Barnum (musical)

Infobox Musical
name= Barnum


caption= Original Cast Recording
music= Cy Coleman
lyrics= Michael Stewart
book= Mark Bramble
basis= The life of P. T. Barnum
productions= 1980 Broadway
1981 West End
1984 Madrid
awards=

"Barnum" is a 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, 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. The characters include jugglers, trapeze artists and clowns, as well as such real-life personalities as Jenny Lind, General Tom Thumb, and Susan B. Anthony.

As he presents his circus acts around the world, Barnum resists joining with James Anthony Bailey. Finally, after his beloved wife Charity dies, he relents and joins with Bailey and they form the famous circus Barnum and Bailey.

Productions

"Barnum" opened on Broadway at the St. James Theatre on April 30 1980 and closed on May 16 1982, after 854 performances and 26 previews. Directed and choreographed by Joe Layton, it starred Jim Dale as P.T. Barnum, Glenn Close (Charity Barnum), Marianne Tatum (Jenny Lind), Terri White (Joice Heth), and Terrence Mann (Chester Lyman).

The West End production opened on June 11 1981 at the London Palladium, where it ran for 655 performances. Michael Crawford and Deborah Grant headed the cast. This production was recorded for television and broadcast by the BBC in 1986. It is now available on Region-free DVD.

The Madrid production opened on September 28 1984 at the Teatro Monumental, directed by Jaime Azpilicueta and starred by Emilio Aragón as Phineas Taylor Barnum, Clara Morales, María Fleta, Michelle McCain, Deborah Carter, Iñaqui Guevara, Marta Valverde and Toni Carrasco.

ong list

;Act I
*"Overture Chase"
*"There Is a Sucker Born Ev'ry Minute"--Phineas Taylor Barnum
*"Humble Beginnings Chase"
*"Thank God I'm Old"--Joice Heth and Tambourine Players
*"The Colors of My Life Part I"--Phineas Taylor Barnum and Charity Barnum
*"The Colors of My Life Part II"
*"One Brick at a Time"--Chairy Barnum, Phineas Taylor Barnum and Bricklayers
*"Museum Song"--Phineas Taylor Barnum
*"Female of the Species Chase"
*"I Like Your Style"--Phineas Taylor Barnum and Charity Barnum
*"Bigger Isn't Better"--Tom Thumb
*"Love Makes Such Fools of Us All"--Jenny Lind
*"Midway Chase"
*"Out There"--Phineas Taylor Barnum

;Act II

*"Come Follow the Band"--Potomac Marching Band and Washingtonians
*"Black and White"--Charity Barnum, Choir, Blues Singer, Phineas Taylor Barnum and Citizens of Bridgeport
*"The Colors of My Life (Reprise)"--Phineas Taylor Barnum and Charity Barnum
*"The Prince of Humbug"--Phineas Taylor Barnum
*"Join the Circus"--James A. Bailey, Circus Performers and Phineas Taylor Barnum
*"Finale Chase"
*"The Final Event: There Is A Sucker Born Ev'ry Minute (Reprise)"

Awards and nominations

*Tony Award
*Best Musical (nominee)
*Best Book of a Musical (nominee)
*Best Original Score (nominee)
*Best Actor in a Musical (Dale, winner)
*Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Close, nominee)
*Best Scenic Design (winner)
*Best Costume Design (winner)
*Best Lighting Design (nominee)
*Best Choreography (nominee)
*Best Direction of a Musical (nominee)
*Theatre World Award (Tatum, winner)
*Drama Desk Award
*Outstanding Musical (nominee)
*Outstanding Actor in a Musical (Dale, winner)
*Outstanding Choreography (nominee)
*Outstanding Director of a Musical (nominee)
*Outstanding Music (nominee)
*Outstanding Set Design (nominee)
*Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical (Crawford, winner)

Recording

The Original Broadway Cast recording was released in 1980 and reissued on October 25, 1990 by Sony. 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.

External links

* [http://stageagent.com/Shows/View/740 Barnum plot summary & character descriptions from StageAgent.com]
* [http://www.ibdb.com/production.asp?ID=3949 Internet Broadway Database listing]
* [http://www.tams-witmark.com/musicals/barnum.html Tams-Witmark synopsis]
* [http://www.nodanw.com/shows_b/barnum.htm nodanw synopsis]