Tony Award-winners Philip Bosco, Jim Norton and Ruben Santiago-Hudson, as well as Cheyenne Jackson, Kate Baldwin, and Jeremy Bobb starred in Finian's Rainbow, the final production of New York City Center's 2008-09 Encores! season, preformances ran from March 26 - 29.
BroadwayWorld.com's cameras were there to celebrate with the cast at the closing night party!
Finian's Rainbow has music by Burton Lane, lyrics by E.Y. Harburg and book by E. Y. Harburg and Fred Saidy and will be directed and choreographed by Warren Carlyle with music direction by Rob Berman. The musical played five performances at City Center (West 55th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues).
The cast includes: Kate Baldwin, Jeremy Bobb, Philip Bosco, Guy Davis, Alina Faye, Cheyenne Jackson, Jim Norton, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Andy Weems and William Youmans, with Tanya Birl, Bree Branker, Meggie Cansler, Bernard Dotson, Leslie Donna Flesner, Lisa Gajda, Tim Hartman, Mary Illes, Tyrick Wiltez Jones, Denis Lambert, Kevin Ligon, Monica L. Patton, Joe Aaron Reid, Devin Richards, Steve Schepis, Rashidra Scott, J.D. Webster and Terri White.
Finian's Rainbow is the story of the Irishman Finian McLonergan (Jim Norton), and his daughter Sharon (Kate Baldwin) who travel to a small Southern 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 (Jeremy Bobb), who shows up determined to recover his treasure. Harburg and Lane created one of Broadway's greatest popular scores, including "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."
Finian's Rainbow opened at the 46th Street Theatre on January 10, 1947 and played a total of 725 performances. Michael Kidd won the Tony Award for his choreography (In an interesting note, the show played at New York City Center twice before - in 1955 and 1960, presented by the New York City Light Opera.).
The 2008-2009 Encores! season was made possible in part by the Stephanie and Fred Shuman Fund for Encores! with additional support from the Joseph S. and Diane H. Steinberg Charitable Trust and Roz and Jerry Meyer.
New York City Center Encores! (Jack Viertel, Artistic Director; Rob Berman, Music Director) has, since 1994, celebrated the rarely-heard works of America's most important composers and lyricists. Conceived as concert versions, each Encores! season gives three scores the chance to be heard as originally intended by their creators. Over the years, Encores! has presented the works of the Gershwins, Rodgers and Hart, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Kurt Weill, Bock and Harnick, Burt Bacharach, Kander and Ebb, Comden and Green, and many others. The program is the recipient of a special 2000 Tony Honor for Excellence in the Theatre, as well as an Outer Critics Circle Award, Lucille Lortel Award and Jujamcyn Theaters Award.
New York City Center (Arlene Shuler, President and CEO) has long been known and beloved by New York audiences not only as one of the City's preeminent performing art institutions but also as an accessible and welcoming venue for dance and theater. New York City Center produces the Tony-honored Encores!
Photos by Linda Lenzi
Kate Baldwin and Cheyenne Jackson
Kate Baldwin and Cheyenne Jackson
Cheyenne Jackson and Rob Berman
Cheyenne Jackson and Rob Berman
Lisa Gajda and William Youmans
Denis Lambert and Rashidra Scott
Rashidra Scott and Monica L. Patton
Leslie Donna Flesner and Lisa Gajda
Steve Schepis and Joe Aaron Reid
JD Webster, Tanya Birl, Tyrick Wiltez Jones, Monica L. Patton and Leslie Donna Flesner
Keith David and Ruben Santiago-Hudson
Rue McClanahan and Terri White
Cheyenne Jackson, Rob Berman and Guy Davis
Alina Faye and Guy Davis
Joe Aaron Reid and Cheyenne Jackson
Alina Faye and Cheyenne Jackson
Bernard Dotson and Ruben Santiago-Hudson
Cheyenne Jackson, Alina Faye, Kate Baldwin and Jeremy Bobb
Cheyenne Jackson, Alina Faye, Jim Norton, Kate Baldwin and Jeremy Bobb
James Valletti, Stephanie Overton and Pete Skylles
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