Professional Documents
Culture Documents
(Curtains down)
We cut to Barnum as a young boy (Ellis Rubin) in the 1800's, working with his tailor father Philo (Will
Swenson). They arrived at the home of Mr. Hallett (Fred Lehne) and his daughter Charity (Skylar Dunn).
P.T. makes Charity laugh and spit out her tea, prompting her father to smack him across the face and
forbid him from going near her (CURTAINS UP)
*charity laughs*
Mr. Hallet : Charity is that how we taught you how to wear your dress?
Barnum : I’m sorry, Mr. Hallet . it’s my fault. I made her laugh.
Mr. Hallet : Oh, then thankyou for your honestly.. (changes emotion then slaps barnum)
(Curtians down)
Regardless, P.T. and Charity spend time together and develop a close friendship . Charity was forced to
go to a finishing school in a faraway place.. They write letters to each other and eventually reunite as
adults, where Barnum proposes to Charity.
----MILLION DREAMS-----
[Maky Torres:]
On a rainy day
They can say, they can say we've lost our minds
(Curtains up)
[Cj Estaris:]
(Curtains down)
Barnum works for a trading company until his boss tells everyone that they are shutting the company
down due to bankruptcy after their trading vessels have sunk to the bottom of the ocean. Barnum goes
home to Charity and their daughters Caroline (Austyn Johnson) and Helen (Cameron Seely). He brings
home a spinning lamp, or "wishing machine", for Caroline's birthday. Charity and the girls all make
wishes, and Barnum hatches an idea. Barnum goes to the bank for a $10,000 loan and uses the deed to
the (sunken) trading vessels as collateral. With the money, he opens up a museum devoted to oddities,
because he thinks people are fascinated with things like that.
(Curtains up)
Barnum and his family spreads posters and sold tickets but people ignored.. The museum fails to attract
business, and most people reject the idea. Then his daughter told him that he sould display real people
alive people..
Caroline : Daddy, maybe we sould put alive creations in the museum..like mermaids!
Helen : yes and unicorns!
-Curtains down-
Barnum then goes around town searching for unique individuals. Among them are a dwarf named
Charles Stratton (Sam Humphrey), a bearded woman named Lettie Lutz an obese man called Lord of
Leeds ), a hair-covered man referred to as Dog Boy and an 8-foot tall man. Although initially viewed as
freaks, Barnum manages to get them all to put on a musical number of shows that win over crowds
every night –Curtians up— ("Come Alive").
--Curtains down--
One who remains unimpressed is critic James Gordon Bennett (Paul Sparks). Despite his lack of interest
in Barnum's show, Bennett inspires him to rename his show as "P.T. Barnum's Circus". The circus starts
to bring in healthy profits, leading Barnum to move his family into a luxurious mansion, as well as being
able to put Caroline in a ballet school. However, she becomes discouraged when the other girls mock
her for being part of a circus family. Barnum later meets a playwright named Phillip Carlyle (Zac Efron).
He approaches Philip with the opportunity to join his circus and Phillip agrees on the condition that he
get 10% of the profits.
-Curtains Up-
---The otherside—
[Estaris:]
Don't you wanna get away from the same old part you gotta play
[Morales:]
So thanks, but no
But I live among the swells, and we don't pick up peanut shells
Don't you know that I'm okay with this uptown part I get to play
'Cause I got what I need and I don't want to take the ride
[estaris:]
[estaris:]
[morales:]
[estaris:]
[morales:]
[estaris:]
Why not just go ahead and ask for nickels on the dime
[morales:]
Fifteen
[estaris:]
I'd do eight
[morales:]
Twelve
[estaris:]
Maybe nine
[morales:]
Ten
[Both:]
Don't you wanna get away to a whole new part you're gonna play
'Cause I got what you need, so come with me and take the ride
So if you do like I do
So if you do like me
So if you do like I do
So if you do like me
Curtains down
The troupe is invited to England to meet Queen Victoria (Gayle Rankin). She notes that Charles (now
going as General Tom Thumb) is exceptionally short, and he makes a crack that she's not so tall either.
After an awkward silence, Victoria lets out a hearty laugh. Later, Barnum and Phillip meet noted opera
singer Jenny Lind (Rebecca Ferguson), and they invite her to perform for the show so that she may
become known worldwide.
Curtains Up
*barnum and Philip approach jenny lind*
Jenny : Oh, Gentlemen.
Barnum : Ms. Lind , let me get this straight, can you join my circus ,I promise to make you give a
big role. And make you the most famous.
