When the actors鈥� voices are mesmerizing and clowns are swinging across the stage as the band plays a show-stopping number about joining the circus, the audience can tell they鈥檙e at a great show.
鈥淏arnum,鈥� the fall musical by 糖心Vlog Theatre Department, played Oct. 5 and 6 at 糖心Vlog, directed by Dr. Laurie Doyle, professor of fine arts. The show is based on the life of showman P.T. Barnum spanning 1835 through 1880.
There is no flashy opening number in 鈥淏arnum.鈥� Instead, it immediately hones in on the characters, particularly P.T. Barnum (Clayton Hendrikson) and his wife, Charity (Abby Langford), who have a brilliant exchange right off when she tries to escape his "hum bug." Meanwhile, Barnum tries to sell the audience on humbug 鈥� or creative falsehoods.
One of the first secondary characters introduced, Joice Heth (Kelsey Johnson), provides early comic relief while Barnum grows his show. Johnson was an immediate stand out as the supposed 鈥渙ldest woman in the world.鈥� There was no humbug about her performance, and the audience laughed when her song and dance (鈥淭hank God I鈥檓 Old鈥�) ended with her dropping tiredly on the keys of the piano.
Barnum himself is an endearing protagonist, despite the fact he builds his business on lies, mostly because of how Hendrikson plays him. Hendrikson鈥檚 energy is engaging as much in his opening number (鈥淭here鈥檚 a Sucker Born Every Minute鈥�) as in the softer ballad to his wife (鈥淭he Colors of My Life鈥�).
And then Langford began singing Charity鈥檚 part of 鈥淭he Colors of My Life鈥� and stole the show. Her voice was gorgeous and her sassy but caring personality is great as a foil to the show's over eager namesake.
Other secondary roles made similarly lasting impact to Johnson鈥檚 performance as Heth. Tom Thumb (Braden Jones) lilting into his falsetto was a great touch that made his solo memorable. Then, following a comedic exchange with Barnum, Jenny Lind (Hannah Flourney) began to sing, and it鈥檚 believable that she's the Swedish Nightingale; her soprano was mesmerizing.
The clown chorus was a riot as they bumble around bringing props and set pieces on stage. They fulfill roles for comic relief and chorus vocals, as well as being the primary technical crew for the stage. They are both Barnum鈥檚 willingly gullible audience and the part of the show he鈥檚 selling.
The Ringmaster (Jay Lokey) tied it all together by directing scenes for the show and ever adding a circus spectacle feel to the musical, even for the odd stint of Barnum鈥檚 life where he pursues politics (鈥淏lack and White鈥�) before realizing his life has much more colorful prospects.
Friday night turned a good audience despite the downpour of rain, and Barnum was well worth the effort. Congratulations to the cast, crew, and clowns who took their final bow for this circus Saturday night after months of work 鈥� the humbug paid off.