We could be oh, so bride and groomish The performance of “The Begat” recorded here is notable for the complete clarity of the witty lyrics. A Broadway musical from 1947, created by Fred Saidy (book), E.Y. Among those involved in the ensuing shenanigans are Woody Mahoney, a ne'er-do-well dreamer who woos Sharon; his mute sister Susan, who expresses herself in dance; Woody's good friend and business partner Howard, an African-American botanist determined to grow mentholated tobacco; and bombastic Senator Billboard Rawkins, who wears his bigotry as if it were a badge of honor. Harburg (book and lyrics) and Burton Lane (music). Are upper class Other than that, the plot remains entrenched in an era that predates the Civil Rights Movement. The CD features the cover art of the first LP edition and includes a previously unreleased track, a finale reprise of “How Are Things in Glocca Morra?” that brings the disc to a satisfying conclusion. Film Soundtrack, 1968 (Warner Bros./Rhino) (3 / 5) It took more than 20 years for Finian’s Rainbow to get from stage to screen. It can be heard as background music when Senator Rawkins first shows up in Rainbow Valley in his attempt to buy Finian out. Ray Heindorf was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Score – Adaptation or Treatment but lost to Johnny Green for Oliver! Blue-blooded amebas they were, with a dauntless ambition. This musical and its 1968 film adaptation provide examples of: By the end, he's become completely mortal. Finian's Rainbow' is a movie that comes with charm and spirit, and feels like one with a unique touch from its maker, Francis Ford Coppola. [1], For a time, a German company wanted to make it. Cheshire, CT, Pericles Gluten Free Gay Murder Mysteries" - Radio Play. Conducted by Milton Rosenstock; Music … While a construction crew transformed more than nine acres of back lot into Rainbow Valley, complete with a narrow gauge railway, schoolhouse, general store, post office, houses, and barns, Coppola spent five weeks rehearsing the cast, and before principal photography began, a complete performance of the film was presented to an audience on a studio sound stage. With Irish whimsy, melodious magic, and biting social commentary, Finian’s Rainbow tackles the American Dream and the state of civil rights in the post-World War II United States. Highly praised by all was Petula Clark, whom Ebert described as "a surprise. [12] In the liner notes she wrote for the 2004 Rhino Records limited, numbered edition CD release of the soundtrack, Clark recalls that old-Hollywood Astaire was befuddled by Coppola's contemporary methods of film-making and balked at dancing in "a real field with cow dung and rabbit holes." The songs stand on their own, and that’s a good thing, because this recording doesn’t give a clear picture of the musical as a whole; it’s best to hear it after seeing a staging of the show and/or listening to other recordings of the score. The problem with Finian's Rainbow is that it's sort of like a fairy tale...so trying to make sense of it was a very delicate thing. The score is not compromised by the two-piano arrangement, thanks to wonderfully clean musical direction by Mark Hartman, and the recording has a healthy helping of dialogue (including some narration) that aids in the storytelling. Updating the story line was limited to changing Woody from a labor organizer to the manager of a sharecroppers' cooperative, making college-student Howard a research botanist, and a few minor changes to the lyrics in the Burton Lane–E.Y. Research Playwrights, Librettists, Composers and Lyricists. However, Harburg set the price for the rights at $1 million and wanted creative control. Featuring beloved and classic tunes such as ‘Old Devil Moon’, ‘Look to the Rainbow’, and ‘How Are Things in Glocca Morra’, this musical also explores themes of nostalgia, belonging, and home. Music by: Burton Lane Lyrics by: Yip Harburg Book by: Fred Saidy & Yip Harburg Stephen Schwartz Adaptation by Deena Harburg Length: 50-70 Minutes. This was the first and only musical film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, and though it’s surprisingly faithful to the Broadway script and score, it really doesn’t work. (uncredited), director of photography (as Philip Lathrop). Sharon's grandparents go back to the dawn of history. [11] He decided to forge ahead and hoped for the best despite his misgivings about having nearly-novice "hippie" director Francis Ford Coppola at its helm. Cheshire, CT, Pericles was nominated by the American Film Institute in its 2004 list AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs.[23]. He has stolen a magical pot of gold from leprechauns back in Ireland and plans to plant it in the ground near the Fort Knox. Cheyenne Jackson’s warm baritenor is just about ideal for Woody Mahoney’s songs, Christopher Fitzgerald is a delightful Og, Terri White does a bang-up job with “Necessity,” and it’s nice to have Chuck Cooper on hand as the transformed and eventually reformed bigot Rawkins, joining the three Gospeleers (Bernard Dotson, Devin Richards, and James Stovall) in “The Begat.”  