatortial nomination by his political party, he laments his position, realizes that his talent for Humbug will never leave him and wishes to "make it right, shoot a rocket, shine a light" ("Prince of Humbug").
James Anthony Bailey
James Anthony Bailey (July 4, 1847 – April 11, 1906), born James Anthony McGinnis, was an American owner and manager of several 19th-century circuses, including The Barnum and Bailey Greatest Show on Earth.
Early life
James Anthony McGinn ...
arrives and offers him the chance to "Join the Circus". Initially resisting, he relents (thanks in part to Charity's two-headed coin, which she has used to humbug him throughout the show) and joins Bailey, and they form the famous
circus Barnum and Bailey.
In "a princely final attraction", Barnum appears before the audience ("The Final Event: There is a Sucker Born Ev'ry Minute"
eprise) and reflects on his past:
Song list
; Act I
* "Overture Chase"
* "There is a Sucker Born Ev'ry Minute" – Barnum
* "Humble Beginnings Chase"
* "Thank God I'm Old" – Joice Heth and Tambourine Players
* "The Colors of My Life" (Part 1) – Barnum
* "The Colors of My Life" (Part 2) – Charity
* "One Brick at a Time" – Charity, Barnum and Bricklayers
* "Museum Song" – Barnum
* "Female of the Species Chase"
* "I Like Your Style" – Barnum and Charity
* "Bigger Isn't Better" – Tom Thumb
* "Love Makes Such Fools of Us All" – Jenny Lind
* "Midway Chase"
* "Out There" – Barnum and Charity
; Act II
* "Come Follow the Band" – Potomac Marching Band and Washingtonians
* "Black and White" – Charity, Choir, Blues Singer, Barnum and Citizens of Bridgeport
* "The Colors of My Life" (Reprise) – Barnum and Charity
* "The Prince of Humbug" – Barnum
* "Join the Circus" – Bailey, Circus Performers and Barnum
* "Finale Chase"
* "The Final Event: There is a Sucker Born Ev'ry Minute" (Reprise)
The following list was used for the Chichester and UK tour productions, although many of the chases were still used:
Act One
* There is a Sucker Born Ev'ry Minute - Barnum
* Thank God I'm Old - Joice Heth
* The Colors of My Life - Charity and Barnum
* One Brick at a Time - Charity and Ensemble
* Museum Song - Barnum
* I Like Your Style - Chairy and Barnum
* Bigger isn't Better - Tom Thumb and Ensemble
* Love Makes Such Fools of Us All - Jenny Lind
* Out There - Barnum
Act Two
* Come Follow The Band - Barnum and Ensemble
* Love Makes Such Fools of Us All (Reprise) - Jenny Lind
* Black and White - Charity, Barnum and Ensemble
* I Like Your Style - The Colours of My Life (Reprise) - Charity and Barnum
* Barnum's Lament - Barnum
* Join the Circus - Barnum, Bailey and Ensemble
* Finale - Barnum
Cast
;
Productions
Original Broadway Production
The original production opened at the
St. James Theatre on Broadway, on April 30, 1980, and closed on May 16, 1982, after 854 performances and 26 previews. It was directed and choreographed by
Joe Layton
Joe Layton (May 3, 1931 – May 5, 1994) was an American director and choreographer known primarily for his work on Broadway.Dunning, Jennifer. (9 May 1994). Page B7.'Joe Layton, Choreographer And Director, Is Dead at 64' Obituary. New York Ti ...
, with scenic design by David Mitchell, costume design by
Theoni V. Aldredge
Theoni V. Aldredge (August 22, 1922 – January 21, 2011) was a Greek-American stage and screen costume designer.
Biography
Born Theoni Athanasiou Vachliotis in Thessaloniki in 1922, Aldredge received her training at the American School in Athe ...
, and lighting design by Craig Miller. The musical starred
Jim Dale
Jim Dale (born James Smith; 15 August 1935) is an English actor, composer, director, narrator, singer and songwriter. In the United Kingdom he is known as a pop singer of the 1950s who became a leading actor at the National Theatre. In Britis ...
as P.T. Barnum,
Glenn Close
Glenn Close (born March 19, 1947) is an American actress. Throughout her career spanning over four decades, Close has garnered numerous accolades, including two Screen Actors Guild Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards ...
as Charity Barnum, Marianne Tatum as Jenny Lind,
Terri White
Terri White is an American actress and singer.
