Barnum

On January 11, 2004; PHYLLIS WILSON BARNUM; beloved wife of Harry C. Barnum. On Thursday, Mrs. Barnum will have a Memorial Service at The New VAUGHN C. GREENE FUNERAL SERVICES (Randallstown), 8728 Liberty Road, where the family will receive friends from 10:00 to 10:30 AM with Services to follow. Inquiries to (410) 655-0015.

105 years of shows. 90,000 pounds of elephants. And a bunch of shoes, size 28EEEEE. For the clowns, of course. When it comes to the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus, an entertainment extravaganza that routinely, without being challenged, bills itself as "The Greatest Show on Earth," the numbers alone tell quite a story. There is, for example, 118. That's the number of performers involved in putting on "Fully Charged," the circus show that will be playing at Baltimore's 1st Mariner Arena through April 1. They include 25-year-old ringmaster Brian Crawford Scott, among the youngest in the circus' century-plus history; 2 juggling Fusco Brothers, Emiliano and Maximiliano, whose act includes juggling flaming clubs in the dark while standing back-to-back; and 1 Sean Davis, a clown with a degree (really!

Ladies and gentlemen, if you would give your undivided attention to the center ring, please.Presenting Mr. P. T. Barnum, showman extraordinarie, dreamer, schemer, patriot, newspaper editor and politician, in "Barnum," the play.The story of one of America's most colorful characters arrives on stage Thursday when Theatre on the Hill opens for its 13th season on the main stage of Alumni Hall on the Western Maryland College campus."He was the ultimate showman, he wrote the book on showmanship," said Ray Ficca, who plays Barnum.

The circuses are coming to town! That's right, we're talking plural. Over the next week, both the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus and Cirque du Soleil will be landing in Baltimore for extended stays. Barnum & Bailey, in fact, is already here — opening night was Wednesday (maybe you were lucky enough to watch the elephants lumber from the B&O Railroad Museum to 1st Mariner Arena the other day). Cirque du Soleil will be pitching its tent on the Westport waterfront and offering its first show April 7. Of course, in a perfect world, you'd be able to catch both shows.

While Eloise Barnum considers matchy-matchy a no-no, this 25-year-old Canton real estate agent knows how to coordinate current fashion trends with her body type. Dressed in an oh-so-this-moment long sundress, Barnum braved 90-plus temperatures outside the Bay Cafe to join in the fun at the "Cash Bash," a fundraiser for the Believe in Tomorrow Children's Foundation. Age: 25 Residence: Canton Job: Real estate agent for Yerman, Witman, Gaines & Conklin Self-described style : "Modern. Eclectic.

Although it helped make him a fortune, Phineas Taylor Barnum admitted that he wasn't too proud of the spectacle: this tiny monkey severed at the waist and stitched to the mummified tail of a fish.But even the world's greatest showman couldn't have expected that little girls in Baltimore would burst into tears over Barnum's "Feejee mermaid" 101 years after his death."We've had a lot of children come here expecting to see the Little Mermaid or the cute mermaid on the tuna can -- and they look at this and cry their eyes out," said a publicist for the Peale Museum, which is exhibiting the monstrous wonder at its Holliday Street museum.

He gave us the word "Jumbo" and the phrase "Greatest Show on Earth." He made a superstar out of Tom Thumb, a midget in a soldier's uniform, and brought a European singer to our shores and made her a sensation as the Swedish Nightingale.P. T. Barnum may have been American entertainment's first larger-than-life figure. An expert at figuring out what the people wanted and then giving it to them, he was even better at turning the process around: taking what he had and convincing people that was what they wanted to see.A&E's "P. T. Barnum," a two-part miniseries from Hallmark Entertainment airing tomorrow and Monday nights, is much like its subject.

Yes, I know that Barnum, the Cy Coleman musical about to enter its second and final weekend of production by the Talent Machine Company at St. John's College in Annapolis, was a Tony winner that ran for 854 performances on Broadway in the early 1980s. I also know that it can be a colorful show, chock-full of tumblers, clowns, trapeze artists and the like; and that characters such as Tom Thumb, soprano Jenny Lind and the Barnums themselves lend the proceedings a bit of a historical kick.

Tornado rips through Reisterstown, but only one serious 0) injury reportedMother Nature sent Baltimore County a reminder of who was && in charge, but she did it almost without shedding blood.A tornado with winds of 75 to 100 mph leveled houses and uprooted trees in the northwest part of the county, with most of the damage concentrated around Reisterstown. Officials said they had counted more than 300 houses and apartments that had been damaged by the storm. About 60 people were left temporarily homeless, and the Red Cross made arrangements to put them up at a Westminster motel.

BEL AIR -- Frank Paul Barnum, a Harford County man who last week had 30 years taken off his prison sentence for two murders, may not have been eligible to receive the reduction because he did not apply for it within 90 days of sentencing as required.The apparent error, which went undetected for more than two years, came to light yesterday when a reporter for The Sun noticed the discrepancy in Circuit Court records and brought it to the attention of prosecutors."I was not aware of the error," said Circuit Judge Cypert O. Whitfill, who had been harshly criticized by families of the murder victims after reducing Barnum's 63-year sentence.

