Seeking to appeal to a wide audience, Finian's Rainbow cloaks its complex themes of racism, political corruption and economic inequality beneath a whimsical, almost childlike, surface. The show, which premiered in 1947, was the first Broadway musical to use a racially integrated cast and has often been considered a commercial risk. In that sense, Finian's Rainbow represents an ideal fit for the Walnut Street Theatre, which has been recognized for its efforts to promote lesser-known theatrical productions.
Finian's Rainbow humorously recounts the story of Finian McLonergan, an elderly Irishman who along with his daughter Sharon has made the long, arduous journey to America. Like many who have come before him, he is in search of the American dream; but Finian is no ordinary dreamer. He plans to acquire wealth by burying a crock of gold stolen from a leprechaun back home in Ireland (because "who else would have gold in Ireland?") His reasoning proceeds as follows: since Americans bury their gold and they "have more of everything," American soil must possess magical properties. Thus, if he buries his gold in American soil, he too will reap the benefits. Apparently, "everything is bigger in America." Even the leprechaun gets bigger.
Set against the backdrop of "Rainbow Valley, in the mythical state of Missitucky," where sharecroppers are engaged in a constant struggle against the crooked government, Finian's presents numerous polemical issues from beneath a veil of humor, leaving it with an animated, larger-than-life quality. By skirting the fine line between offensive and hysterical, the show is able to spin matters rather creatively, with such insights as: "When the idle poor become the idle rich, you won't know your Jones from your Ass-tors." Similarly, the leprechaun declares "I don't want to be human. It's too inhuman."
The show is at its most fun when it self-referentially toys with the notion of what it means to be a musical. At one point, the audience burst out laughing when one character inserted a short rendition of "People Will Say You're In Love" from Oklahoma! into the dialogue. Likewise, upon hearing the orchestra play the familiar notes of the Wizard of Oz classic, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," many couldn't resist smiling nostalgically.
Although it's sometimes difficult to make the imaginative leap necessary to fully appreciate Finian's Rainbow, one can hardly help but be enchanted by its message of "look to the rainbow ... follow the dream." If you are the sort of person who enjoyed the blissful absurdity of the Disney Channel and "Wee Sing," then you should definitely come find out how things are over in Glocca Morra. Don't worry if you don't know where it is; you don't have to.
