| 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 City |
| Productions | 1980 Broadway 1981 West End 1984 Madrid 1984 UK Tour 2013 Chichester 2014 UK Tour 2017 Off-West End |
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.