While Eloise Barnum considers matchy-matchy a no-no, this 25-year-old Canton real estate agent knows how to coordinate current fashion trends with her body type. Dressed in an oh-so-this-moment long sundress, Barnum braved 90-plus temperatures outside the Bay Cafe to join in the fun at the "Cash Bash," a fundraiser for the Believe in Tomorrow Children's Foundation. Age: 25 Residence: Canton Job: Real estate agent for Yerman, Witman, Gaines & Conklin Self-described style : "Modern. Eclectic.

Harry R. Shriver Jr., the legendary Baltimore radio executive who brought such personalities as Johnny Walker, Peter Berry -- "The Flying Dutchman" -- Charlie Eckman, Ron Matz and Tom Marr to WFBR-AM, and created "Conference Call," an innovative lunchtime radio current events discussion program, died Satuday of heart failure at Sinai Hospital. The Owings Mills resident was 74. "He had his pulse on the radio business in Baltimore during the 1970s and 1980s, and took chances in an era when broadcasters weren't taking chances.

Yes, I know that Barnum, the Cy Coleman musical about to enter its second and final weekend of production by the Talent Machine Company at St. John's College in Annapolis, was a Tony winner that ran for 854 performances on Broadway in the early 1980s. I also know that it can be a colorful show, chock-full of tumblers, clowns, trapeze artists and the like; and that characters such as Tom Thumb, soprano Jenny Lind and the Barnums themselves lend the proceedings a bit of a historical kick.

Circuses and kids, dancing and singing: That's what has led to the revival of Barnum, the Circus Musical on community stages. It's opening today at the Talent Machine in Annapolis, where the talent is teenagers. The lead performer, Kory Kinney as P.T. Barnum, is 16. With its circus theme, the 1980 Tony Award-winning musical Barnum seems to be an ideal vehicle for a cast ages 14 to 18, which danced, clowned and tumbled during a recent rehearsal. For this show, cast members were also getting "lessons in fire eating and stilt walking from Talent Machine alumni," said Lea Capps, daughter of TM founder Bobbi Smith.

The stylishly dressed woman delighted in twirling hula hoops with preschoolers during the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus pre-show event. She drew as large a crowd as the elaborately dressed clowns, acrobats and animal trainers who signed autographs and displayed their talents. But who was she? The kids couldn't have cared less. They were too busy enjoying themselves. If you go Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus at the 1st Mariner Arena, 201 W. Baltimore St. Showtimes vary.

OCEAN CITY -- So you've sunk a car in the Atlantic Ocean. You've filmed a TV commercial of yourself riding a bicycle off a rooftop. You've had your praises sung by William Donald Schaefer and Marty Bass. On top of that, you have the most clicked-on Webcam in Ocean City; the most photographed building, perhaps, in the state of Maryland; and you've sold more art - highbrow, lowbrow and in between - than, quite possibly, anyone on the East Coast. What do you do for an encore? If you're Joseph Leonard Kro-Art - a man who carries a hyphen in his last name and an exclamation point in his soul - that's an easy decision.

BEL AIR -- A Harford County judge knocked 30 years off the sentence of a 22-year-old murderer yesterday, making him eligible for parole in four years and outraging the family of one of his victims.The sentence reduction, from 63 years in prison to 33, was ordered by Harford Circuit Judge Cypert O. Whitfill, who according to a prosecutor based his decision on positive changes he perceived in Frank Paul Barnum since Barnum's sentencing in June 1988.Janet Waitkus, 21, whose fiance, Dennis Comar, was one of two men slain by Barnum on her parents' front porch in March 1987, said yesterday that she was "very angry" at the news.

Circuses and kids, dancing and singing: That's what has led to the revival of Barnum, the Circus Musical on community stages. It's opening today at the Talent Machine in Annapolis, where the talent is teenagers. The lead performer, Kory Kinney as P.T. Barnum, is 16. With its circus theme, the 1980 Tony Award-winning musical Barnum seems to be an ideal vehicle for a cast ages 14 to 18, which danced, clowned and tumbled during a recent rehearsal. For this show, cast members were also getting "lessons in fire eating and stilt walking from Talent Machine alumni," said Lea Capps, daughter of TM founder Bobbi Smith.

"It's a lot of music," Elvis Costello said yesterday about his latest tour program. "And that's what I want." The program will find the genre-hurdling singer, guitarist and composer playing with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra for three nights, starting tomorrow. Half of each concert will be devoted to a suite from Costello's first full-length classical composition, Il Sogno, the rest to a sampling of his many songs, delivered with full orchestral arrangements. The tour, which has already included performances with the San Francisco, Houston and, last night, Chicago symphonies, is yet one more demonstration of Costello's remarkable versatility.

Tired of your dreary job? Miss out on the housing boom? Your social life need a boost? While we're at it, want a whole new persona - appearance, clothes, skills? It's now possible in cyberspace. Just go virtual. And it appears that you now might be able to make some real money there. Or so suggests the unfolding (and perhaps cautionary) tale of Jon Jacobs, more widely known by the name of his alter ego or virtual avatar, "Neverdie." Read on skeptically. Mr. Jacobs, a 39-year-old Londoner now living in Miami Beach, has been scratching around in the cutthroat reality of the independent film world since 1987.