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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Finian's Rainbow may be one of the quirkier classics in the Broadway repertoire, but it is a classic, anchored by three great standards: "How Are Things in Glocca Mora?", "Old Devil Moon," and "Look to the Rainbow." The quirkiness mostly comes from the plot: Irishman Finian McLongeran (Jim Norton) arrives in America along with his loyal daughter (Kate Baldwin) and a pot of gold that he intends to bury near Fort Knox in order to grow it into a fortune. Throw in a bunch of sharecroppers led by Woody (Cheyenne Jackson) and an angry leprechaun who wants his gold back (Christopher Fitzgerald), and you have the framework for the score by Burton Lane and E.Y. "Yip" Harburg that also includes the comedic "When I'm Not Near the Girl I Love" and the ensemble numbers "If This Isn't Love" and "That Great 'Come-and-Get-It' Day." The 2009 revival cast recording may not have the charms of the original Broadway lead, Ella Logan, but Baldwin is a particularly appealing lead herself, and top to bottom it's the best-sung recording and the most complete. While its Broadway run only lasted three months, the production received three Tony nominations, for Baldwin, Fitzgerald, and Best Revival of a Musical. --David Horiuchi
Product Description
The classic American musical Finian's Rainbow returned to Broadway on October 29, 2009, to rave reviews. The New York Times predicted 'permanent sunshine' for this 'thoroughly winning and joyous' production; Variety hailed it as an 'infectious charmer, with one of Broadway's consistently melodious scores;' while the critic for The Wall Street Journal stated simply, I don't think I've ever seen a more musically satisfying show.' Featuring some of the wittiest, most heartfelt and memorable songs ever written for the stage (including How Are Things in Glocca Morra?, Old Devil Moon, and Look to the Rainbow), Burton Lane and Yip Harburg's score - rendered here by a cast of 29 and a full orchestra -- remains one of Broadway's finest. The acclaimed cast includes Broadway stars Jim Norton, Cheyenne Jackson and Christopher Fitzgerald, plus newcomer Kate Baldwin in a star-making turn. With its sparkling score of beloved standards and a whimsical story that dances between romance, satire and fairy tale, Finian's Rainbow is a musical theater treasure, and this' New Broadway Cast Recording will 'carry you away on a cloud of melody, magic and make-you-swoon performances. (New York Daily News).
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
18 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This new recording of the revival of Finian's Rainbow is one of the those rare recordings that take you away. This score hasn't had a top rate recording is almost sixty years. The cast that was brought together for this revival is amazing. Their voices are pure gold. I saw the show at the St.James and it was Magical. And now I have the CD to remind me what a fantastic night in the theater it was. They don't write them like this anymore. Congratulations to all that were involved in bringing this treasure back to Broadway. It certainly left Broadway way to soon. Maybe someday it shall come back to Broadway after it wins some Tony Awards in June. We can keep wishing on that rainbow.
21 of 22 people found the following review helpful
By Jeffrey Ash
Format:Audio CD
I was one of the lucky ones who saw this great production on Broadway and this cast album really captures the magic and vitality of that special night - everyone sounds terrific, from the orchestra to the principals, down to the chorus. It's great to hear all the restored pieces, and this important recording will certainly be regarded as the definitive version - get a copy and pray that this production comes to your town in a tour!
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful
By I Know Music
Format:Audio CD
Wow! This is a gorgeous recording of a wonderful show! Every song is amazing and the voices are beyond beautiful. I don't know when I've heard a more heartfelt song than "GloccaMora" or a more rousing ensemble number than "Come and Get it Day"! Thank you, thank you for giving us this perfect recording of a fabulous show ... we were lucky enough to get to see the show itself in NYC and this is a very faithful memory of a special hit Broadway show!
15 of 17 people found the following review helpful
By A. Gregory
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
The new recording of "Finian's Rainbow" is a gem--but it's a diamond in the rough. For the first time ever, the miraculous score is presented in its entirely, and it sung and played spectacularly. The performances are the diamond; the rough, however, diminishes the experience severely. Difficult though it may be to believe, Columbia's 1947 original cast recording of "Finian's Rainbow" is sonically superior to the brand-new Broadway revival recording. This revival cast recording in pure digital clarity has the ambiance of Decca's 1940's recordings of "Oklahamo!" and "Carousel," which is to say that this "Finian's Rainbow" sounds like it was recorded in a linen closet. The sound is at once clear and dead. It conjures visions of the singers standing shoulder to shoulder with the instrumentalists as they duck falling pillow cases. In contrast, Columbia's original cast version has the full sound of a show performed in a theatre. If the technicians who recorded this spectacular performance last December had an iota of respect for theatre and cast recordings in general and a love of "Finian's Rainbow" in particular, this could have been one of the finest cast recordings of all time. Performances: 100%, Recording: zero.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
A Kid's Review
Format:Audio CD
Truly, this is one of the finest Broadway scores ever, rendered here with a meticulous attention to detail and excitement that is rare. It is classic in the finest sense of the word, with performances and warmth the likes of which I haven't heard on a cast album CD in YEARS. Buy this only if you love fantastic singing of gorgeous songs. This cast album brings this joyous musical straight to 2010, and indeed, beyond, for this CD is one for the AGES! If you saw it live, (I did!) you'll smile and remember how lovely it was, if you didn't, you'll kick yourself, but it's almost as good as being there!
