By Sophie Hollis, Managing Editor
Just as P.T. Barnum boldly stated, there is a sucker born every minute: As soon as the curtain rises on “Barnum,” every audience member is suddenly a sucker for recent Reynolds High School graduate Tony Jenkins.
Jenkins, portraying Barnum, hits the nail on the head with his perfect performance of the circus master’s slick and captivating charisma. He convinces the audience of his ambition and audacity while demonstrating an incredible singing voice in songs such as “The Colors of My Life” and “The Prince of Humbug.” His jaw-dropping lead is reason enough to come see the performance on its final night – Thursday (tonight) – at Reynolds Auditorium.
“Whenever I take on a character, I find something transformative in it,” Jenkins said. “This particular show has given me a boldness I didn’t know I had.”
Jenkins is just part of a large cast of students involved in the show, which opened Tuesday night. Each summer, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools puts on its Enrichment Musical Theatre Production with students of all ages from a number of schools. The show begins at 7 p.m. Admission is free, although audience members are asked to bring nonperishable food items to donate to the Second Harvest Food Bank or provide monetary donations for the enrichment program’s Leslie Stanley Scholarship Fund.
Although the play includes students from many schools, there are a lot of Reynolds connections involved: Victoria Mueller is a lead alongside Jenkins; Da’Mar Hodge, Keenan Brown and Noah Tate appear in supporting roles; Delaney Scott, Molly McKenzie, Katie Wood, Katherine Hubbard and Mary Katherine Conaway are among the dancers; and the ensemble includes Sergio Petalta, Carmahn Jackson. and Spencer Browning.
The tech crew and pit orchestra also includes a lot of RJR talent. Drama teacher Linda Moody is the artistic director and chorus teacher Terry Hicks the music director. Other area teachers also were involved: Layla Gaddy and Amanda Stevenson choreographed the dancing and Bland Wade designed the set.
“Barnum” follows the life on the circus director in the 1800s. Chairy Barnum, played by Mueller. is P.T. Barnum’s down-to-earth wife. She makes the chemistry between the two come to life while still keeping the clever and intelligent character in the spotlight. Mueller’s singing voice is a wise match – the harmonies between Mueller and Jenkins are breathtaking – and her singing range is almost as admirable as the timbre of her voice.
The supporting roles of Joice Heth, Tom Thumb, the Ringmaster and Jenny Lind are all additionally spectacular. Each character stays true to his and her nature and sings enjoyably, especially when considering that this cast and crew has a wider age range than a typical school play.
The biggest critique with “Barnum” for the audience is the distractions during the biggest scenes. Occasionally, there is a lead solo somewhere buried in a pile of dancers and jugglers. As much talent as these dancers and jugglers show, they tend to upstage the main action and draw away the audience’s attention from center stage.
In this case, however, too much of a good thing is still a good thing. Anyone with a love of good music and fun is encouraged to see this great musical on its final night.