By Desmond Sam
What if...you had to walk in someone else’s shoes?
Finian’s Rainbow is a musical full of breathtaking moments that capture a time of racism and segregation. The show follows Finian McLonergan and his daughter, Sharon, as they leave Ireland and travel to Rainbow Valley, Missitucky to bury gold. Og, the comical leprechaun that Finian “borrowed” the gold from, follows them to Rainbow Valley. The land is owned by Woody and his sister Susan, who is mute and only communicates through dance. Woody and Sharon are drawn to each other, which causes some problems. A racist senator tries to steal the land from Woody and the sharecroppers working the land, but Og transforms the senator into a black person so he can fully realize the outcomes of his actions. Finian’s Rainbow contains a cultural diffusion of musical genres like Irish folklore, jazz, blues, gospel, country and a little Frank Sinatra. The choreography is very jazzy, except for Susan, who uses classical ballet. So to every genre of music, Susan brings grace and beauty. Each dancer moves with elegance and power; each lift is done effortlessly. The sharecroppers bring life, passion and joy to the show.
Finian’s Rainbow is fulfilling with its breathtaking choreography and brilliant score. It is a union of what could be with what dreams are made of.
HOW TO SEE THE SHOW: $27 student rush • St. James Theatre, 246 W. 44th St.
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2 comments:
I'm really interested in seeing this. I had no idea dance was such a big part of it.
"Finian's Rainbow" sounds like it is like a hit! Anything with a leprechaun looking to reclaim his gold and a deaf girl who can only communicate through dance sounds funny enough, but it seems to be balanced with racism. This play had to have been a joy to watch, and now I'm itching to experience it.
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