Were you in last evening's television audience for the live edition of "30 Rock"? If so, you saw one of two very different intros. Each one featured a prominent Broadway Baby.
Those of us watching the East Coast version were treated to this opening from Jane Krakowski:
Those on the West Coast saw this rendition from Cheyenne Jackson:
So, dear readers, which one do you prefer? Please tell me by voting in this poll:
If you saw last night's episode, you'll also have heard reference to Irene Ryan "dying" on stage in Pippin. For the record, the late actress most of us know as Granny from "The Beverly Hillbillies" suffered a stroke during a 1972 performance on Pippin, and she died weeks later.
In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post.
Finian's Rainbow (The SOB Review) - St. James Theatre, New York, New York
**1/2 (out of ****)
You have to hand it to Warren Carlyle for taking that inspirational tune "Look to the Rainbow" to heart. He's practically pulled out every conceivable stop for his enjoyable and entertaining Broadway revival of the Burton Lane-E.Y. Harburg musical Finian's Rainbow in the hunt for his very own pot of gold.
To say Carlyle comes up with a silver instead is not to denigrate his Herculean efforts that includes his mesmerizing choreography. It's just that silver is a tad bit tarnished with verdigris.
The good news is that on Broadway, his Finian's Rainbow is much more vibrant than the concert version he mounted earlier this year as part of New York City Center's Encores! series.
It doesn't hurt that Finian's Rainbow consistently hits the jackpot with one of musical theatre's most divine scores. Apart from "Look to the Rainbow," it's nearly impossible to shake from your mind Lane and Yarburg's highly hummable "Necessity," "How Are Things in Glocca Morra" and the spellbinding "Old Devil Moon." It's easy to imagine that Robert Russell Bennett and Don Walker's full and lush original orchestrations (in the pit, no less) have never sounded better. Each gem is delivered with a flawless verve by the show's top-drawer cast.
In fact, if the luminescent Kate Baldwin could shine any brighter, her Sharon McLonergan would never be able to see that devil moon. Radiating warmth and grace, Baldwin possesses an exquisite voice perfectly suited to the magical score.
As her love interest Woody Mahoney, Cheyenne Jackson beguiles through silky-smooth vocals of his own. With guitar slung over his shoulders throughout, Jackson refreshingly imbues his Woody with a requisite innocence.
In the role of the transformed Bill Rawkins, a bigoted white southern senator who's become black by virtue of Sharon's ill-timed wish, Chuck Cooper soulfully finds the depths of the Deep South via his ironic tune "The Begat."
The impish Christopher Fitzgerald improves on the role of the leprechaun Og, which he's taken over since City Center and in the process manages to charm his ever-shrinking pants off the audience. With his commanding presence, particularly his hilarious rendition of "When I'm Not Near the Girl I Love," it's a wonder Fitzgerald still hasn't lucked out with a leading Rialto role of his own.
Then there's the awe-inspiring Terri White. Blessed with a booming, yet beautiful voice, White makes a most triumphant return to the stage out of pure necessity, literally and figuratively. While her backstory is enough to have you cheering, it's White's ability to effortlessly hit this one so far out of the park that she comes close to stopping the show. Irish eyes are smiling on her as she follows an amazing personal arc of a genuine rainbow and realizes her own dreams in the process.
Special praise certainly must be reserved for the wondrous Jim Norton. This Tony-winning actor not only grounds the entire proceedings, but he does so with magnetic charm and easy humor. With rascally eyes twinkling throughout, you'd be forgiven for thinking him a leprechaun himself. You can't help but wish him good fortune for his contributions.
The same goes for Warren Carlyle, too. As I noted above, he's pulled out nearly every stop in making this Finian's Rainbow as good as a revival as this dated show can possibly get. Well, almost. John Lee Beatty's two-dimensional scenic design may be verdant as kelly-colored grass, but it's as if Carlyle spent all of his green on everything but the cheap-looking set.
