FINIANS RAINBOW REVIEWS- Page 2

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 10/29/09 at 10:30pm

WOW. Was not expecting this. Good for them!

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 10/29/09 at 10:32pm

Had to speak up again after Isherwood's rave. The recurring theme through all the reveiws, so far, has been, yes, it's corny, yes, it's old-fashioned, yes, the book's creaky, BUT, YES, I LOVED IT!!!

Remember what Irving Belin said after the opening of Annie Get Your Gun opened in 1946. Some of the few dissenters had reservations about its being old-fashioned, to which Berlin replied, "Yes, an old-fashioned hit." Case stated.

[madbrian]

Posted: 10/29/09 at 10:35pm

I am beyond thrilled. I loved every minute of this show, and I hope these raves will lead to a successful run.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 10/29/09 at 10:38pm

All of the reviewers love Kate Baldwin! I really hope she's remembered during awards season.

[Dolly_Levi]

Posted: 10/29/09 at 10:51pm

So pleased to see such a positive response.

[madbrian]

Posted: 10/29/09 at 10:56pm

Another rave, and an important one, from USA Today:
USA Today

[ClumsyDude15]

Posted: 10/29/09 at 10:57pm

I'm over the moon with the reviews, because it's truly a fantastic show and I loved every magical moment.

[TalkinLoud]

Posted: 10/29/09 at 10:58pm

Nothing could make me happier than these glorious reviews. It's a really magnificent, nearly perfect production.

And for what it's worth, the book isn't that bad. It's period fantasy, so of course there are lingual tics and, well fantastic elements.

[Drunk Chita Rivera]

Posted: 10/29/09 at 11:01pm

I'm shocked! I thought it would be all mixed to positive, there are very clear flaws in the show that the critics seem to ignore.

[ClumsyDude15]

Posted: 10/29/09 at 11:03pm

They all reference the flaws, but the cast works over those flaws. Many a review has followed the format of "The book is corny and odd, but.. the cast makes it work."

Also, it's an older show in which during when it was written, it wasn't so much flawed as period. There's a clear difference between flaws and period.

Updated On: 10/29/09 at 11:03 PM

[TalkinLoud]

Posted: 10/29/09 at 11:09pm

Would someone care to enlighten me on these "very clear flaws"?

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 10/29/09 at 11:12pm

I think there are parts of the book that get a little...muddied. It's obviously an old show and someone made a good point the other day about it being written in a time where music and story weren't as fully integrated as they are now. But I was really surprised at how well I thought it flowed at Encores, and am looking forward to seeing it on Broadway soon!

[ClumsyDude15]

Posted: 10/29/09 at 11:12pm

I don't think there's flaws whatsoever, I think people think the book being "dated" is a flaw and have been running with it. I personally think MANY of the themes of the show still hold true today and I loved the show very much.

Updated On: 10/29/09 at 11:12 PM

[TalkinLoud]

Posted: 10/29/09 at 11:14pm

I agree with you ClumbsyDude. As far as I'm concerned the book isn't dated at all. I'd say every one of it's themes are entirely relevant.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 10/29/09 at 11:16pm

I don't think the book is dated, but I think there are some parts where you just have to go "Oh. Right. Ok!" But it's a fantasy/political satire, so I would expect some little leaps of logic.

[ClumsyDude15]

Posted: 10/29/09 at 11:16pm

Before I saw the show, I had no clue what the show was about much beyond a blurb on Wikipedia. However, I left the show feeling like every issue the show touched upon was relevant to the society in which we live.

Also, how can you deny the gorgeous score being sung so beautifully by that amazing cast?

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 10/29/09 at 11:17pm

Also, it's an older show in which during when it was written, it wasn't so much flawed as period. There's a clear difference between flaws and period.

I understand this argument. (It's very hard for me to judge shows like FINIAN'S because I don't know whether or not to criticize the material; there's really nothing that can done about it. It is what it is.) But in this case, the book was tweaked and "adapted" by Arthur Perlman. And you could still almost hear it creaking. Even when it was altered, it still felt very old-fashioned. I get the whole period argument but the reality is that it's not 1947; it's 2009 and the show should be judged in the 2009 enviroment. I felt the same way about the last production of A CHORUS LINE. It felt SO 1975.

This is something that can be used to the show's advantage too. Take HAIR for example. A very period-specific show that, while feeling "old" in the greatest way possible, it still felt totally lively and relevant. Or SOUTH PACIFIC. This is the responsibility of the director, and in this case, the book (re-)writer too, and I feel like Perlman and Carlyle missed the boat. Sorry if that was so disjointed..ha.

But clearly most of the critics feel like this isn't a problem; or at least feel like the cast makes the production worthwhile. And you're obviously all entitled to disagree with me; it's a matter of opinion.
Updated On: 10/29/09 at 11:17 PM

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 10/29/09 at 11:18pm

I don't think South Pacific feels very lively during some of those book scenes...


also:
However, I left the show feeling like every issue the show touched upon was relevant to the society in which we live.
This. So this. I had never made the connection between the credit crisis we're facing and the credit storyline in the show and at Encores it really hit me. And it made me love the show even more.

And you can't argue with a gorgeous score, ESPECIALLY one sung by Kate Baldwin.

Updated On: 10/29/09 at 11:18 PM

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 10/29/09 at 11:20pm

Sorry, I was talking about HAIR when I said "lively;" I just meant that the creative team, cast, and crew of SOUTH PACIFIC did a very strong job of making the show seem less "stuck in the period it was written."
Updated On: 10/29/09 at 11:20 PM

[ClumsyDude15]

Posted: 10/29/09 at 11:20pm

I personally think Finian's book is still relevant, especially in a society in which we're in the midst of a economic crisis and we have an African American president in the White House.

The issues of racism and wealth/greed/wanting for money still can be found in 2009 just as much as they were in 1947.

Updated On: 10/29/09 at 11:20 PM

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 10/29/09 at 11:22pm

I think the book has relevant themes but if everyone involved in the show didn't think it was dated, they wouldn't have updated or reworked it. Updated On: 10/29/09 at 11:22 PM

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 10/29/09 at 11:23pm

I felt the same way about the last production of A CHORUS LINE. It felt SO 1975.

I feel like A Chorus Line will forever be frozen in 1975, right at the dawn of the AIDS pandemic. The story would be wildly different if it's moved even 5 years into the future.

[ClumsyDude15]

Posted: 10/29/09 at 11:24pm

That's a very good point, WickedRocks.

Question: What exactly did they alter? Like I've said before, I knew next to nothing about the show before seeing.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 10/29/09 at 11:28pm

Well, Rawkins was previously made up in blackface for the transformation...

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 10/29/09 at 11:29pm

But that's my point, givesmevoice. The gay/drag plotline in ACL (and to some extent, the racist plotline in FINIAN'S) is so 1975 that the show will never be totally relevant but the direction should bring it as much into 2009 as possible. Without retooling the show 1000000% to like have it take place in space with aliens and robots.

Dated can work but shows like ACL and FINIAN'S that deal with societal issues like racism and homosexuality shouldn't feel like they're stuck in the era in which they were written, IMO. They just lose tons of impact and power that way.


(Again, sorry if this is so disjointed. Long week. And this is hard to articulate.)

Updated On: 10/29/09 at 11:29 PM