Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #31314 in DVD
• Released on: 2005-08-17
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Format: NTSC
• Original language: English

Video Details
Michael Crawford stars as the world's greatest showman in this filmed version of the original Broadway smash hit show, Barnum. Hailed as "the definitive P.T. Barnum," Crawford delivers a performance filled with wonderful songs and show-stopping circus moments. The story traces P.T. Barnum's career from his humble beginnings as a sideshow promoter through the co-founding of "The Greatest Show on Earth": The Barnum and Bailey Circus. A must have for kids and adults alike. Michael Crawford makes this program a one-of-a-kind entertainment evening!

Synopsis
A pre-Phantom of the Opera Michael Crawford stars as P.T. Barnum in this taping of a live performance presented at London's Victoria Palace. ~ All Movie Guide

DVD Menu

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Customer Reviews

Still my favorite musical
I was fortunate enough to see Michael Crawford in "Barnum" in 1982 in London, where I was spending my honeymoon. My cousin lived there and loved the play (seeing it three times in total) and asked us to go. We absolutely loved it. At the time we bought a cassette of the music and brought it home.

I never imagined I'd see it again, so imagine my surprise when I saw the DVD for sale! I bought it and have replayed it many times because of the great music and sets. The cast was slightly different from the time I saw it, but are uniformly excellent. I have seen many plays, including "Phantom of the Opera", (without Michael Crawford), "Les Miserable", etc and "Barnum" is still my favorite musical. Get this one and share it. My favorite number, "I Like Your Style", delightfully describes a lot of relationships. Almost everything is upbeat in this play, "Thank God I'm Old", for instance. Enjoy.

Michael Crawford IS the Greatest Showman on Earth!
I saw first Barnum on TV at the age of five on Christmas Day, 1990: now, 13 years later, it is still my favourite escapist retreat. Michael Crawford- whether walking the tightrope, sliding down a 60 foot drop, setting fire to himself, or waltzing on stilts- proves once again his immense ability to excel in the most physically demanding roles. He is a fine actor (real tears pour down his face when his beloved, patient Chairy dies) and a tremendous amount of fun! His vocal ability (which surfaces especially on numbers like 'The Prince of Humbug') is undoubted. He makes this show.

Well... him and a terrific, talented cast of singers, dancers and acrobats all rolled into one, and marvellous co-stars: of especial note are Eileen Battye as Chairy and the wonderful Ringmaster. The dialogue is often very funny and sometimes extremely moving, the songs unforgettable, and the colours-- beyond description. This is the story of a wonderful American entertainer; let him live again on your TV screens through Michael Crawford.

Five stars.

Great entertainment for anyone!
It's really a shame that more productions like this aren't available. Back in 50's musicals like "Of Thee I Sing" and "Once Upon a Mattress" aired on CBS with stars like Carol Burnett and Carroll O'Connor in major roles. With so much wonderful entertainment virtually lost to new generations, BARNUM was a real treat to behold. Michael Crawford shines as circus flim-flam man P.T. Barnum and proves that he's more than just a great singer, he's a true crowd pleaser. The rest of the cast does a fine job in keeping up with the whole circus atmosphere. It would be nice if they would put the original cast with Jim Dale and Glenn Close (before she was the star she is now) on video so we can see an American production as well. Some of the script changes due to locale tend to water the text down a bit, but not enough to dampen the fun. I highly recommend this to anyone who loves theatre, the circus, Michael Crawford, or to anyone who just wants to watch something "a little different".