Todd McKenney leads in Barnum
BY TODAY’S entertainment criteria, traditional circuses are an anachronism. However, in the 1800s, the circus coming to town was like the latest Marvel blockbuster opening, and that made circus entrepreneur Phineas Taylor Barnum both famous and very rich.
His story is brought to life in the musical, Barnum, which premiered in 1980 and is currently being revived. The lead role has been played by Jim Dale, Michael Crawford and, in the first Australian production, Reg Livermore. It returns to the local stage with Todd McKenney (The Boy From Oz before Hugh Jackman) taking on this historic figure.