Sunday, October 18, 2009
‘Finian’s Rainbow’ Goes Back to Missitucky
NYTimes.com: "THE 1947 musical “Finian’s Rainbow,” set in the Deep South state of “Missitucky,” was arguably the most racially provocative production to reach Broadway in its day. The white residents of utopian Rainbow Valley live and work happily alongside blacks and immigrants. The production featured white and black performers dancing and holding hands, which was almost unheard of at the time. One character, a racist white senator, is magically turned black so he can experience bigotry firsthand — just one of the musical’s satirical subplots about racial reconciliation."
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4 comments:
I find this show very interesting, due to the fact that since I had never heard of 'Finians Rainbow' I was hearing about the plot for the first time. Now about halfway through the article I found myself understanding why it might be found as offensive to some, but not why in this day and age we can put something like that on stage and look at it as a period piece. I was pleased to see that the directors had chosen to stasy with as much of the original script possible. I hope this revival does well.
I am really glad that this "unrevivable" show is being revived. I think with the election of President Barak Obama we have moved into a time where it is clear that discrimination in any form is not to be tolerated. I also feel that this show highlights the ridiculousness of racism, especially in scenes like the shuffle scene. I think its an important addition to the story that the slave is not just a slave but a kid trying to pay his way for college and that the man talking down to him is a buffoon. I think these changes keep with the spirit of the show as a whole while changing the tone of certain scenes to make the show more relevant to today's audiences. I too wish this revival success.
What a wonderful concept! Topical and thought provoking, while still entertaining people, these are the kinds of shows that should be produced right now. Piggy-backing off of Jennifer's reference to the newly elected President Obama, race has been thrust into the faces of all americans, whether they wanted to deal with it or not. A musical that deals with this issue should be welcomed by the masses.
This show is being revived at a very interesting time in our nation's history, with questions of race abound on all levels of society... I am very curious as to the process they had for cutting the script down, and how they handle this tender subject matter at rehearsals without angering too many people. I think it's interesting that the article says that only people who are "too politically correct" will be made uncomfortable by the show. Hmmm. I am a fan of using actor doubling techniques instead of blackface for the man who changes race in the show. This was a smart move on the producer's part, and it give a job to another working actor!
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