Singin’ in the Rain is a classic, favorite musical for many. Adapted from the iconic 1952 motion picture, the stage version debuted in London’s West End about 30 years later, and will be coming in early November to the Jim and Linda Lee Performing Arts Center at Yavapai College.
Presaging recent jukebox musicals like Mamma Mia! and Movin’ Out, Arthur Freed, the executive behind MGM’s musical films, made the decision to create a vehicle for a “catalog of songs” that he and Nacio Herb Brown had been working on for decades. In the 1940s Yankee Doodle Dandy and Till The Clouds Roll By were created in the same manner, using songs written by a single lyricist to create a musical experience.
When the film was first released, Singin’ in the Rain was not a favorite among critics. This may have been partly due to timing, as it was released shortly after An American in Paris, which also starred Gene Kelly and won six Oscars. But over the decades since it has not just endured, it has only grown more popular, winning the top spot among musicals on the list of the American Film Institute.
The stage adaptation stays true to the original script, expanding to songs that were not included in the motion picture. Revived many times after its impressive runs in London and New York in the ‘80s, winning two Tony awards, the show has become an established favorite for many local theatre companies and audiences.
That popularity can be a bit intimidating for producers. Co-director Kate Howell says, “It’s always been a favorite film of mine …, but the challenge is that you know people will come to see it, because fans know the movie and know it pretty well. I think that will get folks to see the show, but it’s also a double-edged sword when it comes to the performances, because then you have such iconic (film) performances that you have your cast trying to live up to. My goal with this production is to encourage all those in the cast to create their own characters.”
The plot of Singin’ in the Rain touches on some themes that remain highly relevant today. Set in Hollywood in the late ‘20s, Lina Lamont (played by Alyssa Ebel), Don Lockwood (Andre Sylvester and AJ Jackson) and Cosmo Brown (Clinton Slay and James Howell) are faced with the end of the silent-picture era and the dawn of the talkies. For some this was an easier transition than for others. Lamont’s beauty may have been meant for the screen, but her voice was not meant to be broadcast. Enter Kathy Selden (Olivia Keating and Hope Olsen), an actress who can speak, dance and sing, and brings to light questions about who merits the credit and accolades.
The story has been told many times, from Cyrano to Milli Vanilli, raising questions about value versus appearance. Aside from its entertainment value, the reality is that for many this kind of story has become a way of life. Just as in Singin’ in the Rain, new technology has created new ways to hide our true selves. Some people create false online identities to date, defraud, make rude or threatening comments without repercussions, or for a host of other reasons. Howell expands on this: “You think of a lot of things on 50-year cycles — 50 years ago we were at the beginning of cable TV and VCRs, where you could record shows and watch them at your leisure, and now we’re talking about AI and people’s likenesses being used. So it’s very cyclical, history repeating itself, but it’s also very much about an adapt-or-die situation, so there will be people in this story as well who are willing to go with the flow, create something new, bet that they’re gonna be able to handle it and work toward something that’s inevitable, and build their futures on that, or the ones who are going to just dig their heels in, and who knows what happens to them.”
Although this type of show relies heavily on the leads, with acting, singing dancing (even tap!), an ensemble of talented entertainers will be on hand to round out the show. Singin’ in the Rain, says Howell, is “a classic musical comedy, and just the humor in it alone — I mean people like to go to the theatre and be entertained, and a show like this, it’s very lighthearted and it’s definitely a way to have some laughs and escape your troubles. They’re gonna enjoy the story, they’re gonna be there to enjoy fun performances, some amazing tap dancing, and have some laughs.”
Singin’ in the Rain will play November 2-5 and 9-12 at the Jim and Linda Lee Performing Arts Center on the Yavapai College campus.For more info or tickets visit ycpac.com.
