|
©Mukilteo Beacon Feb. 23, 2005 by Rebecca Carr I'm singin' in the rain Just singin' in the rain What a glorious feeling I'm happy again. |
|---|
|
The words are timeless, and perhaps best capture the lighthearted spirit of the classic movie and stage production. Seattle native Arthur Freed penned the original lyrics and his partner Nacio Herb Brown wrote the music, later adapted to the stage by Betty Comden and Adolph Green.
Singin’ in the Rain takes place in the 1920s, when movies were silent and stage acting was a different art entirely. Don Lockwood and Lina Lamont are the darling couple of their era, with mobs of adoring fans constantly linking them romantically. Despite Lamont’s obvious delight – and her own buying into the myth – it’s equally apparent that Lockwood barely tolerates even their business relationship. Then comes the revelation of the talkies, and silent film stars such as Lockwood and Lamont must take their acting to the next level, with their accustomed theatrical gesticulating giving way to speaking and singing. That’s OK for Lockwood, whose diction lessons enhance his already strong voice. He and his lifelong buddy and studio mentor Cosmo Brown perform a hilarious and catchy dance number in Moses Supposes (His Toeses Are Roses) with a little help from his hapless diction teacher, wonderfully played by Stewart Gregory. Lamont on the other hand, can’t seem to lose her nasal Jersey banshee shriek much to the exasperation of her tutor, nor can she overcome the complexity of working with microphones, as half of her words disappear completely and the other half pierce the listener’s eardrum like a railroad spike. “The microphone is IN THE BUSH!” the director screams exasperatedly for perhaps the 50th time. Lisa Esteridge, known as one of the brightest singing talents of the 5th Avenue cast, also clearly has a flair for comedy, as she plays the vain and not very bright Lamont to shrill perfection. But second banana Michael Arnold steals the show as Lockwood’s buddy Cosmo Brown, with gravity-defying physical comedy and hilarious delivery of his lines. His rendition of Make ‘em Laugh was as funny as it was inspiring. When Lockwood and Lamont’s latest screen effort The Dueling Cavelier must be made into a talkie, Brown comes to the rescue by suggesting that Lockwood’s vocally talented true love and aspiring stage actress Kathy Seldon, secretly dub over Lamont’s voice. Lockwood’s initial attempts to win Seldon’s heart are thwarted both by his own bruised ego, and by the jealous Lamont’s attempts to sabotage her “rival” but the two soon end up collaborating on saving the production. The plot alone is enough to carry this play, but then again, so are the musical and dance numbers. The combination keeps the audience dancing in its seats and riveted to the stage throughout the production. Michael Gruber, as Lockwood closes out the somewhat lengthy first half with the classic Singin’ in the Rain and also shows his chops with You Stepped Out of a Dream and accompanies Ashford in You are My Lucky Star. A screen up on stage shows Lockwood and Lamont in their latest silent move “The Royal Rascal,” complete with 18th century French costumes and hammy lip synching to the lines on placards. When entertainment reporter Dora Bailey – an early rendition of the 50s Hedda Hopper, complete with an endless supply of fascinatingly complex hats – prompts Lockwood to tell his history, flashbacks recall the younger Lockwood and Brown (Haley Ostrander and Katherine Strohmaier) playing the seedy bars in their vaudeville days, adorned with fluorescent plaid suits and oversized glasses. Does The Dueling Cavalier flop, spelling doom for all associated with it? Does Don Lockwood win the girl of his dreams? Come sing in the rain at the 5th and find out for yourself!
|