On & Off Broadway

‘Finian’s Rainbow’

Review by Elyse Trevers

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There are three reasons to see the latest revival of Finian’s Rainbow. The first is the marvelous Melissa Errico, starring as Sharon. Her character is the heart of the musical, both as the love interest for handsome Woody (Ryan Silverman) and as the catalyst for the magical transformation of a bigoted white senator into a black man. With her thrilling lyric soprano, Errico performs the majority of the songs.

The second reason is the glorious music by Burton Lane with lyrics by E.Y. Hamburg. The show boasts more than 15 familiar songs, such as “Old Devil Moon,” “How Are Things in Glocca Morra” and “Look to the Rainbow.” Although the cast is small, their voices are strong and they do the music justice.

The third reason is nostalgia. Many in the audience at the newly refurbished Irish Repertory Theater, a little gem of a playhouse more like a high school’s Little Theater than a Broadway venue, hummed along to the music. There’s little scenery and the actors sit off sides of the stage, but in plain sight when they aren’t performing.


Finian’s Rainbow is an old-fashioned musical where songs spring up in the midst of conversations but, quite frankly, who cares? The resolution is simplistic but its characters are lovable, especially Og, the leprechaun. Finian steals the leprechaun’s pot of gold, so Og (Mark Evans) follows him to America to retrieve it. However, he is gradually turning mortal with all its inherent problems, including attraction to the opposite sex. Og’s song, “When I’m Not Near The Girl I Love,” is delightful. The final object of his affection, Lyrica Woodruff as Susan the silent, dances her thoughts gracefully.

Although some of the ideas in the musical are dated, the major themes of bigotry and prejudice are certainly timely. There’s enough in Finian’s Rainbow to let you smile and hum and forget about the real world for while. Maybe that’s reason number four.