Singin' in the Rain (musical)
| Singin' in the Rain | |
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 Original Cast Recording |
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| Music | Nacio Herb Brown |
| Lyrics | Arthur Freed |
| Book | Betty Comden Adolph Green |
| Basis | 1952 film Singin' in the Rain |
| Productions | 1983 West End 1985 Broadway 1994-1995 UK tour 2000 Royal National Theatre 2004 London 2011 Chichester Festival Theatre 2012 West End (Revival) 2012 Warsaw |
Singin' in the Rain is a musical with a book by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, lyrics by Arthur Freed, and music by Nacio Herb Brown.
Adapted from the 1952 movie of the same name, the plot closely adheres to the original. Set in Hollywood in the waning days of the silent screen era, it focuses on romantic lead Don Lockwood, his sidekick Cosmo Brown, aspiring actress Kathy Selden, and Lockwood's leading lady Lina Lamont, whose less-than-dulcet vocal tones make her an unlikely candidate for stardom in talking pictures.
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[edit] Productions
[edit] Original London Production
The original West End production, directed by Tommy Steele and choreographed by Peter Gennaro, opened on June 30, 1983 at the London Palladium, where it ran until September 1985.[1] The original cast included Steele as Don, Roy Castle as Cosmo, Danielle Carson as Kathy, and Sarah Payne as Lina and Julia. The original film's vocal score was embellished with additional tunes by Comden, Green, and Roger Edens, Dorothy Fields and Jimmy McHugh, George and Ira Gershwin, Johnny Mercer and Richard Whiting, and Cole Porter.
[edit] Original Broadway Production
The musical opened on Broadway at the George Gershwin Theatre on July 2, 1985 and closed on May 18, 1986 after 367 performances and 38 previews. Directed and choreographed by Twyla Tharp, the scenic design was by Santo Loquasto, costume design by Ann Roth, and lighting design by Jennifer Tipton. The cast included Don Correia as Don, Mary D'Arcy as Kathy, Peter Slutsker as Cosmo, and Faye Grant as Lina. The musical was dramatically revamped.
[edit] 1994 UK Tour
The 1983 London Palladium production was remounted in 1994 for an extensive tour of the United Kingdom. The new production, again directed by Steele, starred Paul Nicholas as Don, Shona Lindsay as Kathy, Tony Howes as Cosmo with Sarah Payne reprising her role as Lina from the original cast. Supporting cast included Matt Zimmerman and Mark Donovan.
[edit] 2000 London Revival
A new production of the musical was staged at the Olivier Theatre (Royal National Theatre), from June 2, 2000 to July 20, 2000 and again from December 18, 2000 to January 27, 2001. This production was a transfer from the West Yorkshire production, which ran from December 1999 to February 2000. The cast featured Zoe Hart as Kathy, Rebecca Thornhill as Lina, and Paul Robinson as Don. The direction was by Jude Kelly, and choreography was by Stephen Mear. Thornhill received an Olivier Award nomination for her performance.[2]
[edit] 2004 Sadler's Wells Revival
The musical played at Sadler's Wells Theatre from July 29, 2004 to September 4, 2004, with direction by Paul Kerryson and choreography by Stephen Mear.[2]
[edit] 2012 London Revival
The show was revived at the 2011 Chichester Festival Theatre, starring Adam Cooper and Scarlett Strallen. The show received positive reviews, and has recently begun a run in the London's West End, at the Palace Theatre.
[edit] Synopsis
Don Lockwood is a silent film star with humble roots as a musician, dancer and stunt man. Don barely tolerates his vapid leading lady, Lina Lamont, who is convinced that their screen romance is real. After the first talking picture, The Jazz Singer, proves to be a smash hit, the head of the studio, R. F. Simpson, decides he has no choice but to convert the new Lockwood and Lamont film, The Dueling Cavalier, into a talkie. The production is beset with difficulties, by far the worst being Lina's comically grating voice.
After a disastrous test screening, Don's best friend, Cosmo Brown, comes up with the idea to overdub Lina's voice and they convince Simpson to turn The Dueling Cavalier into The Dancing Cavalier, a musical comedy film. Meanwhile, Don falls in love with an aspiring actress, Kathy Selden, who is providing the voice for Lina. When Lina finds out, she is furious and does everything possible to sabotage the romance. She maliciously demands that Kathy continue to provide her voice in all future films, but remain uncredited. An irate, but desperate Simpson is forced to agree; Kathy has no choice because she is under contract.
The premiere is a tremendous success. When the audience clamors for Lina to sing live, Don and Cosmo improvise and get Lina to lip-synch while Kathy sings into a second microphone while hidden behind the curtain. Unbeknownst to Lina, as she starts "singing", Don, Cosmo and Simpson gleefully raise the curtain behind her, revealing the deception. Kathy becomes a star, and Lina is finished.
[edit] Other elements
The highlight of both productions was the recreation of the film's title tune sequence, complete with an on-stage rain shower. According to The New York Times review, "The rain is wonderful. It descends from the flies of the Gershwin Theater in sheets at the end of Act I, drenching a Santo Loquasto courtyard set that floats beneath a distant, twinkling Hollywoodland sign..."[3]
Of the London "rain" effect, a reviewer wrote: "The stage downpour is so noisy -- and poses such a danger of microphone short circuits -- that Steele has to mime his song to a tape recording."[4]
[edit] Broadway song list
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[edit] Chichester/London 2012 Revival Song List
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[edit] Awards and nominations
[edit] 1983 Olivier Awards
- Best Actress in a Musical - Sarah Payne (nomination)
[edit] 1986 Tony Awards
- Best Book of a musical (nomination)
- Best Actor in a Musical - Don Correia (nomination)
[edit] 2001 Olivier Awards
- Outstanding Musical Production (Winner)
- Best Actor in a Musical - Paul Robinson (nomination)
- Best Supporting Performance in a Musical - Rebecca Thornhill (nomination)
- Best Theatre Choreographer - Stephen Mear (nomination)
[edit] References
- ^ (no author). "People In The News", The Associated Press, July 20, 1985, Section: Domestic News (no page number)
- ^ a b "Archive Page for Singin in the Rain ", albemarle-london.com, accessed February 10, 2010
- ^ Rich, Frank."The Stage:'Sing in the Rain' Opens",The New York Times, July 3, 1985
- ^ Jensen, Gregory. "Theater World;Stage version of 'Singin' in the Rain'", United Press International, July 18, 1983, Entertainment section (no page number)
[edit] External links
- " Singin' In The Rain London 2012 Production
- " 'Singin in the Rain' London listings, 2000 and 2004
- Internet Broadway Database listing
- Sing in the Rain Synopsis and song lists at guidetomusicaltheatre.com
- London production details[dead link]
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