Career
The daughter of traveling musicians Bill White and Gertrude Hughes, White has appeared in '' Nunsense 2: The Sequel'' (1994), '' Ain't Misbehavin (1978), ''Barnum'' (1980), '' Welcome to ...
as Joice Heth, and
Terrence Mann
Terrence Vaughan Mann (born July 1, 1951) is an American theatre, film and television actor. He is best known for his appearances on the Broadway stage, which include Chester Lyman in '' Barnum'', Rum Tum Tugger in ''Cats'', Javert in '' Les ...
as Chester Lyman (he also understudied Dale as Barnum). During Jim Dale's vacation in May 1981, the part of Barnum was played by
Tony Orlando
Tony may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Tony (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters
* Gregory Tony (born 1978), American law enforcement officer
* Motu Tony (born 1981), New Zealand international rugby leagu ...
, and when Dale left the production in October 1981,
Mike Burstyn
Michael Burstein ( he, מייק בורשטיין; born July 1, 1945) is an Israeli-American actor known onstage as Mike Burstyn. He was born in New York City to the late Yiddish-language actors, Pesach Burstein and Lillian Lux. His first cous ...
assumed the role for the remainder of the show's run.
Original London Production
The show made its
West End debut on June 11, 1981, at the
London Palladium
The London Palladium () is a Grade II* West End theatre located on Argyll Street, London, in the famous area of Soho. The theatre holds 2,286 seats. Of the roster of stars who have played there, many have televised performances. Between 1955 a ...
, where it ran for 655 performances. The London cast included
Michael Crawford
Michael Patrick Smith, (born 19 January 1942), known professionally as Michael Crawford, is an English tenor, actor and comedian.
Crawford is best known for playing both the hapless Frank Spencer in the sitcom '' Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em'' a ...
as P.T. Barnum,
Deborah Grant
Deborah Grant (born Deborah Jane Snelling; 22 February 1947) is an English actress. Between 1981 and 1991, she played Deborah Bergerac in the BBC television detective series '' Bergerac''. Since 2007, she has appeared in the sitcom ''Not Going ...
as Charity Barnum and
Sarah Payne as Jenny Lind. Crawford reprised his role opposite Eileen Battye in a UK Tour of the show which ran between 1984 and 1986, stopping off at various venues including the
Manchester Opera House
The Opera House in Quay Street, Manchester, England, is a 1,920-seater commercial touring theatre that plays host to touring musicals, ballet, concerts and a Christmas pantomime. It is a Grade II listed building. The Opera House is one of the mai ...
and a West End revival at the
Victoria Palace Theatre
The Victoria Palace Theatre is a West End theatre in Victoria Street, in the City of Westminster, opposite Victoria Station. The structure is categorised as a Grade II* listed building.
History Origins
The theatre began life as a small conc ...
. The tour was recorded for television and broadcast by the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
in 1986. It was later released on VHS and DVD.
There was a further revival in London at the Dominion Theatre, starring
Paul Nicholas
Paul Nicholas (born Paul Oscar Beuselinck; 3 December 1944) is an English actor and singer. He started out with a pop career, but soon changed to musical theatre, playing the lead role in ''Jesus Christ Superstar'' at the West End’s Palace T ...
and another in a circus tent in Battersea Park (where circuses run by David Smart had previously been held) starring ''
Blue Peter'' presenter
Peter Duncan.
2013 Chichester revival and 2014/15 UK tour
Two-time
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...
-nominee
Christopher Fitzgerald starred in
Cameron Mackintosh
Sir Cameron Anthony Mackintosh (born 17 October 1946) is a British theatrical producer and theatre owner notable for his association with many commercially successful musicals. At the height of his success in 1990, he was described as being "th ...
