Ivoryton Playhouse Presents BARNUM, 12/9-19

Back around 1875, the circus impresario P.T. Barnum planned to make Port Jefferson the permanent home for his 'Greatest Show on Earth.' Apparently, however, Barnum was not well thought of in that Long Island community. People were worried about his strange cast of characters and the smell from his animals! Not in My Back Yard prevailed, and Barnum took his show across the Sound to Bridgeport, Connecticut and the rest is history.
 
Barnum which had a successful Broadway run, is a biographical overview of P.T.'s life, with music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Michael Stewart and book by Mark Bramble. It gives us a little nibble of how Barnum became the Prince of Humbug - charming his more practical and earth bound wife and into supporting all his schemes and dreams. The music is circus to the core- stirring and exciting - and the story of the enduring romance between Barnum and his wife, Chairy makes for a heart-warming and endearing family show.  Bruce Connelly*, who was last seen at The Playhouse as Finian in Finian's Rainbow, returns to Ivoryton to play the title role. He will be joined by Beverley Galpin, who plays his wife, the long suffering Chairy, and a colorful cast of gymnasts and jugglers, aerialists and clowns!
 
If you have kids, or you are still a kid at heart, you won't want to miss Barnum.
Barnum opens on December 9th and runs thru December 19th for 2 weeks only. Performance times are Wednesday and Sunday matinees at 2pm. Evening performances are Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30pm. Tickets are $30 for adults, $28 for seniors, $20 for students and $15 for children and are available by calling The Playhouse box office at 860-767-7318 or by visiting our website at www.ivorytonplayhouse.org  (Group rates are available by calling the box office for information.) The Playhouse is located at 103 Main Street in Ivoryton.