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I just listened to the cast recording straight through, and then again a second time, and was completely transformed to another place and time. When I saw the recent Broadway production (which definitely lived up to its rave reviews), I frankly knew little about the show or the score, perhaps because the show has not been revived in decades. But the tunes were familiar, they were brilliantly, lavishly, tenderly and enthusiastically performed by an outstanding cast, and I felt that were it possible, Yip Harburg and Burton Lane (the lyricist and composer) would have sent down a rainbow to show their approval. I'm so grateful that the musical director preserved the integrity of the original score and didn't attempt to update it with a more contemporary finish, and that Harburg's and Lane's spirit was so marvelously and magically captured. Classics should be respected as such, and this cast album has preserved for generations to come some of the most brilliant gems of American musical theater.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
.....And I am insane-ish about this cast record-ish. "Finian's Rainbow" is one of those rare shows where every number was a hit and if not a hit, well-known. Music by Burton Lane and witty, smart lyrics by E.Y. Harburg makes this recording a joy and a pleasure to listen to. Newcomer Kate Baldwin as Finians daughter Sharon and Cheyenne Jackson as Woody the sharecropper are fine, and shine on their duet "Old Devil Moon" and impish Christopher Fitzgerald more impish than ever, but after all he is a leprechaun and is absolutely delightful singing his 11 O'clock number "When I'm Not Near the Girl I Love(I Love the Girl I'm Near)" and he also shares the funny number "Something Sort Of Grandish" with Sharon, the first girl he loves but the fickle-hearted elf soon loses his heart to Susan, the mute sister of Woody who expresses her thoughts through dance.
If I have to quibble it would be track 16 "Dance of the Gold Crock" which is just annoying and jarringly out of place in a score with an over-abundance of wonderful songs, and I must admit there may be some out there who enjoy improvised harmonica tootling but for my taste it sounds more like a backyard hillbilly hoedown. I have since programmed my CD player to skip that track and just be transported to the mythical state of Missitucky where the citizens sing "The Begat", "Come and Get it Day" "When the Idle Poor Become The Idle Rich" "Look To The Rainbow" "If This Isn't Love" "Necessity" and of course the biggest hit of the show, "How Are Things In Glocca Morra" and the answer is, things are fine in Glocca Morra and on Broadway and I can't wait to see the show even if I have to dip into Ogs pot of gold to pay for a ticket.
Update: It appears I will not be needing Ogs gold to buy a ticket. The show closed. Why?... Read more ›
If I have to quibble it would be track 16 "Dance of the Gold Crock" which is just annoying and jarringly out of place in a score with an over-abundance of wonderful songs, and I must admit there may be some out there who enjoy improvised harmonica tootling but for my taste it sounds more like a backyard hillbilly hoedown. I have since programmed my CD player to skip that track and just be transported to the mythical state of Missitucky where the citizens sing "The Begat", "Come and Get it Day" "When the Idle Poor Become The Idle Rich" "Look To The Rainbow" "If This Isn't Love" "Necessity" and of course the biggest hit of the show, "How Are Things In Glocca Morra" and the answer is, things are fine in Glocca Morra and on Broadway and I can't wait to see the show even if I have to dip into Ogs pot of gold to pay for a ticket.
Update: It appears I will not be needing Ogs gold to buy a ticket. The show closed. Why?... Read more ›
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Finian's Rainbow
This musical is originally from back in the 40s, but the number of hit sounds from this show was amazing. The revival cast did an excellent job with the show and the music.
Published 3 months ago by P. Wojtena
5.0 out of 5 stars
A terrific Rainbow performance
First-rate performances, beautiful singing, full orchestrations, complete score. This is the perfect revival and a terrific complement to the original cast album. Read more
Published on May 24, 2010 by James Michael
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fun and Fabulous Recording!
Great album! I saw the show on Broadway in November 2009 after reading the NY Times review and loved it. Read more
Published on April 13, 2010 by Danieltaylor
4.0 out of 5 stars
FINIAN'S RAINBOW, the Revival
I saw this wonderful musical in December, 2009, and loved it. It is beyond me that it was forced to close in January because of poor ticket sales, despite it getting basically rave... Read more
Published on April 5, 2010 by Joseph L. Howlett
1.0 out of 5 stars
boring boring boring
I don't know how they have the nerve to call this a revival. The music is very "1940" and the story line hasn't been updated in the least. Read more
Published on March 29, 2010 by Kathleen Day
4.0 out of 5 stars
Almost great
As owner of the original Finian's with Ella Logan, who someone who has many of the songs sloshing around in his head, I couldn't wait to see the revival, especially after the... Read more
Published on March 22, 2010 by Read'n'writer
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sort of Grandish
From beginning to end, this album gives the listener a "grandish," experience. What good lyrics and memorable tunes--it insures a happy time for anyone hearing the cast album.
Published on March 21, 2010 by Theresa C. Cook
5.0 out of 5 stars
REAL POT OF GOLD OVER THE RAINBOW
Finally, a revival of a dated musical that not only honors the original, but goes beyond in sound and spirit. Read more
Published on March 17, 2010 by Neil Elliot
5.0 out of 5 stars
You Will Sing Along
This wonderful revival didn't last long on Broadway, but this CD will have you singing along with beautiful voices and good old fashioned lyrics. Read more
Published on March 13, 2010 by Lily Gibbs
2.0 out of 5 stars
Not even close...
In the movie "The Way We Were", there's a scene early on when Redford breaks up with Streisand for the first time. Read more
Published on March 11, 2010 by Ryff Wolf
