The musical Finian's Rainbow (1947) holds a curious place in the history of Broadway shows, in that the leprechaun Og was the first character of its kind be seen on an American stage.

The title character of the musical is Finian McLonergan, who causes the action of the show by stealing a pot of gold from leprechauns just before he departs for America with his daughter Sharon. Finian is planning to put the gold in the ground near Fort Knox, thinking that his fortune will grow just as much as America's fortune does inside the fort.

The leprechaun Og travels to America with the intention of regaining the gold for his people. On the way to the fort, Finian and his daughter encounter a group of sharecroppers in Rainbow Valley, Missitucky. They are engaged in a struggle against a racist politician named Billboard Rawkins. It is then discovered that the gold has magical properties, as it turns the politician's skin black. This causes Rawkins to see the error of his ways, and he loosens his grip on the sharecroppers. Meanwhile, Sharon falls in love with the leader of the sharecroppers, Woody Mahoney. A love also blossoms between Og and Woody's mute sister Susan. These human feelings cause Og to begin his transformation into a mortal.

The book for Finian's Rainbow was written by E.Y. Harburg and Fred Saidy, with lyrics provided by Harburg. The music was by Burton Lane, who would also serve as the composer for the Barbra Streisand vehicle On a Clear Day You Can See Forever (1965). The original Broadway version of Finian's Rainbow was produced by William Katzell and Lee Sabinson. The honor of portraying the historic character of Og fell to David Wayne, while Albert Sharpe was perfect for the role of Finian and portrayed it wonderfully.

The musical's Broadway run was fantastic, lasting a whopping 725 performances. Curiously enough, all further productions were equally unsuccessful. A London version of the show lasted for a mere 55 performances, while in Australia, the show only ran for six weeks. In 1960, a Broadway revival of the show was prepared, only to receive a pitiful 12 performances. A 1968 film version, starring Fred Astaire in his last movie musical, was also quite unsuccessful.

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