SHOWTUNES Theatre Company to Stage FINIAN'S RAINBOW

SHOWTUNES Theatre Company leaps over the rainbow and finds a pot of gold with the second concert of their 16th season. The rarely produced FINIAN'S RAINBOW runs just after St. Patrick's Day, for two performances, March 19 at 8pm and March 20 at 2pm in Benaroya Hall's Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall. This 70-year-old musical is filled with beautiful songs and powerful themes that resonate today with renewed depth and relevance.

At its core, FINIAN'S RAINBOW is an old-fashioned musical; it features the clever lyrics of E.Y. Harburg and beautiful music by Burton Lane. But the book's scathing indictment of racism, and messages of justice and social equality remain relevant today. "Look To The Rainbow," "Old Devil Moon," and "How Are Things In Glocca Morra?" are a few of the lyrical tunes in this magical tale of Finian McLonergan, his daughter Sharon, the golden crock stolen from Og, a leprechaun, and a racist Senator.

Eric Jensen directs with Corinna Munter as music director. Live musicians will join a talented cast (performing "on book") of Seattle-area musical theater professionals. Cast includes: Eray Anderson (Finian), Hugh Hastings (Senator Rawkins), Butch Stevenson (Narrator/Rawkins) Cayman Ilika (Sharon), Jared Michael Brown (Woody), Jon Lutyens (Og), Katy Tabb (Susan), Matt Kacergis (Buzz) and Ryan Bohannon (Sherriff). Ensemble includes: Ibidunni Ojikutu, Margaret Lamb, Natalie Moe, Christine Riippi, John Deveney, Shane Smith, Vincent Orduna, Stephanie Johnson, Jimmie Herrod and Jaydn Muralt.

Cast members bring a selection of songs from FINIAN'S RAINBOW to the Seattle Irish Festival at Seattle Center on March 12th and 13th. Join Cayman Ilika, Jared Michael Brown and Jon Lutyens at 3pm, each day, inside the Armory at Seattle Center for a sneak peak at the beautiful music of FINIAN'S RAINBOW.

Single tickets ($21-$46) are available now over the phone (206.215.4747) online (www.showtunestheatre.org), via mail (download a subscription form at www.showtunestheatre.org and mail it in) or in person at the Benaroya Hall Ticket Office on the corner of Third Avenue and Union Street. Ticket Office hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; and Saturday, 1 p.m.-6 p.m.

Based in Seattle and founded in 1999, SHOWTUNES creates concert versions of the many unsung American musical theater gems. Led by Matt Wolfe (Artistic Director) and company founder Maggie Stenson Pehrson (Executive Producer), the company currently presents a three-concert season at Seattle's stunning Benaroya Hall. Pulling from the vast array of musical theatre talent in the area, SHOWTUNES has staged 29 productions to date.