Sad to say, there's also the book. The problematic, silly book. As magnificent as the score, cast and choreography make this Finian's Rainbow soar, the libretto originally written by Harburg and Fred Saidy that's been adapted by Arthur Perlman (the original adaptation for New York City Center Encores! was written by David Ives) remains as creaky as ever. By cramming in far too many disparate themes -- including a noble one on race that was once way ahead of its time -- the book remains quaint at best. It's so clunky that it threatens to fall under its own weight.
Thus it's a tribute to Carlyle and company that the overall production manages to stand, even if tilting a bit precariously. In their quest for gold, Carlyle and his cast's yeomen efforts have still managed to find something truly precious at the end Finian's Rainbow.
When the Burton Lane-E.Y. Harburg musical Finian's Rainbowfirst arched over the Great White Way in 1947, it was ahead of its time in challenging the deeply-held racial prejudices, not only the Deep South, but throughout American society.
Considering the times, this was one audacious effort.
With Finian's Rainbow lampooning racist elected officials, along with its highly memorable score -- including such beloved tunes as "How Are Things in Glocca Morra?" and "Old Devil Moon" -- the musical became a solid hit after opening at 46th Street Theatre (currently Richard Rodgers Theatre), running for an amazing 725 performances.
Now, some 62 years later with, thankfully, a vastly different landscape in which the racial divide has been forever bridged, Finian's Rainbow is back on Broadway at the St. James Theatre where it began previews just yesterday. This time, the cast is headed by the brilliant Jim Norton (Tony-winner for The Seafarer, 2007-08) in the title role, the gorgeous Kate Baldwin as Sharon, and the studly Cheyenne Jackson as Woody. All are reprising the roles they created earlier this year at New York City Center Encores!
Aside from the initial 1947-48 production, New York City Center quite curiously has figured prominently in each of the subsequent three revivals for Finian's Rainbow right up through the current one.
The first revival was a brief 15-show stint in 1955 at City Center in which Will Mahoney was Tony-nominated for his portrayal of Finian. Tony-winning actress Helen Gallagher played Sharon alongside a young Merv Griffin as Woody in his only Broadway credit.
The next Finian's Rainbow revival enjoyed a one-week engagement at the 46th Street Theatre during the late spring of 1960 after being transferred from City Center. Directed and choreographed by Herbert Ross, the production starred Bobby Howes (Finian), Jeannie Carson (Sharon), Biff McGuire (Woody) and Howard Morris (Og). For trivia nuts, you'll delight in knowing that Anita Alvarez starred in each of the first three productions, portraying Susan in all of them.
After catching the City Center concert version last March, I noted how I enjoyed the terrific individual performances but lamented that Harburg and Fred Saidy' s "ridiculously creaky book reads more like a relic." Fortunately, one of Steve On Broadway's trusted eyes and ears at the initial preview told me, "It's a wonderful production."
Instead of just another sentimental journey, can the Finian's Rainbow revival find anything akin to that audaciously sweet pot of gold it originally found 62 years ago? Find out when I post my SOB Review shortly after the revival's October 29 opening.
Finian's Rainbow (The SOB Review) - City Center Main Stage, New York, New York
** (out of ****)
Now that it's been announced that the City Center Encores! musical reading of Finian's Rainbowwill get all gussied up for a regular Broadway staging later this year, I feel compelled to write a few thoughts about this dated clunker.
I submit that what may have worked among the adoring, hard-core New York theatre audiences that regularly assembles for Encores! presentations simply won't sell on the Great White Way.
Yes, there were winning performances from Cheyenne Jackson, Kate Baldwin, Jim Norton and Terri White (who truly proved a "Necessity"). Also, Finian's Rainbow boasts some timeless tunes from the canon of E.Y. Harburg and Burton Lane -- I still can't get "Old Devil Moon" or "How Are Things in Glocca Morra" out of my mind.
But despite director/choreographer Warren Carlyle's best attempts to breathe new life into this 62 year old tuner -- which in 1947 had boldly challenged racial discrimination well ahead of its time -- Harburg and Fred Saidy' s ridiculously creaky book reads more like a relic.
