Singin' in the Rain

[renthead92]

Posted: 8/11/06 at 6:15pm

Hey!
Last night I saw a production of Singin' in the Rain at the Chanhassen Dinner Theater here in MN, and it was amazing! The dancing was great, the singing was excellent, the sets were perfect. It was just a really fun time. Has anybody else seen this show? What did you think of it? Also, why didn't this show last long on Broadway? Was it really bad? Here's a link to a preview video for the production I saw: http://www.chanhassentheatres.com/whats_playing/

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 8/11/06 at 6:49pm

Critics do not like when Hollywood musicals are staged

Examples such as Gigi & Meet Me In St Louis were not well received

[best12bars]

Posted: 8/11/06 at 8:18pm

As I recall it got pretty bad reviews.

People didn't like much about it except for Faye Grant (who played Lina Lamont)... and the fact that it rained on stage.

[Color and Light]

Posted: 8/11/06 at 8:23pm

I saw a really terrible dinner theater production of this several years ago. I didn't want to hate it - I've seen the film more times than I should probably admit, but perhaps that's what made the dinner theater production even more terrible. Nobody will ever be Gene or ... Donald O'Connor! ::beams at avatar::

[bwayboi4life42]

Posted: 8/11/06 at 8:24pm

Also, Bette Comden and Adolf Greene hated the stage version.

Everybody needs to read "The Art of the American Musical." It has some really great interviews in it with composers, director, and choreographers, and Comden and Greene were two of the people they intereviewed.

They said SINGIN' IN THE RAIN worked so well as a movie because the show was about movie-making, and because of Gene Kelly's brilliantness. They were not pleased about it transfering to the stage.

[best12bars]

Posted: 8/11/06 at 8:29pm

renthead92---I'm glad you saw a great production of it on stage, though.

The problem wouldn't be in the material, as I'm sure anyone could have guessed going into the theatre.

[renthead92]

Posted: 8/12/06 at 8:53am

Thanks to you all for your help! And, Color and Light, the Cosmo in this production was a lot like Donald's Cosmo. It was really weird.

[Parks]

Posted: 8/12/06 at 9:38am

Supposedly, the version that was on Broadway was not like the movie version. Different songs and whatnot and people didn't like it. The version that is being released now is much closer to the movie version (with a new song added for Lina, "What's Wrong With Me?"). We did Singin' In The Rain last year at my high school and everyone loved it. I personally think they should do a revival of the show--but with the new version. People say it wouldn't make money, but it is one of the most well-known musicals of all time. Everyone has seen the movie--I bet it would do well.

[allofmylife]

Posted: 8/12/06 at 10:46pm

The show was mounted at The Uris because of a wildly successful production at The London Palladium starring Tommy Steel. I saw it and it was fantastic!!!! The highlight, (besides seeing Tommy tapping again) was Roy Castle. He's gone now, but as Cosmo, he gave an amazing performance. During "Be A Clown" (which they used as a sop to the Cole Porter estate, Arthur Freed having "borrowed" the melody) Castle tapped and did back flips - while juggling and never dropping a ball. What a talent. I wish you had seen him.

The show in London had a big number for Lina Lamont: "Temptation" which is the ultimate vamp number. Freed, apparently thought that one up all by himself.

[Katurian2]

Posted: 8/12/06 at 10:53pm

That's funny; a dinner theatre in my town is doing this season as well. It is a very low-tech place, with seats right up against the satge, so I am wondering how they will pull off the rain.

Updated On: 8/12/06 at 10:53 PM

[renthead92]

Posted: 8/12/06 at 11:38pm

Katurian2- In this production, they didn't actually use rain. The title song, along with Good Morning, took place in the film studio. Don just turned a knob on the special effects system, and then silver confetti came down. But, it actually looked like rain.

[sidneybruhl]

Posted: 8/13/06 at 12:00am

renthead92--thanks for posting the link to the vid clip. I really thought the set design was interesting.

[ActingAndy]

Posted: 8/13/06 at 1:13am

the st. louis muny has singn' in the rain as one of its regular shows (every 5 years or show) and its always great, they have it rain onstage for the show.. its soo cool

[pianoman215]

Posted: 8/13/06 at 1:14am

I enjoyed the show when it played on Broadway years ago.

