What a glorious feeling . . .
The MGM movie musical Singin’ in the Rain was released in 1952. It immediately wowed audiences all over the world and, to this day, is at the top of many movie critics’ lists of favorite films. This outstanding musical, starring Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor, Debbie Reynolds and Jean Hagen, was directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen. Featuring the songs of Nacio Herb Brown and Arthur Freed and a screenplay by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, Singin’ in the Rain is a hilarious, upbeat look at America in the late 1920s as the success of The Jazz Singer made silent pictures passé and “talkies” became all the rage.
The story follows two silent film stars, Don Lockwood and Lina Lamont, whose careers are at stake as the studio attempts to transition into talking pictures and musical productions. Right alongside them is Cosmo Brown, Don’s wisecracking best pal and piano player on the set. There’s just one hitch – eyelash-batting blonde beauty Lina Lamont has an ear-splitting voice, no cncept of diction and no sense of decorum. She can’t sing, she can’t dance and she can’t act, causing Cosmo to remark, “She’s a triple threat.” Luckily, bright-eyed ingénue Kathy Selden turns Don’s head, wins his heart, and steps in to be Lina’s voice behind the scenes.
While many musical films are based on stage musicals, Singin’ in the Rain is an example of the reverse, being a film first, then later adapted for the stage. A few sequences from the film obviously have to be cut for the stage version. This includes the montage of Don’s stunts on the set and Don jumping off of the top of a bus into Kathy’s car for the first time. Don’s backstory of how he and Cosmo grew up together, performing everywhere, is exactly as it is in the original, with the exception of the stage Don being suddenly and simply discovered on a set as opposed to the movie Don being discovered via his work as a stuntman. The medley before “Beautiful Girl” is gone, as is the dance sequence in the middle of “Broadway Melody.” After all, who BUT Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse could ever attempt to recapture that scene?
Luckily, all of the fans’ favorite songs from the film are in the show, as are a few that were not in the film. “You Stepped Out of a Dream” is used in the scene where Don meets Kathy, and its reprise is heard later on. “Moses Supposes” even has a reprise. The extended film soundtrack offers versions of songs like “You Are My Lucky Star,” “Would You?” and “All I Do Is Dream of You” which were not in the movie, and some of those too are heard and seen on stage. Lina gets a solo in the stage version called “What’s Wrong With Me” in an added comedic scene.
Theatergoers who can recite the film will most likely be singin’ and dancin’ in their minds right along with the actors. A good ninety percent of the dialogue is true to the original Comden and Green screenplay, as they did the adaptation for the theatre. Sheryl Donchey, the director and choreographer, did a phenomenal job using most of the original choreography by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, simply modified to fit the stage.
The play debuted in London’s West End in 1983, then graced New York’s Broadway stage in 1985. The Broadway production was nominated for Best Book of a Musical. Don Correia also received a nomination for playing the lead role, Don Lockwood. Faye Grant captured both the Theatre World Award and a Drama Desk Award for her comic portrayal of Lina.
Many times, the most impressive part of the staged production is the setup and execution of the title song. “Singin’ in the Rain” is just that, with would-be rain pouring onto the stage and to the leading man. Yes, it rains indoors. It is no easy feat to have the water come pouring down on stage, let alone tap dance around that slippery stage. This sequence requires a lot of work from the actor, the stage crew, the choreographer, and the architect. When done well, this scene can really take the audience out of their seats.
Recently, there have been a few television commercials which honor the original Singin’ in the Rain movie. Volkswagen combined the original footage with new dance steps, using an upbeat remix of the theme that has also found its way to radio stations and iPods.
General Electric used the famous track as background music while an elephant danced around the screen. JCPenney’s new commercial spot has modern-day average people reenacting famous movie scenes and quoting memorable dialogue. Look for a man with an umbrella dancing happily in the street. It is not Gene Kelly, but it is a nice nod to a legendary film.
