Former New York Times Critic
Brooks Atkinson called Sardi’s
”The center of Broadway's upper class.”
The 25th Anniversary of
Irish America Magazine party hosted by
Co-Founder/ Editor-in- Chief Patricia Harty,
Founding Publisher Niall O’ Dowd and Turlough
Mc Connell, Director of Special Projects, kept
his words alive.
Sean Ricketts', grandson of
Vincent Sardi Jr., knew to have a waiting tray
of wine, at the top of the stairs, as guests
entered filled with the glow of Finian’s
Rainbow. "Ahhh"... sounded with each grasp
of a glass. “Wonderful! Wonderful!” spread like
stereo for the great revival of the Burton Lane
/ Yip Harberg musical.
Tables held copies of the latest
Irish America issue; with tributes on Edward
Kennedy, Frank Mc Court, poet John Coffey,
William Kennedy getting the Eugene O’Neill
lifetime achievement award; remembrance of Merce
Cunningham and a recipe for Limerick ham. What
respect for the written word. One touches each
page with reverence for anything Irish in
this class- act magazine!
1200 portraits line the walls of
the four floors of Sardi’s. In front of those on
the second floor were legendary actor Milo
O’Shea, his gifted wife Kitty, Mr. and
Mrs.Malachy Mc Court, Ellen Mc Court, widow of
Angela's Ashes author Frank Mc Court,
Charlotte Moore and Ciaran O’Reilly, founders of
the Irish Repertory; Pulitzer Prize author
William Kennedy, publisher Glen Young, PR icon
Bob Ullman, Mary Pat Kelly, Peter Quinn etc.
The cast of Finian’s Rainbow
arrived led by Tony Award recipient Jim Norton (Finian).
Applause for players began: Kate Baldwin
(Sharon), Christopher Fitzgerald (Og), Cheyenne
Jackson (Woody), etc.
Music, song, an Irish jig with
fiddler strings, accompanied rhythmic claps by
guests. Patricia Harty acknowledged sponsors
including John Farrell, Vice President of
Strategic Planning for Coca-Cola in Atlanta,
Georgia (who spoke holding a bottle of
Coca-Cola). The Irish end of the rainbow was
Sardi’s.
What a magical New York moment on
the corner of Fifth Avenue and Ninth Street. A
garden had a rock painted:“Look!
Look! Look to the rainbow. Follow the fellow
that follows a dream.“
New Yorkers hurried by webbed in chaos.
They’d quickly stop and go back. Silence
followed. Then music, for they’d begin singing
those words from Finian’s Rainbow.. I
photographed the rock for Burton Lane. “See
what an artist can do.”
Now, with the glorious revival of
Finian’s Rainbow at the St. James
Theatre…. Listen!!!