[BrightEyedInNYC]

Posted: 8/13/06 at 1:16am

i just finished playing Kathy Selden in this show a week ago. it was incredible. and i was very surprised at how close it was to the movie with the addition of whats wrong with me and you stepped out of a dream (the latter which we cut because it is totally unmotivated and makes no sense where it is in the script). also, when kathy is behind the curtain in the end singing for lina, kathy is singing would you instead of singin in the rain (which does make sense. it always annoyed me in the movie because how would lina know this song, how would kathy know this song, and how would the conducter know this song. would you is in the silent film that was premiered so obviosly, all of the above know it.) we had over 20 special effects complete with popping out of the cake, pie in the face, couch tipping in good morning, we filmed the silent films, and, of course, we had real RAIN! and our set was pretty awesome. it's hard to explain, but we had the "HOLLYWOOD" sign on our stage. each letter a wagon that could move (ex. the inside of the D was used as simpsons office, etc.) and we had platforms that extended above and beyond the stage...ah, thinking about it makes me so excited. we were blessed to have sold out every show. i can't believe it's over. ""sigh""

RENTHEAD-i just watched the clip. looks like it was fabulous! why is kathy singing broadway rhythm? why was she in that dance? just wondering

[renthead92]

Posted: 8/13/06 at 10:58am

sidneybruhl- No problem. The set desing is very intersting. It's a bunch of film reels, with film strips that have the faces of silent film stars on them.

BrightEyedInNYC- First off, congrats of getting the part of Kathy. That must have been a very fun part. Also, Kathy in this production is in Broadway Rhythm. I don't know if it was like this in your production, but the whole sequence is just what Cosmo is imagining and telling R.F. Simpson and the Director.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 8/13/06 at 11:02am

The problem with trying to adapt it for the stage is akin to doing a movie remake

It is a classic so how do you refilm or stage a classic. You cannot. I can see trying to stage it as opposed to refilming it. You try & recreate some of the magic on stage but go into it ( as the audience ) & try not to compare it to the film. If you compare, you automatically will not like the stage version. Go into it with a clean slate & you will probably like it better

[Dover]

Posted: 8/13/06 at 12:12pm

A stock theatre I work for has done it, and it was a HUGE hit for them, I think maybe their biggest hit ever. I don't know the show at all, but I had never really heard of it being done before that. Sounds like it's kind of popular in stock/regional/dinner theatres, though. Rumor has it they may do it again next year. Part of me is curious, and part of me wants to run away screaming in terror because the crew who did it last time tells horror stories about what a monster of a show it is technically.

[allofmylife]

Posted: 8/13/06 at 12:15pm

BTW, the London production struggled for weeks to get the rain right. It just never looked good until some old stage hand - a real pro - said "use milk" and from then on, the rain sequence was amazing. But the smell on matinee days was pretty bad backstage I hear.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 8/13/06 at 12:35pm

They used milk in the rain sequence in the movie as well

[BrightEyedInNYC]

Posted: 8/13/06 at 2:55pm

RENTHEAD- that's neat. broadway rhythm is as you said-cosmo imagining the sequence in simpson's office, but kathy's not in it i suppose because she is just dubbing for lina's voice in this film. their original plan was to not let lina know she was on the lot at all, so if she was in broadway rhythm, of course lina would have a much greater chance in finding out that kathy is in fact a large part of the film. so having kathy in it is a bit of a contradiction, but i like it because i got so tired of sitting out and watching the entire cast besides lina and myself dance their hearts out. lol. but hey, i ain't complaining! kathy was such a fun role to play!

[TomMonster]

Posted: 8/13/06 at 4:04pm

I saw the Broadway version and enjoyed it for the most part. The rain sequence was pretty amazing! Not sure if they used milk though, because that year NYC was in a major drought and the producers made it very clear that the water used during the rain sequence was recycled each night. They might have "milked" it a bit with an opaque die or something...

I'm shocked to hear how often this show is done and the venues in which it's played. Dinner Theatre? Wouldn't your fries get soggy?

[BrightEyedInNYC]

Posted: 8/13/06 at 4:09pm

we didn't use milk. we just had an incredible lighting designer. and we did recycle the rain.

[Parks]

Posted: 8/13/06 at 4:14pm

We used lighting in our show. Looked horrible. No water touched the stage.