Barnum (musical)

Barnum
MusicCy Coleman
LyricsMichael Stewart
BookMark Bramble
BasisThe life of P. T. Barnum
PremiereApril 30, 1980: St. James Theatre, New York City
Productions1980 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.