It seemed almost ironic that in Melbourne, a city constantly being poked fun at for it’s less than stellar weather, the only umbrellas required on the opening night of Singin’ in the Rain were for the performers on stage.
“Brought to you by Singin’ in the Rain “
The city was abuzz under clear skies this Saturday night as I joined excited theatre goers, and a few celebrities, for the Melbourne premiere of Singin’ in the Rain at Her Majesty’s Theatre. The beloved classic film, which I must have watched dozens of times as a kid, has been adapted for the stage in spectacular fashion.
“Set in 1927, it tells the story of the first Hollywood musical, when the silver screen found its voice and left silent movies (and some of its stars) behind. Don Lockwood (Adam Garcia) is a silent movie star with everything he could want – fame, adulation and a well-publicised ‘romance’ with his co-star Lina Lamont (Erika Heynatz). But Hollywood is about to change forever. There is rumour in the studio of a new kind of film, where the actors actually talk…and sing…and dance. Can Don and the uniquely voiced Lina make the transition and will chorus girl Kathy Selden (Gretel Scarlett) fulfil her dream of stardom and capture Don’s heart along the way?”
This production has everything I loved about the original film, singing, dancing and laughs galore, all with the added bonus of rain!
I happened to be seated in the second row which is officially designated a ‘splash zone’, so with plastic ponchos at the ready for when the rain clouds rolled in, I knew I was in for a real sensory treat!
Even if you haven’t seen the film, you’ll probably recognise the tunes for most of the musical numbers, with the most famous of course being ‘Singin’ in the Rain’. But this show isn’t a one hit wonder, I was cheerfully (but quietly because no one wants to hear my voice) singing along to many of the classic songs including ‘Good Morning’, ‘Make ‘em Laugh’ and ‘Moses Supposes’. I supposes that makes me a bit of a musical theatre nerd. (See what I did there?)
Playing the role of Don Lockwood made famous by Gene Kelly, Adam Garcia certainly had big tap shoes to fill, but he played the role with great charisma, and his singing and dancing skills were more than up to scratch.
The whole cast are world class ‘triple threats’. I’m constantly in awe of fantastic dancers that are amazing singers, or is it singers that can dance? Either way this group of performers had it all.
The standout for me was Jack Chambers, playing Don’s comedic, all singing all dancing side kick, Cosmo Brown. Every time he was on stage, he practically stole the show with his mastery of physical comedy and just so much enthusiasm. The kid has heart!
And then came the rain. To achieve the famous ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ scene, the production uses over 800 metres of flexible pipe work, a 9000kg water tank and a water system that creates a downpour from above as well as flooding from below the stage, in total ‘raining’ over 12,000 litres of recycled water per performance.
Every time Adam Garcia, kicked, jumped and twirled, puddles would splash onto the audience who were squealing with delight – me included!
The only downside to sitting in the first few rows for me, was that the stage design which had an elevated barrier around the edge to contain the water, impaired my view of the dancers feet during the performance. I’m all about the feet when it comes to dancing (not in a creepy way), and it was a shame to miss the tapping action. On the upside, seeing the acting and singing up close and personal was a real treat.
I could really go on and on about how great this show is, the signs do not lie, I think Singin’ in the Rain is really one of the greatest movie musicals ever. It’s more than a musical, it’s a comedy and a love story too. This production manages to capture the spirit of the film and takes it to a whole new level just by adding water.
And as the cast splashed their way gleefully through the curtain call and glitter fell from the roof, I was in my happy place.
So with my face sore from too much smiling and just a little damp from the inclement indoor weather, I stepped back into the cool Melbourne air with a spring in my step and a smile on my face.
