LBHS students perform ‘Finian’s Rainbow’

Even though inclement weather forced the cancellation of four key rehearsals, the cast and crew of the Long Beach High School Theater Department still managed to pull off a performance of “Finian’s Rainbow.”

They presented three evening performances, plus a special free matinee for senior citizens. The actors performed memorable renditions of “How Are Things in Glocca Morra,” “When I’m Not Near the Girl I Love” and “Old Devil Moon.”

The drama, a fable-with-a social-conscience, revolves around Finian McLonergan, played by Joseph Keiserman, and his daughter, Sharon, played by Eileen Kelly, who are followed by a leprechaun named Og (Russell Goetz) as they travel from Glocca Morra, Ireland to Rainbow Valley, U.S.A.

Finian has “borrowed” Og's crock of gold to plant in the soil near Fort Knox so it will grow and make him rich. But Og wants it back, for without it the leprechauns will lose their magic powers and the crock of gold will turn to dross. The McLonergans arrive as Buzz Collins (Gavin Enright), a stooge for racist Senator Billboard Rawkins (Adam Goldenberg), is trying to take land away from Woody Mahoney (Matthew Pisciotta) and his mute sister Susan (Ruby Beckwith), who “talks” by dancing.

Woody and Sharon fall in love, as Finian secretly buries the crock. Meanwhile, the sheriff is about to throw all the citizens of Rainbow Valley off their land for violating the “law of the south” which prohibits whites and blacks from fraternizing. Sharon is outraged and wishes that the Senator could be black and feel the terrible pain of racism. And because she is standing over the buried crock, it magically happens. The Senator turns black and the crowd is stunned. The Senator (now played by Dalvin Goodridge) is horrified, and runs off into the forest to hide. Although all seems lost, this story’s mix of love, greed, racism and magic results in a happy ending.

Sarah Ben-Moussa played Dottie, Ethan Edrich was the sheriff, and Hanna Piazza played his deputy. Angela Ruis, David Henry, Mary Deniston, Saira Ramessar, Jennifer Zarate, Aditi Gupta, Tatiana Summers, Fernanda Armijo, Lisy Lima, Michelle Asarch, Toni Lee-Jones and Jaysha Teemer played other speaking roles.

Vanessa Krywe directed the show, while Marino Bragino III directed the pit orchestra and Bruce Kaplan served as the vocal director. Marcus Quiroga was in charge of choreography and Eric Krywe handled technical direction. — Story, photos by Rosemary Leonetti, Syntax