FINIAN'S RAINBOW first preview? — Page 2

It's a black actor.

---

"Cheyenne Jackson was as bland as ever. He is so overrated and I will never understand why people like him."

Uh, look at him.

---

Anyone rush it?

Whats the curtain like?

---

Saw the matinee this afternoon. It's good enough as far as it goes, and a few weeks of previews shoud take care of whatever problems need fixing. Cheyenne sings beautifully and the chorus/dancers were fine. It's obviously being done on a tight budget and sometimes that shows. Jim Norton was really fine as Finian and Chuck Cooper really pulled off The Begat. I really don't think Susan's 2nd Act ballet sequence is necessary -- it slows down the show (no slur on the dancer -- the number itself drags, IMO) -- certainly a better effort than the disasterous Bye, Bye Birdie -- ane the score really is superfine -- one of the best in the Broadway catelogue, IMO, and it was great to hear it done again. I'll probably go back for second helpings after it opens. Good luck to all involved!

---

Susan was played by the understudy last night & was outstanding

The show itself was very entertaining. TDF got us Front Mezz off to the side but stil great seats. I will dissagree with those extolling the set. It was, to me, the weakest part of the show. Everyone in it was superb. Fitzgerald as Og was particularly good as was Norton.

It seems dated regarding its reference to tobacco with all the anti smoking hysteria abounding these days. The numbers were staged quite well especially The Begat

The balacony appeared to be nearly full as was the mezzanine & orchestra. It was a very enjoyable show & glad we finally got a chance to see it. Hopefully, it will get the reviews needed for a healthy run.

---

I'm seeing the show this Saturday the 17th - matinee, and really looking forward to it. "Finian's" isn't done that often, and this will be my first time seeing it.

Love Cheyenne Jackson. Have seen him in quite a few things, and he's very, very talented.

I did student rush for the first preview. I wanted to say that I got there around maybe an hour or so before showtime. I asked the person at the box office where they are sitting people for student rush. He told me that the boxes are set aside for that and then they sell whatever is left over in addition to the box seats.

When I saw it from the left box I got a great bird's eye view of a majority of the orchestra, I can tell you that while there were people sitting in the first row of the orchestra they were clearly too old to be students. So, to the poster who said that they sat there for student rush I think that they just lucked out with that being one of the seats that was unsold thus them selling it at student rush price.

---

I had the pleasure of seeing Finian's Rainbow yesterday. I was able to easily get a rush ticket. Got there around 10:15 and there was no line. I really appreciate theaters offering student rush, but was sort of let down by the view from the boxes. The show itself was great. Just such a great score, and all of the leads were fantastic. I have to honestly say that the show itself is not my favorite, I know it's a classic, but this production really made me appreciate it and was just very well done. While it is slightly dated, I'd venture to say that it seems less dated than Memphis which is a new original musical. A great time at the theatre!

I don't believe that there is any particular year in which the show is set in. Keep in mind the fact that any synopsis I have been able to find just says that the show takes place in a mythical land called Misstucky. So, given the fact that the setting is made up there is no actual date per se, rather it is generally implied that it takes place around the time that it actually opened which was 1947. To me, that makes the most sense considering the fact that the show was a satire of that which was going on politically at the time.

I would venture to guess that singer73192 felt that the show was dated due to the part of the story that deals with racial bigotry and how it was handled. I think that they were saying that Memphis is a show that takes place not that much later in time and for some reason the whole racial aspect of Memphis didn't seem dated and seemed modern whereas the whole racial aspect of Finian's Rainbow comes off as a little more dated despite the fact that both shows take place not that far apart from one another.

---

I found this show to be incredibly relevant, and not dated at all. Racism, greed, politics...all seem pretty current to me.

My wife and I sat in the box by choice, having bought our tickets weeks ago. The view was good but not perfect, but we're willing to trade the less than perfect view for the comfort of a box.

---

I saw this the other day, and wasn't all that impressed. There are some very interesting things in it, and there seem to be some attempts at some good sharp satire, but it feels just too mired in feel-good-musical form (boy meets girl and ten minutes later they're talking marriage kind of thing) to really amount to as much as it could. The completely pedestrian production (sets, costumes, and general staging) don't help matters at all. I just never felt that anyone connected with it was operating at full steam.

The cast was good, even if I rather felt that a lot of them could have been better utilized in another show. Some really good songs, though. And Mr. Harburg could sure write brilliant lyrics. I can't imagine that this is going to do well, especially at current top ticket prices.

---

Updated On: 10/14/09 at 02:57 PM

I did student rush for last night's performance and sat front row center orchestra. I guess I lucked out...

I loved the show, by the way...I would post a small review, but everything I feel has already been said by other posters. It really is a lovely show.