Barnum

Filmed at London's West End Theater, the long running musical hit Barnum showcases the talents of singer, dancer, acrobat Michael Crawford (best known as the Phantom in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera.) Using the framing device of a ringmaster-narrator, the musical chronicles the rise of the best-known showman in American history: Phineas Taylor Barnum (Crawford), the "prince of humbug." Catchy songs and superb acrobatics highlight the story of Barnum's initial sideshow attractions (the 160-year-old woman, General Tom Thumb), his famous museum in New York, his dalliance with Jenny Lind ("The Swedish Nightingale"), his political career, and his eventual founding of the Barnum and Bailey Circus. And the lavish stunts--many of them performed by Crawford--are complemented by the touching relationship between Barnum and his wife Charity. A treat for the whole family, Barnum is highly recommended. (R. Pitman)