Finian's Rainbow - Wow, that was terrible.- Page 3

[TIGGOSAURUS]

Posted: 1/9/10 at 7:16pm

I may not be as 'well-schooled' in musical theatre history as some on here (plus I buy magnets for most shows I see too!), but I have to side with those posters who were utterly charmed by Finian's Rainbow. I loved it!

I appreciate it isn't everyone's cup of tea - I discussed it with a West End actor recently and he admitted he found it a bit twee. But each to their own: in contrast I found it full of old-fashioned charm, loved the score and thought the cast were wonderful.

[broadwayjim42]

Posted: 1/9/10 at 7:24pm

I saw it this afternoon and did think it was less than the sum of its parts, but some of those parts were really sweet. Loved Kate Baldwin and several of the songs. I just didn't think the whole thing jelled...individual scenes and songs worked really well but didn't necessarily add up.

[allofmylife]

Posted: 1/9/10 at 7:51pm

The interesting thing about Finian's Rainbow is that it is, at heart, one of the most political shows ever mounted on Broadway. The sweetness and what we now call cornball material was added as icing on a very statement-oriented cake.

The writers began with a n interest in Fort Knox. It amazed them that our entire financial base is regulated by an inert metal that we mine and then put right back into the ground (ie a vault.) You can't eat it, wear it or driva a car with it but it holds sway over modern society.

Then they started free-associating and stumbled across the Leprachan, the fabled cobbler elves of Ireland who also bury pots of gold (and only repair left shoes). Linking the two together, they came up with the idea of an Irish con man who steals a pot of gold and wants to bury it next to Fort Knox so its value will also grow.

From there, they decided to counter-program with the poor sharecroppers who till the fields around Fort Know and suddenly, they had a show. Practically every line spoke by the non-Irish characters was a reflection of post World War Two economics, society and politics, including the Daughters of the American Republic (an all-white and rather racist group), communism, bigotry, the foiled New Deal programs and the Dixiecrats. "Necessity" should be taught in political history classes.

The authors intentionally started with naive Irish immigrants so that there would be someone to "educate" during the show and thereby impart their commentary to the audiences.

And the audiences who came to the show in the late 40s actually GOT what they were talking about (they read newspapers, after all). At the time, the show made to top of the lists of both light and whimsical shows AND political musicals of the decade.

If you found the show boring, my friend, you probably didn't understand half of it. That's a shame for the show that you didn't like it, but it's a much greater shame for you that you didn't really understand it.

[Mystic Pasta]

Posted: 1/9/10 at 8:00pm

I saw Hair and Finian's Rainbow on back to back nights and it was interesting to see how alive and engaged the audience was at Hair compared to the FR audience. The man two rows in front of me was snoring in his seat at the St. James. I thought it was odd that no one bothered to wake him up and ask him to be quiet. Maybe they knew whatever he was dreaming about in his sleep may have been more entertaining than what was on stage.

[best12bars]

Posted: 1/9/10 at 8:31pm

allofmylife---great post.

[TonyVincent]

Posted: 1/9/10 at 9:05pm

dk:

I never referenced a year in any of my posts, before or after revising them. So I don't know where it came in.

I'm 25, but did not really become an enthusiast until I moved to the city about 2 years ago. Before that, my experiences were limited to the occasional NYC trip (where I unfortunately chose to repeatedly see Rent) and regional productions. I sometimes make over-generalizations based on the productions I have seen, but without the time/resources to become a true student of the arts, it is difficult to have a fully-formed view.

In actuality, I was exaggerating a bit and speaking figuratively, not literally, when saying "no." Unfortunately, it came across poorly. As far as I know, this is the first time I've erred in making a "sweeping generalization," as I at least hope that a majority of my comments on this board are even-minded, well composed, and based on knowledge I'm confident in.

PJ:

Unfortunately, I have only seen Kiss Me, Kate of the ones you list. I found it to be boring, as the plot moved too slowly for my tastes, and many of the lengthy musical numbers that are somewhat unrelated to the progress of the show (specifically, the numbers of the show-within-a-show), while catchy and well-written, did not excite me.

I can sense from your wording that it annoys you that I don't enjoy that genre. I try to enjoy any piece of theater I can experience, but, as I said, I find the craft of creating songs that further the plot or add depth to the characters to be the most appealing aspect of a musical. I can't speak for all the shows you list, but for Finian's Rainbow, Kiss Me, Kate, and some others from that era, that is my opinion, though I'm happy to be shown things I missed, as allofmylife did. Updated On: 1/9/10 at 09:05 PM

[MusicSnob1]

Posted: 1/9/10 at 9:12pm

"(where I unfortunately chose to repeatedly see Rent)"

Ah! That explains it. Say no more. Your work, here, is done. xoxo

"I try to enjoy any piece of theater I can experience, but, as I said, I find the craft of creating songs that further the plot or add depth to the characters to be the most appealing aspect of a musical."