's new production of the show at the
Chichester Festival Theatre
Chichester Festival Theatre is a theatre and Grade II* listed building situated in Oaklands Park in the city of Chichester, West Sussex, England. Designed by Philip Powell and Hidalgo Moya, it was opened by its founder Leslie Evershed-Mart ...
from 15 July to 31 August 2013. The show was not performed at the Festival Theatre due to its refurbishment. Instead, it was performed in the Theatre in the Park, which is near the Festival Theatre. It was directed by
Timothy Sheader
Timothy Sheader (born 23 November 1971 in Scarborough, North Yorkshire) is a British theatre director. Sheader read Law with French at the University of Birmingham before moving into a career in theatre. Since 2007, he has been Artistic Directo ...
, co-directed and choreographed by Liam Steel and co-choreographed by Andrew Wright, set design by
Scott Pask
Scott Pask is an American scenic and costume designer. He has worked primarily on stage productions in the United States, on Broadway and Off-Broadway, and in regional theatre, as well as in the United Kingdom. He has won Tony Awards for his work ...
, costume design by Paul Wills, lighting design by
Paule Constable
Paule Constable is a British lighting designer. She won the 2005, 2006, 2009, 2013, 2020 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Lighting Design. She was also a nominee for four further productions and for a 2007 Tony Award on Broadway. In 2011 she won t ...
, sound design by Mick Potter and circus consultancy by Vicki Amedume. Alongside
Christopher Fitzgerald as P. T. Barnum was
Tamsin Carroll
Tamsin Georgina Carroll (born 13 February 1979) is an Australian actress. She is best known for her performances in musical theatre in Australia and the United Kingdom.
Personal life
Carroll was born and raised in Sydney. Her parents are Au ...
as Charity Barnum, Anna O'Byrne as Jenny Lind, Aretha Ayeh as Joice Heth and Jack North as Tom Thumb.
The production was revised by
Cameron Mackintosh
Sir Cameron Anthony Mackintosh (born 17 October 1946) is a British theatrical producer and theatre owner notable for his association with many commercially successful musicals. At the height of his success in 1990, he was described as being "th ...
and
Mark Bramble with a new number, "Barnum's Lament", replacing "The Prince of Humbug", slight revisions elsewhere and new orchestrations by
William David Brohn
William David "Bill" Brohn (March 30, 1933 – May 11, 2017) was an American arranger and orchestrator, best known for his scores of musicals such as ''Miss Saigon'', ''Ragtime'' and ''Wicked''. He won the Tony Award for Best Orchestrations for ' ...
.
The national tour of Cameron Mackintosh and Chichester Festival Theatre's production opened at
Curve, Leicester
The Curve Theatre is a theatre in Leicester, England, based in the cultural quarter in Leicester City Centre. Before being named ''Curve'', it was referred to as ''Leicester Performing Arts Centre''. It is adjacent to the Leicester Athena confer ...
in September 2014 and ran until August 2015. The tour starred
Brian Conley
Brian Paul Conley (born 7 August 1961) is an English actor, comedian, singer and television presenter. Conley has been the host of ''The Brian Conley Show'', as well as presenting the Royal Variety Performance on eight occasions. In his 40-ye ...
in the title role, alongside
Linzi Hateley
Linzi Hateley (born 23 October 1970) is an English stage actress. At the age of 21, in 1992, she became one of the youngest nominees for a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance as the Narrator in the West End ...
as Charity.
2017 London revival
The show received a further
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
revival at the
Menier Chocolate Factory
The Menier Chocolate Factory is a 180-seat off-West End theatre, which comprises a restaurant, bar and rehearsal rooms.
It is located in a former 1870s Menier Chocolate Company factory at 53 Southwark Street, a major street in the London Boro ...
from 5 December 2017, with previews from 25 November to 3 March 2018.
Gordon Greenberg
Gordon Greenberg (born 1969) is a stage director, a theater and television writer, and an Artistic Associate at The New Group.
Education
Greenberg attended Stanford University and NYU Film School Tisch School of the Arts, as well as The Lincoln ...
directed it, with choreography by Rebecca Howell, design by Paul Farnsworth and musical direction by Alex Parker. The production starred
Marcus Brigstocke
Marcus Alexander Brigstocke (born 8 May 1973) is a British comedian, actor and satirist. He has worked in stand-up comedy, television, radio and musical theatre. He has appeared on many BBC television and radio shows.