Jenny : excuse Mister, but have you heard me sing?
Barnum : No
Phillip : Yes
Barnum : but I trust you.
Curtains down
Jenny joins the show back in the States.Barnum trusted and hoped that jenny lind has a wonderful voice,
he risk and let her sang in that night. Ms. Lind performs before a large crowd ("Never Again") that
includes Phillip's parents, as well as Charity's. The crowd loves her, and Barnum even spots Bennett in
the audience appearing to enjoy her. He finds himself falling for the show's trapeze artist Anne
Wheeler). Curtains up
*Maxine sings*
Curtains Down
After Jenny's performance, Barnum and the others gather with a party, but when the rest of the troupe
wants to join the party, Barnum turns them away. Although sad at first, the troupe decides not to let this
get them down, as they decide to embrace who they are, regardless of how they are viewed
Curtains Up
("This is Me").
Curtains down
Phillip tries to introduce Anne to his parents, but they disapprove of her because of her race. She leaves
upset, and Phillip tells his parents off for how they spoke to Anne. He goes to find her, and they express
their mutual feelings for one another
Curtains up
[Morales]
It's up to you
And it's up to me
Tonight
[angella:]
You're gonna wake up and see that it was hopeless after all
It's not up to me
[angella]
It feels impossible
[morales:]
[angella:]
Is it impossible?
[Both:]
It's up to you
And it's up to me
[angella:]
---CURTAINS DOWN--
Barnum goes on tour with Jenny, leaving Phillip as the ringmaster with the show. Protesters
continuously gather outside to harass the troupe for their physical differences. The distance proves to
be hard for Charity and the girls
Curtains up
("Tightrope").
Curtains down
To Barnum, While celebrating their success so far, Jenny appears to develop an attraction to Barnum,
but he remains faithful to Charity. Jenny gets upset and threatens to quit, but Barnum has her finish the
tour. After one performance, the press snaps a photo of Jenny kissing Barnum before she ultimately
quits.
Curtains up
*Maxine performs*
Curtains down
Phillip confronts the protesters, but they refuse to leave. When they threaten him and the others,
Anne's brother W.D. (Yahya Abdul-Mateen III) throws the first punch, leading to an all-out brawl
between the troupe and the protesters. One of the protesters grabs a lantern and throws it at a wall,
setting the theater ablaze. Barnum returns home from his tour and greets his family when he overhears
about the fire. He runs toward it just as the flames consume the whole building. Phillip runs inside to
find Anne, but she is already coming out with W.D. Barnum runs in for Phillip, just as the building
collapses. His daughters cry, thinking him dead, until he emerges with an unconscious Phillip. He is taken
to the hospital.Barnum just sits outside the remains of the theater. Bennett goes to join him, saying that
the police arrested the thugs that started the fire, and while Bennett didn't enjoy Barnum's show, he
feels that another critic may have called it a "celebration of humanity". He then shows Barnum the
newspaper, which shows Jenny kissing him and her announcement of quitting. Barnum rushes home to
Charity, only to find that she's packed her bags because the bank is evicting them, but she is also
unhappy over seeing the paper, despite Barnum trying to explain himself.
Curtains up
Charity : not real huh? It’s the cover of every news paper and magazines! *get bags*
CURTAINS DOWN
Barnum goes to drink at a bar. The entire troupe finds him and confronts him. Lettie tells Barnum that
while he may not have always done the right thing, he saw them all as more than freaks and gave them
a real family and home. Barnum is encouraged to pick himself up and help get the troupe back to
performing..
CURTAINS UP
CURTAINS DOWN
He then runs to Charity's childhood home where the girls tell him that she's at the beach. Barnum goes
to apologize to her for being obsessed with chasing fame, and she says all she wanted was the man she
fell in love with.
CURTAINS UP
Barnum : I’m sorry, I swear nothing happened, believe me Charity, you and the girls are my life. You are
my happiness.
Charity : those past days, the barnum I knew left, but now that barnum I love is back *then hugs*
Curtains down
Phillip, who has recovered, offers to provide his shares from profits to restart the circus. Although
Barnum hesitates, Phillip is adamant in being his partner with 50% of shares. Barnum restarts the show
in a tent with circus animals and the rest of the troupe. Audiences turn out in droves. Barnum then
decides to hand over the job of ringmaster to Phillip so that he can go and watch his girls grow up.
Phillip finishes the show and kisses Anne, while Barnum rides an elephant to meet Charity and the girls.
Curtain up