Finian's Rainbow NYC Reviews and Tickets

"The show’s book has been substantially cut, but its satire and political commentary remain intact. That said, I do think some of it’s all been laid on just a tad too thick...Still, it’s the stunning score you’ll most take notice of here...Choreographer Barry McNabb uses the small stage well to allow some lovely dancing interludes (including a sweet solo for Woodruff), while the four-piece orchestra adds depth to Josh Clayton’s orchestrations."
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"'Finian’s Rainbow' has a score and a message that is perfect for today’s wounded hearts. The revival at the Irish Rep will put some of that spring back into your step and give you hope...With a book by 'Yip' Harburg and Fred Saidy that normally stalls, director Charlotte Moore has adapted the show for a hipper, more music-driven show, which is incandescently lyrical. The cast all posses gorgeous instruments."
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"The inherent glint-in-the-eye charm of 'Finian' is simply but solidly captured by the folks, onstage and offstage, at the Irish Rep...Even with a good deal of trimming, the message comes through...Errico gives the friendly and melodic leading lady performance you would expect from her. Silverman is perfectly cast as Woody; while Evans makes a strong local debut and knocks the show cold with his 'When I’m Not Near the Girl I Love'...This pint-size 'Finian' scores on many levels."
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"'Finian’s Rainbow' still speaks to us, mostly through its terrific, socially conscious songs, as well as its lovely romantic ones...As well as delight in the glowing performance of Errico, one can sit back and enjoy the achievements of Ken Jennings as her father, the feisty Finian...The supporting cast members...are also superb...The small-scale production provides an intimacy that enables the key aspects of the musical, as adapted and directed by Moore, to shine through."
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"Songs are still swell, though somewhat thinner due to a small cast, the two attitudes/subjects remain strange bedfellows, and the piece has been so condensed that its romance proceeds with enough speed to give you whiplash...To my mind, the find of the evening is Lyrica Woodruff (Susan the Silent). The performer is utterly captivating...Director Charlotte Moore has a painterly feel for creating pictures, whether still or moving."
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"There's a hokiness about 'Finian's Rainbow' that has never sat right with me and in many ways, the Irish Rep's stripped-down version struck me as little more diverting than an average high school production. The Rep's revival has condensed the plot, making the story even more difficult to follow than it originally was…The entire cast works hard but while they all have great voices, they're a mixed bag when it comes to acting."
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"The score features an unequaled collection of absolutely sterling songs, each one more melodic and appealing than the previous one…The show’s book is another story...The libretto plods along from scene to scene, without any apparent forward motor to the plot…Director Moore and choreographer Barry McNabb make the most of the tiny stage, and the results are sometimes quite lively…Most of the featured performers seem to have been born to sing these songs."
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"The luminous and ageless Melissa Errico turns in a lustrous and lusty performance in this enchanting, trimmed-down, revival production of the timeless classic ‘Finian’s Rainbow.’ Staged in the intimate space of Irish Rep, the two-hour musical projects a warmth and intimacy well-suited to the charms of the romantic fable…The lush score has many song beauties…Errico and Silverman are well-matched, both in looks and voice, and have some truly lovely duets."
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