Early life
Brigstocke is ...
in the title role,
Laura Pitt-Pullford as Charity, Celinde Schoenmaker as Jenny Lind, Tupele Dorgu as Joice Heath and Harry Francis as Tom Thumb.
Other Productions
Stacy Keach
Walter Stacy Keach Jr. (born June 2, 1941) is an American actor and narrator. He has played mainly dramatic roles throughout his career, often in law enforcement or as a private detective. His most prominent role was as Mickey Spillane's fiction ...
played Barnum in a June 1981 production at the
Kennedy Center
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (formally known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, and commonly referred to as the Kennedy Center) is the United States National Cultural Center, located on the Potom ...
with
Dee Hoty
Dee Hoty (born August 16, 1952) is an American actress known for her work in musical theatre. Over the course of her career, she has appeared in numerous Broadway productions and earned three Tony Award nominations for Best Actress in a Musical, ...
as Charity and
Terri White
Terri White is an American actress and singer.
Career
The daughter of traveling musicians Bill White and Gertrude Hughes, White has appeared in '' Nunsense 2: The Sequel'' (1994), '' Ain't Misbehavin (1978), ''Barnum'' (1980), '' Welcome to ...
reprising her Broadway role as Joice Heth.
Other productions were staged in France (1981) starring Jean-Luc Moreau, Australia (1982) starring
Reg Livermore, Madrid (1984) starring
Emilio Aragón, The Netherlands (1988) starring Mike Burstyn, Florida, USA (2008) starring
Brad Oscar
Brad Oscar (born September 22, 1964) is an American musical theatre actor, known for his Broadway performances in musicals such as '' The Producers'' and ''Jekyll and Hyde''. He has earned two Tony Award nominations: one for ''The Producers'' as ...
, and Melbourne, Australia (2019) starring
Todd McKenney
Todd McKenney (born 31 May 1965) is an Australian dancer, theatre performer and TV personality. He is best known as a judge on Australian television talent show ''Dancing with the Stars''.
As a theatre performer, he has appeared in numerous pro ...
.
Recording
The Original Broadway Cast recording was released in 1980 and issued on CD in 1986. The London cast album ''Michael Crawford in Barnum'' was released on January 1, 1994, by Musicrama, Inc. The original Madrid cast album (starring Emilio Aragón) was released in 1984 by BAT Discos S.A. Now a collector's item, this Spanish language recording has never been released on CD. A French cast album (ZL 37467) starring
Jean-Luc Moreau was released in 1981; it is unknown at this time if a CD version has been released.
An Australian cast recording was released starring Reg Livermore by RCA Victor.
Response
According to Don Wilmeth, ''Barnum'' "was blessed with a brilliant production by director-choreographer Joe Layton, who turned the theatre into a circus, and a memorable performance by Jim Dale."
Thomas Hischak wrote: "Joe Layton directed and choreographed with inventive and colorful theatrics, and
imDale endeared himself to audiences by singing, dancing, walking a tightrope, clowning, and riding a unicycle, most of which had nothing to do with anything. Critics carped but playgoers knew a fun show when they saw one so the show ran for 854 performances."
[Hischak, Thomas S. (2008). ''The Oxford Companion to the American Musical''. Oxford University Press US. , p. 51]
Awards and nominations
See also
* ''
The Greatest Showman
''The Greatest Showman'' is a 2017 American biographical musical drama film directed by Michael Gracey in his directorial debut, written by Jenny Bicks and Bill Condon and starring Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, Michelle Williams, Rebecca Ferguson, ...
'', a 2017 American
musical film starring
Hugh Jackman
Hugh Michael Jackman (born 12 October 1968) is an Australian actor. Beginning in theatre and television, he landed his breakthrough role as James "Logan" Howlett / Wolverine in the 20th Century Fox ''X-Men'' film series (2000–2017), a role ...
as a significantly more fictionalized P.T. Barnum.
References
External links
*
''Barnum'' plot summary & character descriptions from StageAgent.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barnum
1980 musicals
Broadway musicals
Musicals inspired by real-life events
Biographical musicals
Plays set in the United States
Cultural depictions of P. T. Barnum
Cultural depictions of Jenny Lind
Tony Award-winning musicals
Musicals by Cy Coleman
Musicals by Michael Stewart (playwright)