P.T. Barnum, arguably American history's most celebrated showman, said in his 1880 book The Art of Money-Getting, or, Golden Rules for Making Money, "Let your motto then always be 'Excelsior,' for by living up to it there is no such word as fail." To say that Barnum did everything the biggest and best he possibly could would be an understatement. From his earliest days in show business to becoming king of the circus big top, everything Barnum did was over-the-top. There's only one way to tell the story of the life and loves of the man behind the greatest show on earth - with jaw-dropping spectacle and unprecedented grandeur - the way the award-winning Broadway musical Barnum, playing August 6-18 at Totem Pole Playhouse does.
"Barnum is by far the largest, most complex production that has ever been seen on the Totem Pole stage," said Ray Ficca, the theatre's artistic director who is also performing the role of P.T. Barnum himself. "In fact," Ficca added, "we can't even contain the whole show on the stage; the audience will literally have the chance to experience the atmosphere of a circus as if they were in the center ring." Combining all of the excitement of a musical drama with the spectacle of the circus, Barnum features a cast of over 30 actors and performers including tightrope walkers, jugglers and clowns plus a marching band and an accomplished opera singer.Videos