A unique and brand new musical which has amazed audiences in Cambridge this week!
Barnum. Booth. Lincoln. is a brand new musical by Kaely Michels-Gualtieri, who also directed this piece. Music for the show was composed by Chi Wai Hu and is a mixture of history, theatre and spectacle. Barnum. Booth. Lincoln. follows an older Edwin Booth who is guided by P.T. Barnum as they navigate their story inside a circus tent of memories. As the story unravels, Edwin remembers his brother and the friendship between Barnum and Abraham Lincoln. As a new musical concept, I was eager to watch this story come to life on stage!
The story is intriguing and works well by having some spoken dialogue between songs. The costumes were able to capture the piece very well which worked to highlight the score and musical arrangements. The band, conducted by Chi Wai Hu, was effortlessly is playing the score, being confident in their delivery which made it brilliant to listen too!
Daisy Webb plays Father Pan/Death. Webb was able to capture both very different characters well. She made the audience laugh with her costume reveal and the song was also well performed. Emily Penner plays P.T. Barnum/Mr Gorsuch. Penner was able to bridge the gap between characters at times to help narration. She was also a great vocalist in all her musical moments. Michael Mundove plays Abraham Lincoln/Junius Brutus Booth. Mundove brought such depth to his characters, exploring a more darker side. He was able to deliver strong dialogue as both characters, being a highlight of the piece.
Jonah Woods plays Old Edwin Booth. Woods gave an authentic performance of an older Edwin Booth, reflecting well on the events of the musical. Zahir Shah plays Young Edwin Booth. Shah had a great dynamic alongside Yesilkaya as they share their brotherly bond. Moreover, his vocals were strong throughout and were highlighted well during his performance. Irmak Yesilkaya plays John Wilkes Booth. Yesilkaya gave depth to John, showing the frustration build towards the eventual crime: helping the audience understand the assassination clearer. She also had a brilliant voice which was well utilised throughout the show.
Barnum. Booth. Lincoln. runs until Saturday 16th May before heading to the Edinburgh Fringe this summer. Catch it while you can!
Tickets for this production were provided complimentary. Many thanks to the Fletcher Players and production team of Barnum. Booth. Lincoln. I look forward to seeing where the show will go next!
Max
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