Barnum (1980 Original Broadway Cast)
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Category: Music CD
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CD Details
Edition: Music CDFormat: Extra tracks, Original recording remastered
CD Release Date: 2002-05-28
Music Label: Sony
Soundtracks:
- Overture Chase
- There Is A Sucker Born Ev'ry Minute
- Humble Beginnings Chase
- Thank God I'm Old
- The Colors Of My Life (Part One)
- The Colors Of My Life (Part Two)
- One Brick At A Time
- Museum Song
- Female Of The Species Chase
- I Like Your Style
- Bigger Isn't Better
- Love Makes Such Fools Of Us All
- Midway Chase
- Out There
- Come Follow The Band
- Black And White
- The Colors Of My Life (reprise)
- The Prince Of Humbug
- Join The Circus
- Finale Chase
- The Final Event: There Is A Sucker Born Ev'ry Minute (reprise)
- Come Follow The Band (bonus track)
- At Least I Tried (bonus track)
- So Little Time (bonus track)
- Join The Circus (bonus track)
Music reviews of Barnum (1980 Original Broadway Cast)
Music Review: One of my favorites
Rating: 5 Stars
I have a love of obscure musicals, and this has got to be the best show that noone has ever heard of (next to maybe Assassins). I did get to see a community theatre production that, frankly, blew me away, and I instantly fell in love with the character and the show.
You have to see the show to truly appreciate this score. The DVD with Michael Crawford is wonderful, but it really doesn't do it justice; live on stage, it's an incredible infusion of energy and in-your-face theatrical magic. The only show that I've seen that is as magical as "Barnum" is perhaps "Wicked," which benefits from more than two decades of technological advances. It's not really fair to compare the two.
I personally think that "The Colors of My Life," while rather trite, is a wonderfully simple way of showing the contrasting relationship between Barnum and his down-to-earth wife Chairy. The lyrics are very Sondheim-like in their simplicity and symbolism. (See Sondheim's "Sunday in the Park with George" for an example of what I mean; Sondheim is a master of saying mountains with just a few words.)
While that song is nice enough, it's really Jim Dale, the con-man incarnate, that sells it to you. "There Is a Sucker..." is perhaps the gem of the show, but there's plenty more to love. Glenn Close gives a joyfully heart-filled performance in "One Brick at a Time" and the ensemble just sparkles in "Join the Circus" and "Come Follow the Band," which just might be the greatest Act II opening number ever. You'll be singing it for weeks. As if that isn't enough, all of the "specialty" numbers ("Thank God I'm Old," "Bigger Isn't Better," and "Love Makes Such Fools...") are tremendous.
I could probably go through this soundtrack track by track and write why I love each one in particular; that's how great this CD is. However, I have to add a caveat; if you haven't seen the show, it might not mean as much to you as it does to me. If you're thinking about buying it, just buy it; don't worry about thanking me.
If you happen to be a Cy Coleman fan, enjoy the bonus tracks, which are more interesting for historical reasons than musically. Still fun to listen to.
Description of Barnum (1980 Original Broadway Cast)
All products are BRAND NEW and factory sealed. Fast shipping and 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed.If ever there were a bigger-than-life American figure whose biography seemed custom-written for the Broadway musical stage, it was the legendary showman Phineas T. Barnum. That 1980 musical arrived during one of the Great White Way's most serious, pre-Webbermania doldrums, but its innovative circus-ring staging and buoyant songs helped point the way to the future, garnering 10 Tony Award nominations, winning star Jim Dale the Best Actor Tony for his riveting, tour-de-force performance in the title role and showcasing co-star Glenn Close on her way to Hollywood stardom.
The show's buoyant songs include romantic drama ("The Colors of My Life," "I Like Your Style"), shameless hucksterism (Dale's verbal gymnastics on "Museum Song," a tune whose brisk syllabic gymnastics one-ups even Gilbert and Sullivan), and infectious crowd-pleasers: "Come Follow the Band" and "Join the Circus." This last pair are also featured in previously unreleased demos by composers Cy Coleman and Michael Stewart. Among the other bonus tracks are Coleman's demos for "At Least I Tried" and "So Little Time," songs that were cut before the show's bow on Broadway. This edition includes new notes by star Jim Dale and reminiscences by Coleman. --Jerry McCulley
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