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Theater review
Finian’s Rainbow
St. James Theatre. Music by Burton Lane. Lyrics by Yip Harburg. Book by Harburg and Fred Saidy. Dir. Warren Carlyle. With Jim Norton, Kate Baldwin, Cheyenne Jackson, Christopher Fitzgerald. 2hrs 15mins. One intermission. Tickets
Far be it from me to rain on the bows being taken by a vintage musical that has received rave reviews, but at times like this, one occasionally wonders: Has the critical community lost its ever-loving mind? Yes, Finian’s Rainbow has several appealing songs; and yes, this 1947 chestnut—about an Irishman, Finian (the merry Norton), who runs off to America after stealing a magic crock of gold from a leprechaun (the sprightly Fitzgerald)—is presented to its best advantage in Warren Carlyle’s large, loving production. But ultimately this is a dated and silly show: It’s blarney, it’s bunkum, it’s hokum and hooey. The leprechaun has no clothes.
Perhaps no classic musical has a more inane plot than this one’s, which seems to have been conceived on a bender of Irish whimsy. None of the show’s apples fall far from the twee: not the instant romance between Finian’s daughter (the assured Baldwin) and a local hunk (a mellow Jackson); nor the hero’s mute sister (Alina Faye), who communicates only in dance; not the cartoonishly racist senator (David Schramm) who is magically transformed into a cartoonishly soulful black man (Chuck Cooper). And Yip Harburg’s lyrics, while sometimes clever, just as often tend toward the hokey (“You’ve got me flying high and wide/ On a magic carpet ride/ Full of butterflies inside”) and the jokey (the “Begat” number, a gospel robbery of Cole Porter’s superior “Let’s Do It”). The cast, which includes the wonderful Terri White, shines—but the show is a golden crock.—Adam Feldman
Time Out New York / Issue 736 : Nov 5–11, 2009
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Sorry, Adam, hate to strongly disagree, but I think you left your whimsy bone at home when you saw this one. The book is just fine. The political, racial and economic satire still holds up if you're willing to suspend disbelief for two hours and let the charm wash over you. The score is magnificent, pure Golden Age gold! This show is no more unbelievable than The Wizard of Oz which also has Harburg's first rate lyrics. It has heart! Loosen up, it will be around longer than either of us.
Adam Feldman must have left his heart at home. I loved this production from beginning to end -- hokey lyrics? I don't think so -- inane plot? This was one of the bravest shows of its time and it still resonates. Feldman is a "Scrooge."
Thank you, Adam. I have been saying the exact same things. I had never seen a production of this show before and was not at all impressed with this particular production. I mean the score is great and the performers are all good, but the book is horrible, the direction is poor, and the sets and costumes are even worse. Probably the cheapest looking Broadway show I have ever seen. I swear that Kate Baldwin borrowed her wedding dress from a community theater production of WHITE CHRISTMAS.
Who cares if the plot is hokey or whatever. This is a musical. It's about songs and dance and a little story. Musical comedie like opera are exagerated pieces, no one in life sings a love duet on the market square. So all is ok in a musical as long as is entertainment. If you want a message call WESTERN UNION POOR FELDMAN, you are a bore
Great music...horrible story. I agree with Adam's review. After hearing the wonderful music for decades, it was a disappointment to see it staged for the first time.
I have been a regular at Broadway shows for over 50 years and have always carefully read the attendant reviews from a wide cross-section of critics. Given this perspective, I consider Adam Feldman's review of the marvelous "Finian's Rainbow" to be the most ill-informed and inane assessment of any of the hundreds of shows that I have seen. I guess his presence at "Time Out" means that anyone can hang up a shingle in this arena, no matter how ignorant he may be. I feel sorry for Mr. Feldman.