The original orchestrations, by Robert Russell Bennett and Don Walker, sound glorious in state-of-the-art digital sound as played by a full orchestra conducted by Rob Berman. — J.D. Jeannie Carson is a vibrant Sharon in “Look to the Rainbow” and “How Are Things in Glocca Morra?” while Biff McGuire is an effortlessly romantic Woody in “Old Devil Moon.” They team with the excellent chorus for rousing performances of “That Great Come-and-Get-It-Day”and  “If This Isn’t Love.” Howard Morris as Og is particularly funny in”When I’m Not Near the Girl I Love” and the reprise of “Something Sort of Grandish.” The monumental Carol Brice leads the ladies in “Necessity,” and “The Begat” is given a gleeful rendition by Sorrell Booke, Jerry Law, Tiger Haynes, and Bill Glover that reveals all the humor and wit in this number. Original Broadway Cast, 1947 (Columbia/Sony) (3 / 5) The mélange of singing styles heard on the first recording of Finian’s Rainbow is intriguing, but may strike some listeners as confusing. — J.D. The townspeople gather in the barn for the wedding of Sharon and Woody, but the sheriff, his deputies, and the district attorney interrupt the ceremony and arrest Sharon for witchcraft. Og, a leprechaun in charge of the treasure, follows him, desperately trying to get the gold back. Finian: Ah, but how long? That's the background Sharon comes from -- so get along with your luggage, lad, you haven't a chance. (uncredited), Passion Pilgrim Gospeleer Due to its popularity it was revived several times. The song "How Are Things in Glocca Morra?" She is a fresh addition to the movies: a handsome profile, a bright personality, and a singing voice as unique in its own way as Streisand's." Clark was nervous about her first Hollywood movie and particularly concerned about dancing with old pro Astaire. I particularly want to make this point because of the cruel remarks on Astaire's appearance in the New York Times review by Renata Adler. It is also enchanting, and that's a word I don't get to use much...it is so good, I suspect, because Astaire was willing to play it as the screenplay demands...he...created this warm old man...and played him wrinkles and all. If my ishes could come true. The film was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy but lost to Oliver! In 1954, the Distributors Corporation of America wanted to make it as an animated film. Given his status as a screen legend and to accommodate his talents, the role was given a musical presence it had not had on stage, and he was given top billing rather than the original third billing. He sounds wonderful. In 1958, the authors of the musical teamed with Sidney Buchman to produce the film independently but the film did not proceed. [11] The film was partially choreographed by Astaire's long-time friend and collaborator Hermes Pan, who was fired by Coppola during filming. Melissa Errico is a wonderful Sharon; her “Look to the Rainbow,” with some lyrics not heard on previous cast albums, is ravishing. Join StageAgent today and unlock amazing theatre resources and opportunities. Some of the movie’s arrangements try a little too hard to be “up-to-date” (for 1968). The film was nominated for several Academy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, and a Writers Guild of America Award. Still, this soundtrack recording is definitely worthy of attention. And when all your neighbours At the time, it was speculated that this was because Finian’s Rainbow is wrongly perceived by much of today’s public as old fashioned and twee, rather than the witty satire it is, and also perhaps because the title doesn’t have the cachet and the box-office draw of some others, due to the fact that the 1968 movie version was not a hit and never became a big seller on home video. Company Credits That would have been unnecessary: He has a natural youthfulness. They run right into a battle between the poor sharecroppers of Rainbow Valley, led by the handsome smooth-talking Woody Mahoney, and the henchman of Senator Rawkins, a bigoted blowhard who covets the very land on which Finian needs to bury his gold. [24], Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture, Academy Award for Best Score – Adaptation or Treatment, "Finian's Rainbow, Box Office Information", "The 41st Academy Awards (1969) Nominees and Winners", 1968 radio interview with Fred Astaire featuring extensive discussion of, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Finian%27s_Rainbow_(1968_film)&oldid=986123948, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2014, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, How Are Things in Glocca Morra? Take your favorite fandoms with you and never miss a beat. His destination is Rainbow Valley in the (fictional) state of Missitucky, where he plans to bury his treasure in the mistaken belief that, given its proximity to Fort Knox, it will multiply.