Three Wishes for Jamie

Wrapped up in the limpid legend of southern Eire, Three Wishes for Jamie is a pleasant tale of simple Irish folk, a mild musical comedy tastefully done.

The fast, slapstick humor characteristic of director and book collaborator Abe Burrows is missing; the story, taken from Charles O'Neil's Christopher Prize novel, could be told unblushingly at a Sunday school outing.

Briefly stated, it is the tale of Jamie McRuin, a strapping young Irishman who is saved from certain death by the legendary Fairy Queen. After plucking him out of a raging stream, she offers him three wishes. He chooses to travel, to marry a beautiful woman, and to have a son who will speak the old (Gaelic) language. In the course of two acts, nineteen scenes, the wishes are fulfilled.

Ralph Blane's music and lyrics are only mediocre. One number, Goin' On a Hayride, stands out in my mind, but the rest are ordinary "hear 'em today, forget 'em tomorrow" tunes. The music seemed generally better than the maudlin lyrics, but in most cases the production numbers were well outside of the plot line.

John Raitt was disappointing as the male lead. His voice did not stand up against the difficult score, and the numbers he delivered suffered through his rendition. This was amply demonstrated when co-star Anne Jeffreys did the reprise to a number called My Heart's Darling, originally sung by Raitt. Miss Jeffreys, charming throughout, gave a certain grace to this song that was clearly lacking in Raitt's unmelodic, muddled version.

Bert Wheeler, remembered by another generation as a vaudeville wheelhorse, lends a bit of life to the general proceedings as Jamie's leprechaunish friend. His quiet, reserved delivery of homey humor seems ideally suited to the book.

Of the minor characters, Charlotte Rae was outstanding as a homely, unwanted young girl. Her lines were of the "boff" type, and she almost stopped the show in a trio number called Love Has Nothing to Do with Looks.