If I had to sum it up in 5 seconds: “A vibrant preview that promises an entertaining run of shows!” Ultimately its because its all about the performances. In this preliminary showing of Singin’ In the Rain, each of the leads distinguished themselves through energetic performances that promise to engage the audience from the get-go.
Based on the 1952 film of the same name, Singin’ In the Rain is a musical about several film makers attempting to save their initially silent, but subsequently talkie film, from becoming a flop. Expect a lot of meta-humour, offering commentary on the trials and tribulations of the business and a self-aware involvement of the audience in its comedy. Lina, the glorious star of the silent era played by Annabel Reed, finds the transition to the talkies a shock to the system, as hilariously shown in the song ‘What’s wrong with me?’ – the answer to which is, to put it nicely, her voice is not quite fit for movies with sound… She finds herself usurped by a young actor named Kathy, played by Kathy Peacock; who though still only an aspiring actor, finds her talents more and more in demand – namely, her voice; a voice which is showcased to great effect throughout the musical. The songwriting is indeed sufficiently up to standard to satisfy any muso in the audience.
Left to save the film from the disaster caused by Lina’s inability to sing are the two male leads; Don and Cosmo (played by James Hyde and Niall Doherty respectively). Don provides the romantic plotline through his developing affection for Kathy (not that Lina, her competitor, is happy about this…) and Cosmo provides a vitality to the musical, acting as a riveting rapport with the other leads. Both are charismatically acted, and with the added tap-dancing and singing abilities, we can expect them to be a huge success come next week.
These leads are well supported in turn by a talented group of backing dancers that all equally provide their share of exuberant enthusiasm to the show. The singing throughout is of a top quality, often funny (as with Lina) and often tender (as with Don and Kathy). Each of the actors combines their talents well into a multi-faceted performance that does not fail to lose the attention of the audience. All of this is brought together successfully by director Naomi Morris, who here manages to hold the energy of all the aspects of the musical into a cohesive and entertaining whole – with the addition of the as-yet-unseen special effects and design, which promises, amongst other things, a live orchestra and real rain.
In short, all that is left to see is how well this preview translates into success on the stage.
