There are three reasons to see the latest revival of Finian’s Rainbow. The first is the marvelous Melissa Errico, starring as Sharon. Her character is the heart of the musical, both as the love interest for handsome Woody (Ryan Silverman) and as the catalyst for the magical transformation of a bigoted white senator into a black man. With her thrilling lyric soprano, Errico performs the majority of the songs.
The second reason is the glorious music by Burton Lane with lyrics by E.Y. Hamburg. The show boasts more than 15 familiar songs, such as “Old Devil Moon,” “How Are Things in Glocca Morra” and “Look to the Rainbow.” Although the cast is small, their voices are strong and they do the music justice.
The third reason is nostalgia. Many in the audience at the newly refurbished Irish Repertory Theater, a little gem of a playhouse more like a high school’s Little Theater than a Broadway venue, hummed along to the music. There’s little scenery and the actors sit off sides of the stage, but in plain sight when they aren’t performing.