PT Barnum… The Podcast!
I recently performed as PT Barnum in a 2 part podcast, the first part of which dropped today!
The podcast is called Calling History, and it’s a very entertaining idea.
The host, Tony Dean, somehow magically manages to slip a smartphone into the folds of time, and gets to have an unscripted conversation with a number of entertaining characters. He’s interviewed Abraham Lincoln, Sacagawea, Napoleon Bonaparte, Benjamin Franklin, Nellie Bly, Amelia Earhardt, and now, the Shakespeare of Advertising himself, Phineas Taylor Barnum.
History Called, and PT Barnum answered.
Barnum would have been 133 years old in 2 days (July 5, 2024). What better way to celebrate than to listen to him speak? You can listen to the podcast right here.
It was great fun to record the podcast, and tell stories as Barnum. I used to do more of that, and God willing, I will again! In the meantime, you can hear me as Barnum opine and tell tall tales about Jenny Lind, Joice Heth, Jumbo, the Cardiff Giant, and the importance of taking risks (and that’s just in the first episode!)
(When the second episode is posted, I will link to it here)
Second part of the podcast is now available!
WHERE TO LISTEN TO THE PT BARNUM PODCAST
You can listen to it above, or if you prefer, wherever you get your podcasts:
About The Calling History Podcast:
The Calling History Podcast is an unscripted, interview style phone conversation with the heroes, the villains, and the great thinkers of history. It’s an opportunity to ask them anything, in their time, while they are living it. How did Benjamin Franklin feel about leaving his comfortable life of fame and excess in London as a loyal British citizen to risk it all and return to America as a rebel? Who is Jack the Ripper and why did he enter the scene so violently and then disappear like a whisper? And yes, was PT Barnum a conman and thief, or a charismatic humbug and ahead of his time marketeer? It’s hosted by history buff and
About Adam Gertsacov
Adam Gertsacov is the author of this blog, so you probably already know a lot about him. He is one of the most educated clowns in the world (barring certain elected officials.) He wears many hats, including those of a professional clown, an author, an influencer, an entrepreneur, a comedy director, a P.T. Barnum impersonator, a flea circus impresario, and the esteemed hat of the Clown Laureate of Greenbelt, Maryland. His shows have been performed in 37 states and 6 countries. He currently lives in Barcelona, Spain.
Find out more about his work as PT Barnum at: meetptbarnum.com, his clown work at acmeclown.com, and his flea circus at trainedfleas.com.
About PT Barnum
Phineas Taylor Barnum (1810-1891) was one of the most colorful and well known personalities in American history. A consummate showman and entrepreneur, Barnum was famous for bringing both high and low culture to all of America. From the dulcet tones of opera singer Jenny Lind “The Swedish Nightingale” to the bizarre hoax of the Feejee Mermaid, from the clever and quite dimunitive General Tom Thumb to Jumbo the Elephant, Barnum’s oddities, spectacles, galas, extravaganzas, and events tickled the fancies, hearts, minds and imaginations of Americans of all ages.
Happy birthday Phineas Taylor Barnum! Adam, thank you for taking the time to share your expertise on PT Barnum. This podcast was so much fun. -Tony Dean, Calling History Podcast.