BARNUM
Book by Mark Bramble, lyrics by Michael Stewart, and music by Cy Coleman
Directed by Jeffrey Fiorello
Musical Director Jack Bender
Choreographed by Megan Ferentinos
WHEN: May 9 – 24; Friday and Saturday 8 PM; Sunday 3 PM
WHERE: Chatham Playhouse, 23 North Passaic Avenue, in Chatham
TICKETS: $25 for adults and $23 for youth/senior
Tickets can be purchased at our Box Office or Online. To access the theater’s online ticketing service, simply go to ccp.ticketleap.com. The service is available 24 hours a day, and tickets can be purchased online up until three hours prior to curtain on the day of a performance.
Chatham Playhouse’s box office will begin accepting phone reservations on April 29 at 973.635.7363.
For information regarding box office hours, please call the box office number listed above.
Winner of a Drama Desk and three Tony Awards, BARNUM sparkles with a cast of singers, actors, jugglers and clowns. Barnum ran two years on Broadway in the early 80’s.
The show traces the life of the legendary huckster Phineas Taylor Barnum from the purchase of his first sideshow act through his partnership with James A. Bailey. It also delves into his marriage to Chairy to reveal a couple who looked at the world from opposite sides of the spectrum, revealing that she was the practical one who made Barnum’s dreams come true.
The score is a pastiche of toe-tapping marches, ballads, ragtime and Dixieland tunes with several circus-infused show stopping numbers designed to thrill audiences. The worlds of musical theatre and circus are blended into a vibrant and entertaining musical celebrating the colorful, creative and driven life of the World’s Greatest Showman, Phineas “P.T.” Barnum.
As a special treat and to help the entire family enjoy the circus atmosphere, we are going to offer a “Side Show”, where the audience may partake in some circus refreshments, face painting, watch performers doing some tricks and also a chance to learn something about P.T. Barnum. The special preshow activities will occur 30 minutes before each show.
Producer, Bob Lukasik explains why Chatham Players chose to mount the musical, Barnum. “When we first read Barnum as part of the play selection process that we go through each year, it became very obvious why Barnum is rarely seen in the world of Community Theatre. Why? Clowns, stilt walkers, singers, dancers, magic, juggling, acrobatics, even an elephant and the oldest woman alive as well as the shortest man. Add to that a beautiful, rousing score and talented musicians. The Chatham Players likes a challenge. Join us and see if, at the end of the performance, you too will want to Join the Circus.”
The Director, Jeffrey Fiorello explained, “Barnum is a big show which is known for spectacle and large production numbers, but it is also a show with a lot of heart. With this production we want to show the sincerity and love between Barnum and his wife Chairy, and be certain that it is not lost behind the circus. There are two major stories being told, and each is just as important as the other.”
Featuring an energetic cast ripe with circus antics, this musical includes actors from all around New Jersey. Leading the cast, Chris Abbott from South Plainfield is playing the role of Phineas Taylor Barnum. Also featured are Kathleen Campbell Jackson from Peapack/Gladstone as Chairy Barnum, Michael Healy from Boonton as Ringmaster, Jen Hanselman from Berkeley Heights as Joice Heth, Ray Guy from Montclair as Tom Thumb, Sarah Kuhns from Stanhope as Jenny Lind, Joe Guadara from Caldwell as James A. Bailey and Julius Goldschmidt, Alan Van Antwerp from Little Falls as Amos Scudder, Joe Leo from Cranford as Sherwood Stratton, Raven Dunbar from Dayton as Mrs Stratton, William Carey from Glen Ridge as Wilton, Anthony Bruno from Lodi as Edgar Templeton and Chester Lyman, Jo Rosa Rio from Belleville as Humbart Morrissey and Shannon Ludlum from Whitehouse Station as the Blues Singer.
“Finding performers to work on this production has been a challenge. The production staff and the theatre worked tirelessly to assemble 20 actors, who not only sing dance and act (as with any musical), but who also are willing to walk on stilts, dangle from a rope, swing above the audience, flip, juggle, and create the circus. “The cast of this production is truly the hardest working cast that I have ever had the great pleasure of directing,” said director Fiorello.
Rounding out Fiorello’s talented production team, the Producer is Bob Lukasik, Stage Manager is Pam Wilczybski, Production Stage Manager is Debby Hennessy, Scenic Designer is Bob Lukasik, Scenic Painting by Andrea Sickler, Costume Designer is Fran Harrison, Lighting Designer is Richard Hennessy, Sound Designer is Joe DeVico and Production Coordinator is Steffi Denmark and Leslie Reagoso.
About the Chatham Playhouse
The Chatham Community Players has been entertaining residents of Morris County and the surrounding area since 1922. The organization’s mission is to produce high-quality theater for a diverse audience, while elevating its standard of excellence and providing a creative outlet with educational opportunities and outreach programs. For more information, including details of CCP’s upcoming 2014-2015 season, visit www.chathamplayers.org.
