Finian's Rainbow - delightful

FINIAN’S RAINBOW
Everything Old is New Again!

Reviewed by: Sandi "D"
November 2009

The original Broadway production of Finian’s Rainbow, with book by E.Y. Harburg and Fred Saidy, lyrics by Harburg and music by Burton Lane, opened in 1947, running for 725 performances. It had 3 revivals: 1955 starring Helen Gallagher, Merv Griffin and Will Mahoney; 1960 starring Jeannie Carson, Howard Morris, Robert Guillaume and again in 1967. After a New York City Center Encores! Series concert version earlier this year, it is happily back on Broadway.

It’s a charming jewel that twinkles brightly and one reason is that just about every song is a knock out. Does anyone not know “How Are Things in Glocca Morra?” or “Old Devil Moon” or “Look to the Rainbow”? Beautiful melodic tunes like these are hard to find nowadays.

Finian’s Rainbow is a whimsical, romantic story with political racism that is old hat but relevant even today. Finian McLonergan, the twinkly eyed Jim Norton, leaves his Irish town of singing skylarks and emigrates to Rainbow Valley in the mythical State of Missitucky, which bears a resemblance to Glocca Morra from whence he comes. With him is his beautiful daughter Sharon (Kate Baldwin). He is intent upon burying a stolen pot of gold close to Fort Knox where he thinks it will grow, multiply and make them rich. Og (Christopher Fitzgerald) is the leprechaun- in -pursuit trying to recover the stolen pot before he turns completely mortal.

Ms. Baldwin’s classic soprano is warm with radiant color as she sings the legendary and yearning “How Are Things in Glocca Morra?” gleefully reprised twice more throughout the show. Local boy Woody Mahoney (Cheyenne Jackson) immediately falls for her as they unite in the romantic harmonies of “Old Devil Moon.” Jackson is a perfect romantic lead with his glorious dreamy vocals and good looks. Hilarious Leprechaun Og has also fallen for Sharon where love is more comically presented in “Something Sort of Grandish.” Woody has a mute sister, Susan (Alina Faye), who dances her language in classical ballet style to which Og is drawn, creating another romantic liason.

Implications of racial divide are ever present as big, brawny and boisterous Senator Rawkins ( David Schramm) tries to take over the land at a tax auction where the poor sharecroppers eke out a living growing tobacco resulting in the gospel showstopper “Necessity” featuring powerful performer Terri White as Dottie. Sharon, without realizing the mystical properties of the pot of gold, unknowingly makes one of the three wishes it holds, accidentally turning the Senator black. This counterpart is played to perfection by Tony Award winner Chuck Cooper who becomes part of a quartet in the song & dance “The Begat.”

Relevant topics include “When the Idle Poor Become the Idle Rich,” a satirical pronouncement of the seduction of a line of credit from the Sheers and Robust catalog, along with topics of foreclosure and the “misbegotten G.O.P.” Og is deliciously impish as he flits around in “When I’m Not Near the Girl I Love” eventually falling for Susan as he realizes that turning human is not so bad.

Yes, it’s a complicated theme of love, romance, fantasy, wishes, satire, racial bigotry and it all comes together in this delightful big ole’ fashioned Broadway musical where every song is a hit and audience members walk out singing and humming the wonderful music.

Everything old is new and delightful again!