Singin’ In The Rain onstage

My first glimpse of the iconic image of Gene Kelly singing and dancing in the rain happened with That’s Entertainment, the documentary put together by MGM, made up of scenes from the Hollywood studio’s famous musicals. I got a better view later of the entire film Singin’ In The Rain on Betamax tape. It was grainy and had bad sound but enough for somebody who has never seen it before. 

At that time, I also got to see a lot more of Kelly’s dancing in other films and I thought him fantastic. Kelly was that rare sort of dancer. He was elegant and graceful but was also athletic, daring and very masculine. He certainly did better dancing in the dreamy An American In Paris, another MGM musical. But the way he traipsed across puddles on the sidewalk in Singin’ In The Rain was so charming and joyful, that to this day, he makes everybody want to do the same.

So just as I was able to watch and enjoy old movies thanks to technological developments like VHS tapes and then DVDs, Singin’ In The Rain, also thanks to technology, has also taken on a new incarnation as a stage musical. The movie was made in 1952 but the thought that it can be translated for the stage never entered the minds of everybody because it was not possible to create rain in the theater. A bucket or two of water can perhaps be made to approximate a drizzle but you need more water for the lead actor to dance through. 

New technology has now made that possible and we will soon get to see the results when Singin’ In The Rain from London’s West End comes to town next month. The musical will be playing at The Theatre of Solaire Resort and Casino starting weekend of Aug. 20. As is usual with touring companies of shows brought here by David Atkins Enterprises, Michael Cassel Group, Concertus Manila, Dainty Group and Lunchbox Productions, this is an exact version of the London show.

This production, which was first staged in 1985, will be the same one you will see should you watch Singin’ In The Rain in London. And that includes seeing 12,000 liters of water pour down and turn the stage into a rain-soaked street. I do not know how they do it but it should be fun to see even if it means getting soaked or splashed on while watching the show. This will happen twice. The first time will be in the famous solo dance number featuring Don Lockwood as originated by Kelly. The other one is in the finale where I suppose the whole cast will be splashing and twirling umbrellas.

Playing the lead roles in the touring production are Grant Almirall as Don Lockwood, Bethany Dickson as Kathy Selden and Steven Van Wyk as Don’s sidekick, Cosmo Brown.

Singin’ In The Rain is set in the 1920s just when Hollywood was starting to experiment with talking pictures. It was also the time when actors had to learn how to talk. Lina Lamont, a big silent film star does not have the voice for talkies, although she thinks she does. So, an aspiring actress, Kathy Selden is drafted to be her voice. This results in a fun rivalry between Lina and Kathy as movie stars and for Don Lockwood’s affections. The story also provides insight into the upheavals in the movie industry that the arrival of the talkies generated.

This story is told with songs from the ‘20s and ‘30s eras. The original Singin’ In The Rain was actually a jukebox musical and made use of popular oldies. Most of these were compositions by Nacio Herb Brown and Arthur Freed. These range from madcap novelty numbers like Fit As A Fiddle, Make ‘em Laugh, Moses Supposes and Good Morning to romantic ballads like You Stepped Out Of A Dream, All I Do, You Are My Lucky Star, You Were Meant For Me and Would You? And of course, Singin’ In The Rain which was written in 1929.

It is not likely that you will hear these songs revived even in oldies collections nowadays. They belong to a different, simpler time. But they work well in Singin’ In The Rain where they make a nostalgic soundtrack that is both fun and romantic.