They know I don't normally traffic in gossip, but they keep sending rumors my way anyway.
RUMOR:
Angela Lansbury will defy her own self-imposed stage retirement by taking on the role of Madame Arcati in the upcoming Broadway revival of Noël Coward's Blithe Spirit.
TRUTH:
While no further casting has been announced beyond Christine Ebersole and Rupert Everett (in his Broadway debut), Variety's original September 29 story on the revival stated:
No further casting has been announced, although Angela Lansbury and Rupert Everett are said to be on the wish list.
Given that director Michael Blakemoremanaged to snag Everett since that initial report, spirits (and hopes) are running high that it's only a matter of time before Lansbury says yes.
UPDATED (10/14/08, 9:30 a.m.): According to Playbill (hit tap to SarahB), Angela Lansbury will return to the Broadway boards in Blithe Spirit. It is true!
No. I think it's a great role but I was not approached.... (But) I think it's important to always diversify, change it up and play different characters.... I think doing musicals all the time would get stale.
TALLY:
One rumor is true, another is squelched and the third remains just that for the time being.
One of my rituals in seeing a Broadway show is reading the Playbill I'm provided from cover to cover.
Aside from devouring the essential "Who's Who in the Cast" and "At This Theatre" highlights, I also enjoy the monthly theatre quiz, along with stories on current shows.
Yet one dubious monthly feature that I just don't get is the monthly "Celebrity Choice" section. It always includes the headshots of a couple Broadway babies and then showcases the restaurants they "choose." Mind you, the actors and actresses are never quoted in the veiled advertorials. However, you would think that the restaurant detailed below their photos would be one of their favorite places to eat, wouldn't you?
With that in mind, I was more than a little surprised by the entry showing up over the past month with Cheyenne Jackson ofXanadu. The heading actually said, "Cheyenne Jackson (Sonny in Xanadu at the Helen Hayes Theatre) chooses Applebee's."
I read that and thought, you've got to be kidding. A man of such style and grace that he would deliberately choose, yes choose -- if given achoice -- would prefer to eat at a restaurant like Applebee's?! Was his only other choice Chevy's?? I mean, I could see him choosing a restaurant like Xing (my personal favorite) or something else with a little zing, but Applebee's?!?! I just wonder what Cheyenne thought when he saw that edition of Playbill.
UPDATE (12:21 EDT, October 30): Thanks to Gil for spotting a great rant from Cheyenne himself on his blog where he discusses how he literally stopped the show because of some rude audience member whose cell phone wouldn't stop ringing. Jackson says: "So if by any chance that woman is reading this........I'm sorry, and would like to treat you to a nice dinner at Applebees, which apparently is my favorite restaurant, though I've never been there."
CORRECTION (12:52 EDT, October 30): Thanks to Esther for spotting my error above. Seems Jackson thought he was dealing with an errant cell phone abuser, when in fact he was told backstage: ".......Just wanted you to know that that wasn't a cell phone, it was feedback from a ladys' hearing aide." My apologies to Mr. Jackson for reporting his story incorrectly! I'd be willing to buy both the lady and Mr. Jackson dinner! Cheyenne, are you listening?
What's your favorite place to eat around Broadway's theatre district? That is, if you even have time to eat?
Rain: A Tribute To The Beatles Limited run extended through May 31, 2011 (Show will go on hiatus starting January 15 and reopen at Brooks Atkinson Theatre on February 8)
Rock Of Ages - Open-ended run (Show will go on hiatus starting January 9 and reopen at Helen Hayes Theatre in March)
As someone who has been involved in both politics and public relations, it's no wonder I love watching theatre. Good or bad, it's the raw energy of seeing a live performance that gets my adrenaline pumping. From the moment I saw my very first Broadway show ("Annie" in London in 1979), I was hooked. Now I see as many as 70 shows each year ranging from soaring musicals to two-hander plays. And these eyes just may be in an audience near you!
