Abarker, often acarnival barker, is a person who attempts to attract patrons to entertainment events, such as acircus orfunfair, by exhorting passing members of the public,[1] announcing attractions of the show, and emphasizing variety, novelty, beauty, or some other enticing feature of the show. A barker would often conduct a brief free show, introducing performers and describing acts to be given at the feature performance. Professional barkers strongly disliked the term and generally refer to themselves and each other as "talkers".[2][3]: 62–63
Perhaps the most famous fictional barkers are Billy Bigelow, the protagonist ofRodgers and Hammerstein's classic stage musicalCarousel, andTin Man, a supporting protagonist from the1978 musical filmThe Wiz portrayed byNipsey Russell. Bigelow, in turn was an Americanized version of Liliom, the protagonist of Hungarian authorFerenc Molnár's non-musical playLiliom, on whichCarousel is based. The term barker has been adapted in modern times to describe political propagandists.
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