#1
Posted: 10/8/09 at 1:15am
Just returned home from a pleasantly surprising and wonderful evening at the St.James following the invited dress of FINIAN'S RAINBOW.
I had seen the Encores production and was mildly amused but have always been raised-eyebrow curious as to why they decided to transfer it to Broadway... didnt see it as being marketable at all.
Well, marketability is still arguable... but creative excellence and quality production are definitely substantial! I was so impressed with how full and polished this show is. Broadway is indeed a more colorful place (and I dont mean green-makeup) with FINIAN around!
Most notable changes/additions from Encores production:
Set/Scenery is just gorgeous. Stunning. I *gasped* when the curtain raised. Rolling green hills, beautiful sunrise/painted sky, pretty tree, well and stump. Painted stage floor-boards as foliage. Even a beautiful green drapery (with leaf cut outs). The stage-curtain is pretty too (patch-work quilt with gold threading)
Costumes are astounding and so vibrant. An entire palette (but not over-powering like BIRDIE). Notable are Kate Baldwins wedding gown, Cheyenne's tan/beige suit (Act 2), the whole ensemble in the Opening and in "The Idle Rich."
MAGIC! There are some really fun (though fundamentally basic) magic tricks and stage gimmicks (mostly when Christopher Fitzgerald, as the leprechaun Og, is on-stage). "DOOM AND GLOOOOMM!!!" *lightning strike*
Spiffy direction and choreography by Warren Carlyle. Excellent trio of male featured dancers (stand-out is Taylor Frey, in the blue shirt, rolled sleeves). Each actor was confident, polished, perfectly following their track but adding elements of fluidic improv/stage-business. Several fantastic stage-photos (gathering in groups, Kodak moment dance moves). Fantastic lighting design. Picturesque.
Musically sublime (at the hands of Encores music director Rob Berman). Excellently balanced ensemble, no stand-out belters, but just plain perfect harmony. Kate Baldwin is so so so beautiful! Cheyenne with a matinee idol voice. "How Are Things in Glocca Morra" and "Old Devil Moon" definite crowd-favorites (humming at the urinals at intermission). Favorite part is when the ensemble sings "Woody's Coming" as the train pulls into town... they are so musically in-pitch at that moment, their combined voices seriously sound like a train-whistle!
Performances by Cheyenne Jackson, Kate Baldwin and Jim Norton are what you'd expect. Fine, fancy and fun. Christopher Fitzgerald steals the spotlight though (and has GREAT calves).
OH! And the harmonica player!!! Sure, you can applaud for Silent Susan's ballet (was an understudy because dancer has pneumonia) but I was CHEERING for the harmonica player! DAMN!
Its a hopeless romantic show. And very comical book-writing. But that comes with the territory.
FUN (and completely unplanned) MOMENTS TONIGHT
Og makes an orange flower bloom from the middle of stage. Kate knelt down to pluck it by the stem, but it was stuck, and she ended-up ripping the whole flower-top (just the ring of petals) off. She hurriedly got to her feet and shot a nervous/guilty facial expression straight out into the audience (to the guys at the tech-tables, center orch) with an expression that could only be read as: "Oh sh*t, that is soooo coming out of my pay-check!"
Chuck Cooper (as the senator turned black) comes stumbling out of the woods, hungry. Og gives him an apple. He takes a bite and throws it off stage... Only the apple hit the side curtain, lost its momentum, and came rolling back onto stage along the lip. Caught in the moment, Christopher wriggles his fingers (like hes make it move magically) as it rolls towards him... then scoops it up. Hilarious.
Show curtain got snagged on the way down for curtain call but quick recovery.
PS: Ended the evening with a quick but fun back-stage/on-stage tour! THANK YA BUDDY
Overall, may be a surprise winter hit! Anxious to hear some thoughts following tomorrow (Oct 8th) first preview!
I had seen the Encores production and was mildly amused but have always been raised-eyebrow curious as to why they decided to transfer it to Broadway... didnt see it as being marketable at all.
Well, marketability is still arguable... but creative excellence and quality production are definitely substantial! I was so impressed with how full and polished this show is. Broadway is indeed a more colorful place (and I dont mean green-makeup) with FINIAN around!
Most notable changes/additions from Encores production:
Set/Scenery is just gorgeous. Stunning. I *gasped* when the curtain raised. Rolling green hills, beautiful sunrise/painted sky, pretty tree, well and stump. Painted stage floor-boards as foliage. Even a beautiful green drapery (with leaf cut outs). The stage-curtain is pretty too (patch-work quilt with gold threading)
Costumes are astounding and so vibrant. An entire palette (but not over-powering like BIRDIE). Notable are Kate Baldwins wedding gown, Cheyenne's tan/beige suit (Act 2), the whole ensemble in the Opening and in "The Idle Rich."
MAGIC! There are some really fun (though fundamentally basic) magic tricks and stage gimmicks (mostly when Christopher Fitzgerald, as the leprechaun Og, is on-stage). "DOOM AND GLOOOOMM!!!" *lightning strike*
Spiffy direction and choreography by Warren Carlyle. Excellent trio of male featured dancers (stand-out is Taylor Frey, in the blue shirt, rolled sleeves). Each actor was confident, polished, perfectly following their track but adding elements of fluidic improv/stage-business. Several fantastic stage-photos (gathering in groups, Kodak moment dance moves). Fantastic lighting design. Picturesque.
Musically sublime (at the hands of Encores music director Rob Berman). Excellently balanced ensemble, no stand-out belters, but just plain perfect harmony. Kate Baldwin is so so so beautiful! Cheyenne with a matinee idol voice. "How Are Things in Glocca Morra" and "Old Devil Moon" definite crowd-favorites (humming at the urinals at intermission). Favorite part is when the ensemble sings "Woody's Coming" as the train pulls into town... they are so musically in-pitch at that moment, their combined voices seriously sound like a train-whistle!
Performances by Cheyenne Jackson, Kate Baldwin and Jim Norton are what you'd expect. Fine, fancy and fun. Christopher Fitzgerald steals the spotlight though (and has GREAT calves).
OH! And the harmonica player!!! Sure, you can applaud for Silent Susan's ballet (was an understudy because dancer has pneumonia) but I was CHEERING for the harmonica player! DAMN!
Its a hopeless romantic show. And very comical book-writing. But that comes with the territory.
FUN (and completely unplanned) MOMENTS TONIGHT
Og makes an orange flower bloom from the middle of stage. Kate knelt down to pluck it by the stem, but it was stuck, and she ended-up ripping the whole flower-top (just the ring of petals) off. She hurriedly got to her feet and shot a nervous/guilty facial expression straight out into the audience (to the guys at the tech-tables, center orch) with an expression that could only be read as: "Oh sh*t, that is soooo coming out of my pay-check!"
Chuck Cooper (as the senator turned black) comes stumbling out of the woods, hungry. Og gives him an apple. He takes a bite and throws it off stage... Only the apple hit the side curtain, lost its momentum, and came rolling back onto stage along the lip. Caught in the moment, Christopher wriggles his fingers (like hes make it move magically) as it rolls towards him... then scoops it up. Hilarious.
Show curtain got snagged on the way down for curtain call but quick recovery.
PS: Ended the evening with a quick but fun back-stage/on-stage tour! THANK YA BUDDY
Overall, may be a surprise winter hit! Anxious to hear some thoughts following tomorrow (Oct 8th) first preview!
Updated On: 10/8/09 at 01:15 AM
