Barnum (musical)

Barnum
Music Cy Coleman
Lyrics Michael Stewart
Book Mark Bramble
Basis The life of P. T. Barnum
Premiere April 30, 1980: St. James Theatre, New York Cityf
Productions 1980 Broadway
1981 West End
1984 Madrid
2014/15 UK Tour

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, 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 and General Tom Thumb.

The original Broadway 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, 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 [Part One]") and Charity wryly admits and accepts the disparity between their views ("The Colors of My Life [Part 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 [his] museum was spectacular" ("Museum Song"); however, the museum burns down accidentally. Barnum finds two new star attractions, Tom Thumb, 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 [Reprise]"). 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 [Reprise]"). Barnum is prepared to run for President, but his beloved Charity dies suddenly, leaving Barnum bereft and alone. When Barnum finds himself cheated of the Presidential 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 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" [Reprise]") and reflects on his past:

"Of course, that was a long time ago...and Joice Heth is gone and forgotten. And so's the American Museum...and the Living Whale...and Jennie Lind...and my poor Tom Thumb. And them reubens that came over on the Mayflower have gone to dust...and Tom Jefferson's a memory...and old Franklin's flown his last kite. So my kind of Humbug's disappeared. Pity."

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)

Cast

Original Broadway 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, with scenic design by David Mitchell, costume design by Theoni V. Aldredge, and lighting design by Craig Miller. The musical starred Jim Dale as P.T. Barnum, Glenn Close as Charity Barnum, Marianne Tatum as Jenny Lind, Terri White as Joice Heth, and Terrence Mann 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, and when Dale left the production in October 1981, Mike Burstyn 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, where it ran for 655 performances. The London cast included Michael Crawford as P.T. Barnum, Deborah Grant 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 and Victoria Palace Theatre. The tour was recorded for television and broadcast by the BBC in 1986. It was later released on VHS and DVD.

2013 Chichester Festival Theatre Revival

Two-time Tony Award-nominee Christopher Fitzgerald starred in Cameron Mackintosh's new production of the show at the Chichester Festival Theatre from 15 July to 31 August 2013. The show was not be 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, co-directed and choreographed by Liam Steel and co-choreographed by Andrew Wright, set design by Scott Pask, costume design by Paul Wills, lighting design by Paule Constable, sound design by Mick Potter and circus consultancy by Vicki Amedume. Alongside Christopher Fitzgerald as P. T. Barnum was Tamsin Carroll 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 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. The following musical numbers were listed in the programme for the production (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

2014/15 UK Tour

The national tour of Cameron Mackintosh and Chichester Festival Theatre's production of Barnum opened at Leicester Curve on 5 September 2014. The tour starred Brian Conley in the title role, alongside Linzi Hateley as Charity.

Other Productions

Stacy Keach played Barnum in a June 1981 production at the Kennedy Center with Dee Hoty as Charity and Terri White reprising her Broadway role as Joice Heth.

International productions were staged in France (1981) starring Jean-Luc Moreau, Australia (1982) starring Reg Livermore, Madrid (1984) starring Emilio Aragón, Florida (2008) starring Brad Oscar.

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. 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."[1]

Thomas Hischak wrote: "Joe Layton directed and choreographed with inventive and colorful theatrics, and [Jim] Dale 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."[2]

Awards and nominations

Original Broadway production

Year Award Category Nominee Result
1980 Tony Award Best Musical Nominated
Best Book of a Musical Mark Bramble Nominated
Best Original Score Cy Coleman and Michael Stewart Nominated
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical Jim Dale Won
Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical Glenn Close Nominated
Best Direction of a Musical Joe Layton Nominated
Best Choreography Nominated
Best Scenic Design David Mitchell Won
Best Costume Design Theoni V. Aldredge Won
Best Lighting Design Craig Miller Nominated
Drama Desk Award Outstanding Musical Nominated
Outstanding Music Cy Coleman Nominated
Outstanding Actor in a Musical Jim Dale Won
Outstanding Director of a Musical Joe Layton Nominated
Outstanding Choreography Nominated
Outstanding Set Design David Mitchell Nominated
Theatre World Award Marianne Tatum Won

Original London production

Year Award Category Nominee Result
1981 Laurence Olivier Award Best New Musical Nominated
Best Actor in a Musical Michael Crawford Won
Outstanding Achievement in a Musical The Staging Nominated

References

  1. ↑ Wilmeth, Don B. (2000, Volume 3). The Cambridge History of American Theatre. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-66959-6, p. 455
  2. ↑ Hischak, Thomas S. (2008). The Oxford Companion to the American Musical. Oxford University Press US. ISBN 0-19-533533-3, p. 51

External links

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