Should there be a BARNUM revival?
Should there be a BARNUM revival?
#1Should there be a BARNUM revival?
Posted: 7/4/14 at 2:21am
Was watching some clips of the recent 2013 Chichester Festival Theatre Revival with Christopher Fitzgerald, and it looked great!
Has anyone seen the show (either the original or West End)?
Has there ever been plans to revive this on B'way?
mjohnson2
Broadway Star Joined: 11/2/13
#2Should there be a BARNUM revival?
Posted: 7/4/14 at 2:44amThe Chichester festival one was god awful, but I would totally be in for a revival if it were similar to the original.
#2Should there be a BARNUM revival?
Posted: 7/4/14 at 3:01am
No it wasn't god awful! Yes it was a smaller scale than the original, but what do people expect in Chichester?!
The problem is the show itself, decent songs but the book is almost non existent
#3Should there be a BARNUM revival?
Posted: 7/4/14 at 3:03am
Would love to see it revived with NPH playing Barnum - with his talent for magic, it could be really cool.
Updated On: 7/4/14 at 03:03 AM
#4Should there be a BARNUM revival?
Posted: 7/4/14 at 3:32amCameron tried to get NPH to do it - and he simply didn't have the time with How I met your Mother. I am sure Cameron will keep trying.
dramamama611
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/4/07
#5Should there be a BARNUM revival?
Posted: 7/4/14 at 8:09am
I saw the original, and although Jim Dale was on vacation, Tony Orlando (yes, he of "Dawn") was spectacular. (of course, I was only 16 or so at the time.)
I would love a revival. Not so sure about NPH, Barnum wasn't a magician, he was a showman and promoter.
I would love to see Hugh Jackman take this on, if it "needs" to be a star.
mamaleh
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/11/04
#6Should there be a BARNUM revival?
Posted: 7/4/14 at 8:29am
Barnum was an showman-impresario, not a magician.
Yes, yes, yes to Jackman, who can truly enact a character besides giving a slam-bang energetic performance. But unless he's changed his mind, he has said in interviews that he's more interested in new material than revivals. Maybe a revisal? The book could use one.
Updated On: 7/4/14 at 08:29 AM
sparepart973
Broadway Star Joined: 4/7/12
#7Should there be a BARNUM revival?
Posted: 7/4/14 at 9:37amI thought the Chichester version was boring and old fashioned. I have to disagree about scale, I thought the scale was just fine. In fact I thought all it had was something visual to offer (I'm personally not into circus and acrobatics so I didn't care for it), but there is little to no book and the plot is quite uninspiring.
#8Should there be a BARNUM revival?
Posted: 7/4/14 at 9:58amAnyone planning to revive it had better revive David Mitchell's joyously beautiful sets as well. They weren't so much about the circus as a gaslit homage to 19th century theaters that served the play perfectly. Most of the rough spots in the libretto were smoothed over with visual treats in the original production-- skip those and you have a pretty thin evening.
jo
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
#9Should there be a BARNUM revival?
Posted: 7/4/14 at 10:04amHugh Jackman has a movie musical project in development about PT Barnum, called THE GREATEST SHOWMAN ON EARTH. It is doubtful that he would be interested in a revival of the stage musical.
#10Should there be a BARNUM revival?
Posted: 7/4/14 at 10:05amIronically, I was just coming on here to ask advice for my BARNUM audition next week. I also think there should be a revival--with some MAJOR rewrites and a really strong cast.
#11Should there be a BARNUM revival?
Posted: 7/4/14 at 4:52pm
The only reason I'm going to see the UK tour is because of Linzi Hately.
#12Should there be a BARNUM revival?
Posted: 7/4/14 at 5:18pm
I saw the original West End production with Michael Crawford who gave a good performance as Michael-Crawford-doing-some-acrobatics-and-circus-tricks. The sets and the score were the main reason to see the show and the most enjoyable things about it. There was a round of anticipatory applause when the audience thought they were going to see Jumbo, and then groans of disappointment when they saw the concertina-cardboard legs.
The only reason I'm not going to see the UK tour is because of another TV-star-doing-circus-tricks in the title role.
Mr Roxy
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/17/03
#13Should there be a BARNUM revival?
Posted: 7/4/14 at 5:27pm
Yes
Even though Jackman in no way resembles Barnum, he would be a great choice who would sell a gazillion tickets.
Saw Dale in the original and it is amazing it has never been revived.
#14Should there be a BARNUM revival?
Posted: 7/4/14 at 5:50pmConley may be a TV star but before he was a TV star he cut his teeth in variety (pretty good experience for a role like Barnum and not unlike Jim Dale). He has also done several musicals - Me and My Girl, Oliver! and Jolson (a terrific performance). He has a great deal of theatre experience so your reasoning for not seeing it seems rather bizarre.
SomethingPeculiar
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/15/14
#15Should there be a BARNUM revival?
Posted: 7/4/14 at 6:07pm
Let Encores do it in a few years with someone like Rob McClure. Though the physicality of it would be severely limited.
#16Should there be a BARNUM revival?
Posted: 7/4/14 at 6:12pm
"He has also done several musicals"
I know.
I've seen him in some of them.
And that has informed my decision making as well.
#17Should there be a BARNUM revival?
Posted: 7/4/14 at 6:17pmFair enough but not what you said in your post. "The only reason I'm not going to see the UK tour is because of another TV-star-doing-circus-tricks in the title role."
#18Should there be a BARNUM revival?
Posted: 7/4/14 at 6:29pm
Not really - I think he gave a TV star's performance every time I've seen him.
If, however, you're trying to point out that I'm a smart-arse there's really no need. I know it and so does everyone who reads my posts.
barcelona20
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/19/08
#19Should there be a BARNUM revival?
Posted: 7/4/14 at 8:37pmThe top commercial choices to play Barnum are NPH or Jackman. The non-commercial choice is Brian D'arcy James.
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