Barnum (1980 Original Broadway Cast)
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Free Music Notes for Barnum (1980 Original Broadway Cast)
Free Music Review: Toe-Tapping Fabulous!
Hit: 5 Stars
"Barnum" is one of the best musicals ever written and one of my favorites. It didn't gain the tremendous fame of so many others because it was robbed by the vastly inferior "Evita" at the 1981 Tony Awards--which subsequently hogged all the publicity. Jim Dale was incredible as Barnum, and his tour-de-force performance carries over well to an audio format.
The music itself is energizing, fun, melodic and memorable in the greatest tradition of musical theater. A circus feel in the orchestrations captures calliopes and clowns. The only bad song in the score is "I Like Your Style". As another reviewer here has already noted, the singing there is frequently off-key and the style of the song (ironically) is inconsistent with that of the others and of the show itself. The remainder of the score is uniformly well-written and superbly performed.
I had the good fortune to see "Barnum" on Broadway the 3rd night after it opened in 1980 and I've worn out 3 tapes of the soundtrack since then. I had despaired of ever finding this on c.d. The re-release has made my day! If you love classic musical theater that doesn't take itself too seriously and remembers that fun is its purpose, you'll enjoy this rollicking and original selection.
As a final note, anyone familiar with and unimpressed by the Michael Crawford recording and/or performance of "Barnum" shouldn't be put off. The music was slowed and 'Pop'-ed up for that version and is very different from the original. That Michael Crawford was miscast as the lead didn't help. The result was...unfortunate. Forget Michael. Jim Dale's "Barnum" is king!
Free Music Review: A Nice Musical
Hit: 5 Stars
When Barnum first opened in 1980, it was acclaimed as the best musical of 1980, the musical amazement. Some critics expected it to sweep the Tony Awards, and it might have if "Evita" hadn't appeared. When the Tony awards were over, Barnum was left with a disappointing three Tony Awards for Best Actor, Best Scenic Design and Best Costumes. Without the Best Musical award it was also left to fall into musical obscurity. This is a shame because it is actually a respectable musical. The musical is definitely not perfect. The book was weak and it depended significantly on its star Jim Dale. The reason that you should buy this CD, however, is because the music is actually very good. Cy Coleman provided a strong score that was enhanced by the orchestrations of the incomparable Hersh Kay. Yes, it's true that you can hear stars Jim Dale and Glenn Close struggling to harmonize on some songs, but the energy of their performance is beautiful.
This CD also includes some of the original demos done for the show including a few songs that never made it into the finished production. Of these, I think that fans of the show would really enjoy "So Little Time" in which Barnum sings to Charity shortly before she dies - "Where did it go, this lifetime, hurrying by. How did it fly away, leaving so little time to tell you so many things I always meant to say." It is beautiful and it's amazing that it didn't make the final cut into the show.
The original recording is very difficult to find and it is nice to see that the Broadway version is available again.
Free Music Review: Can't get it out of my head
Hit: 5 Stars
I saw this production with Jim Dale and Glenn Close when I was 14 years old at the St James Theater in NY, with my drama club. It was my first BIG show ever, and to this day rates in the top 5 productions I have seen.
Enjoyed so much that even as a young teen I bought (and still own) the album, even though I have nothing to play it on. Still, 26 years later here I am, very surprised and pleased to find this CD version available, needless to say I'm buying it.
It was interesting to read some of the comments here. The only song I didn't care for was the operetta "Swedish Nightingale" song. If the creator was trying to get us to hate the "other woman", just by using that song he succeeded.
Yes PLEASE ignore the London version. It simply does not compare. I can still see clearly in my mind, Jim Dale on the tightrope, Glenn Close with her bricks, and the whitefaced clown who entertained the audience prior to the opening act. You had to be there, but even if you weren't, there are enough upbeat and happy songs here to get you tapping your toes, and even a few that might make you a bit introspective.
And hey, learning the "Museum Song" by heart is a great way to spend time in a traffic jam.
Free Music Review: Overdue CD of a Great Show
Hit: 5 Stars
Barnum was the first Broadway show I ever saw and my LP is practically worn out from playing it. I had given up on there ever being a CD and was wonderfully surprised when I decided to try searching again. As another reviewer stated, the wonderful physical nature of the show cannot be translated. It should be noted that the cast included members of the Big Apple Circus and that part of the show included tightrope walking across the stage! The spectacle of the show only lasted as long as Jim Dale kept the title role, unfortunately, and revivals, such as the one with Michael Crawford, are doomed to failure. As such, hearing the CD and picturing Jim Dale and future stars like Glenn Close and Terrence Mann (Les Miserables' Javert) brings back wonderful memories. I am sure that, even without having those memories, anyone will enjoy the music and energy that the soundtrack presents.Free Music Review: A Welcome Return
Hit: 5 Stars
One of the best Broadway musicals of the 80s comes to dazzling new life on this CD reissue. Jim Dale gives one of the most accomplished performances ever to grace a stage, and, although his physical acrobatics can't be appreciated on CD, his verbal gymnastics more than suffice. The rest of the cast- including Glenn Close- provide able support. Cy Coleman's bouncy tunes and Michael Stewart's clever lyrics display more old-fashioned showmanship than anything performed on a New York stage in recent memory.This disc includes four bonus tracks in which Coleman and Stewart audition some of the show's songs. Two of these songs did not make the final production. One of the omissions can be excused, but they should have used the lovely "At Least I Tried."