The classical music of Finians Rainbow refreshes your mind. It is a musical based on a book by E.Y. Harburg and Fred Saidy. E.Y. Harburg gives the lyrics of this Irish musical and the music is given by Burton Lane. Being Irish, this musical is influenced by gospel and Rhythm and Blues. Broadway produced it for the first time in 1947 which was followed by a number of revivals in 1955, 1960, 1967 and in 2009.
It is the story of the difficulties faced by an Irish dreamer and his daughter when they move out of Ireland and settle in the mythical Missitucky in the Deep South. In Finians Rainbow, the Irish man comes to Missitucky with a plan to hide a pot full of gold. The man and his headstrong daughter Sharon wanted to hide the stolen gold close to Fort Knox. But a leprechaun named Og follows them to get back his gold. Og fears that he will be turned into a human being. The story becomes complicated with the involvement of a corrupt US Senator.
The plot of the story is centered on Finian McLonergan. Sharon gets married to the handsome, young Woody Mahoney. Woody's sister, Susan who was dumb gets back the power of speech and falls in love with Og who finally has no objection to being turned into a human being. Finians Rainbow is a fancy, romantic, political satire that has a happy ending.
The First Broadway production of this musical at 46th Street Theatre was staged on 10th January, 1947. The show was staged for 725 performances. At that time, Bretaigne Windust was the director of the musical and the choreographer was Michael Kidd. The orchestra was by Don Walker and Robert Russell Bennett. Ella Logan portrayed the role of Sharon, Donald Richard played Woody, and Albert Sharpe played Finian and Lyn Murray Singers. David Wayne played the role of Og, the leprechaun and got two awards, the Tony Award and the Theatre World Award. Finians Rainbow got Tony Awards for Best Conductor, Musical Director and Best Choreography.
The revival of the musical was produced at the New York City Center Light Opera Company on Broadway in 1955. William Hammerstein was the director and the choreographer was Onna White. The star cast included Helen Gallagher, Will Mahoney, and Merv Griffin. Mahoney got the nomination for Best Featured Actor at the Tony Awards.
The 1960 production was directed and choreographed by Herbert Ross and the cast included Jeannie Carson, Howard Morris, Bobby Howes, Robert Guillaume, and Sorrell Booke.
The play was revived for the third time in 1967. Finians Rainbow has not been revived after this for a long time; however, a film based on it was released in 1968.
The show was revived again on Broadway in 2009. Christopher Fitzgerald played the role of Og and Billboard was played by Chuck Cooper. Jim Norton and Kate Baldwin played finian and Sharon respectively.
You can enjoy the great musical show on Broadway by purchasing tickets of the theater from an authorized ticket broker online. You can get the tickets sitting at your home. Now, take the pleasure of watching Finians Rainbow without any hassle.
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