Finian's Rainbow to Play Broadway's St. James Theatre

The Encores! production of Finian’s Rainbow will play Broadway in the fall. The musical, directed and choreographed by Warren Carlyle and featuring music direction by Rob Berman, will play the St. James Theatre. The Encores! mounting starred Cheyenne Jackson, Jim Norton, Kate Baldwin, Philip Bosco, Ruben Santiago-Hudson and Jeremy Bobb.

Featuring music by Burton Lane, lyrics by E.Y. Harburg and a book by Harburg and Fred Saidy, Finian’s Rainbow is the story of the Irishman Finian McLonergan and his daughter Sharon, who travel to a small town in the mythical state of Missitucky with plans to bury a stolen pot of gold in the shadows of Fort Knox in the mistaken belief it will grow and multiply. They have been followed from Ireland by the owner of the gold, a leprechaun named Og, who shows up determined to recover his treasure.

Finian’s Rainbow deals in a satirical way with issues of class and race, most specifically in the character of a bigoted southern senator who is accidentally turned black. The score includes such familiar songs as “How Are Things in Glocca Morra?,” “When I'm Not Near the Girl I Love I Love the Girl I’m Near,” “That Old Devil Moon” and “If This Isn’t Love.” The show originally opened at the 46th Street Theatre on January 10, 1949, and played a total of 725 performances.

The show is being produced by David Richenthal and Encores! Artistic Director Jack Viertel. The producers intend to keep the Encores! cast and creative team intact. No casting or dates have been announced for the Broadway production.

Desire Under the Elms, starring Brian Dennehy, Carla Gugino and Pablo Schreiber, will play the St. James Theatre for a 13-week engagement beginning on April 14 and opening on April 27.