Barnum - a review by Troop 73894

The play we saw was Barnum!, performed by the North Reading High School Masquers Club. It was about Barnum’s life and how he went from freak show to museum to a traveling circus. We enjoyed the acrobatics, dancing, and musical numbers. The costumes, wigs, and set were very colorful, exciting, and quirky. We thought the opera singer was fantastic and the lights and technical crew did a great job. Our favorite acrobatics were the single twirling spinner, the two pole climbers, tightrope walking, and the double trapeze artists.


On the other hand, we thought that the microphones didn’t work well and the plot was hard to follow at times. Some of the actors didn’t project their voices well enough. Our opinion of the beginning was that it was a little slow. During the intermission, the bathroom lines were very long.

There was a lot going on during the finale, and it was tough for the performers to outdo themselves since the play was so awesome. The carnival beforehand was fun and creative, but it was geared toward a younger audience who would not have enjoyed the play as much. Overall, we thought that the play was exciting, colorful, and well performed.

Troop #73894
Alaina Wise, Joanna Keaton, Gillian Audier, Haley Spellenberg, Emily Humphreys, Nicole Shedd