What's your point??? KING AND I, FINIANS, KISS ME KATE, ANYTHING GOES, PAL JOEY, SHOW BOAT, SOUND OF MUSIC, etc., etc. all do this! Regardless of your opinion.

I do hope you know that opinions can be wrong - *especially* if they're based on inaccurate perceptions and made by misinformed Rentheads. Ugh.

Updated On: 1/9/10 at 09:12 PM

[TonyVincent]

Posted: 1/9/10 at 9:21pm

I self-deprecate about my ignorant past and you choose to use it to make an entire catty post? Sheesh.

OK, I'm done. I apologize for making a gross generalization, a poorly-executed joke in bad taste while I was having a bad day. I guess I was just remembered best a few songs from old shows that didn't seem to move the plot and over-extrapolated it. Thanks for those who offered helping comments, and looking more closely at some of them helped me appreciate portions of the shows I didn't appreciate before. Updated On: 1/10/10 at 09:21 PM

[danmag]

Posted: 1/10/10 at 9:40am

"This show had the WORST magnets on Broadway!"

This will be my new sig. Love it.

[best12bars]

Posted: 1/10/10 at 10:30am

Thanks for your honest post TonyVincent. Ignore the aptly named "music snob," who thinks opinions can be "wrong." That itself would be wrong assertion, since opinions aren't fact.

I know what you're driving at about the show-within-a-show songs in "Kiss Me Kate." Cole Porter was a brilliant lyricist, and he would often come up with extra verses in his songs to amuse everybody (himself included). "I Hate Men," "I've Come to Wive It Wealthily in Padua," etc., I think they're damn funny, in most cases, but it's true that several of these songs have a LOT of verses, and I could see how you might think this drags things out, or stops things cold.

But, as far as seeing "Rent" every time you went to NYC, and even regretting this now, it's kind of odd that you would get frustrated over a few extra verses in a clever song when you would see the exact same show so many times. Obviously, you're patient and forgiving with things you like, even when there's only predicability on the stage.

I think you must not have liked Cole Porter's sense of humor, and you got bored. It's pretty sophisticated. A lot of times he would write these extra verses as encores or to please the audiences who demanded more. The songs would get longer (and funnier) out of town ... and sometimes even during the run.

Today's theatre audiences demand more from sets and costumes than they do from lyrics. That, to me, is a shame. But it's a different era.

Updated On: 1/10/10 at 10:30 AM

[allofmylife]

Posted: 1/10/10 at 1:18pm

It might be an interesting experience to spend a few hours researching the lyrics of Cole Porter in "Kiss Me Kate". I did this - being a total and absolute theatre geek - when I was your age the old fashioned way - in the library.

At first, it was simply because something mentioned in the lyrics of a show puzzled me and finding out the intent/context of the lyricist both enlightened and amused me. Then it became a bit of an obsession.

Lyricists usually slipped "of the day" references into their work in the 30s and 40s. It was part of the zeitgeist of the time that musicals, like movies, were made to be currently relevant. They weren't writing "for the ages" but rather "for the masses."

I'll bet that much of what bores you in "Kiss Me Kate" would actually fascinate you if you had a more enlightened understanding of why Porter wrote it into his show.

Even if you simply Google the lyrics, you might be amazed to see how rich his material is and what you found sleep-inducing is actually thought provoking.

I refuse to hand you anything on a silver platter so I am not going to provide examples unless you really, really need them (which you clearly don't.)

Updated On: 1/10/10 at 01:18 PM

[TonyVincent]

Posted: 1/10/10 at 9:50pm

Thanks for the helpful advice. Yes, best12bars, I think that is what frustrated me. I think I will look them up as allofmylife suggests and check out the context. I did find the lyrics amusing and well written, but after 4 or 5 of them, the new rhymes lacked the luster of the initial joke. I also might have just been in an unreceptive mood that day :). I think I will be more diligent in looking up historical contexts of revivals in the future, as the subtexts of seemingly pedestrian/repetitive/obvious lyrics may require outside knowledge to appreciate. That also explains why I find musicals of the past 30-40 years more accessible, since modern media has made it easier to become well versed in our generation and our parents', but not earlier ones.

As for seeing Rent every time, I meant about 4 times over a 6 year period, ages 14 through 20 or so. Just wanted to make sure I didn't imply that I saw it 20+ times and knew every word. As someone who didn't get to go often, I erred for something I knew I would enjoy, rather running the risk of choosing to see a show that wasn't good or that I didn't appreciate. Fortunately I have the ability to take those risks now :).

[allofmylife]

Posted: 1/11/10 at 3:09am

Everyone gets the jokes in Avenue Q but fifty years from now, when the entire world is gay and hetro is an alternative lifestyle, the song "If You Were Gay" might require some context.

On a more serious note, another show to do a careful line inspection of, and I'm serious about this, is Lil Abner, which has some really funny lyrics and a subplot about the military-industrial complex of the 50s that won the show a great deal of praise in its time. "The County's In The Very Best of Hands" is absolutely relevant again in this time of bank failures and Bernie Madoff.