LOOKING TOWARD THE RAINBOW: Finian McLonergan (Jim Norton) and his daughter Sharon (Kate Baldwin) have stolen a pot of gold in 'Finian's Rainbow.' (Joan Marcus)
The 1947 musical combines whimsy, fantasy, and morality and is being given an absolutely wonderful revival in its first Broadway appearance since 1960.
Located in the mythical state of Missitucky, the 1940s Rainbow Valley, USA, is a magical place—at least according to Finian McLonergan (Jim Norton), who has traveled there from his home in Glocca Morra, Ireland, with his daughter Sharon (Kate Baldwin).
Finian, a dreamer and self-professed expert on leprechaun lore, has come to this land to bury a crock of gold stolen from the leprechauns of Ireland. Finian and Sharon immediately endear themselves to the locals, mostly sharecroppers who work in the fields harvesting tobacco, when they thwart a scheme by the bigoted Senator Rawkins (David Schramm) and his cronies who are seeking to foreclose on the land for unpaid back taxes.
Particularly interested in Sharon is Woody Mahoney (Cheyenne Jackson), recently returned from the Merchant Marines to help run the local tobacco company.
While Sharon and Woody begin their romance, Finian has to deal with Og (Christopher Fitzgerald), a leprechaun who has followed him from Ireland to retrieve the stolen gold. Due to the theft, Og is slowly becoming mortal, with human feelings creeping up his thighs and beyond. Leprechaun gold is not for mortal man, Og tells Finian, warning that his actions will only lead to “doom and gloom.”
However, the secret of Finian’s gold does not stay secret for long. The Senator soon learns of gold in Rainbow Valley. Proclaiming that having blacks and whites living and working side by side violates the law of the South, he makes plans to seize the land for his own purposes.
Furious, Sharon wishes the Senator would become black, and with a crack of thunder and flash of lightning, he becomes exactly that. As Rawkins (now played by Chuck Cooper) runs screaming into the woods, Sharon soon finds herself accused of witchcraft and will be burned alive if the Senator is not turned white again.
Originally intended as a swipe at racism and those who want to keep poor people dependant on those in power, parts of the show’s book now have a racial element all their own, a reason the musical is not performed that often. Since deleting these elements would mean gutting a major thrust of the story, certain scenes are played with a “wink, wink” attitude and by making the evil white characters as stereotypical as possible, a process that works for the most part.
It is ironic how topical the musical has become on the subjects of money and politics. A line of dialogue noting that credit is better than cash got a huge laugh. The show also contains songs about the wonders of getting everything you want and the difference between the idle poor and idle rich.
Story issues aside, the real star of Finian’s Rainbow has always been the absolutely breathtaking score, here brought beautifully to life. Among the highlights are the lilting “How Are Things in Glocca Morra?” and “Look to the Rainbow,” the romantic ballad “Old Devil Moon,” the rousing “This Time of the Year” and “That Great Come-and-Get-It Day,” and the hilarious “I Love the Girl I'm Near,” a riff on man’s weakness for the fairer sex.
Baldwin makes a lovely Sharon, fiery yet vulnerable, wanting a home and husband but taking guff from no man. Jackson nicely brings forth the masculine down-home boy Woody, and Norton embodies an impish Finian, the kind of eccentric old uncle everyone loves. Fitzgerald is a lot of fun as Og, his over-the-top antics fitting in nicely with the character, and his dealing with the effects of being mortal are a hoot.
A nice surprise is Alina Faye as the silent Susan Mahoney, a woman who speaks only through dance, moving with enthusiasm and grace as she “communicates” with her feet. Her solo number “Dance of the Golden Crock” is excellent. Also quite good is Terri White, who has a scene-stealing number in the cynical “Necessity.”
John Lee Beatty’s sets work well as do costumes by Toni-Leslie James. A real treat are the lighting effects by Ken Billington, depicting everything from the magical effects of a wish to the light of a moon.
Warren Carlyle’s direction and choreography is very good, moving the play along and getting everyone through the few awkward moments as best as possible.
The few content problems aside, Finian's Rainbow is an absolute joy and its long overdue return to Broadway is very welcome indeed.
Also in the cast are Guy Davis, William Youmans, Brian Reddy, Christopher Borger, Paige Simunovich, Tyrick Wiltez Jones, Joe Aaron Reid, Taylor Frey, Steve Schepis, James Stovall, Tim Hartman, Kevin Ligon, Bernard Dotson, Devin Richards, Tanya Birl, Meggie Cansler, Leslie Donna Flesner, Sara Jean Ford, Lisa Gajda, Kearran Giovanni, Monica L. Patton, Rashidra Scott, Brian Sears, and Elisa Van Duyne.
Finian’s Rainbow
St. James Theater
246 West 44th Street
Tickets: 212-239-6200 or www.telecharge.com
Running time: 2 hours, 20 minutes
Closes: Open Run
Judd Hollander is the New York correspondent for the London newspaper The Stage.
