Singin' in the Rain and Meet Me in St.Louis on Broadway?

Saw them, and both were underwhelming for me.
#1 problem: I believe both were at that ugly depressing barn, the Gershwin Theatre.

Singin in the Rain was directed and choreographed by Twyla, her first Bway undertaking, and it just wasn't all that creative imo. The film was so great because of great editing, not so much on stage. The girl who played Kathy had a lovely singing voice, and Don Correia was alright as Don L, but just not any real pizazz. Good hoofer, though. The RAIN was the best part (and that's not exactly a good thing... - scenery by Loquasto, I believe-very nice, but overshadowed the fantasy element that imbued the film. Anyway, the film is such perfection, imho, so ANY stage version pales in comparison, I guess.

Meet Me in St. Louis. Another example of huge money thrown on the stage, with no real magic there. Great music, of course. Not really familiar with the creators of this stage version, but it really needed the Hal Prince treatment. Also, (The Trolley Song w/o Judy stinks!).

The 80s were the era of big, fancy scenery driven musicals - i.e. Phantom, Saigon, Cats, etc.

Not much more I can remember of these 2 musicals.

Updated On: 4/19/12 at 04:04 AM

One also needs a FULL pit orch for these shows! not some elctronic crap.(My pet peeve being a musician myself)

Singin' in the Rain was the first Broadway musical Twyla Tharp directed and choreographed. There was a big New York Magazine piece about its troubles - as I recall, the production began previews with Twyla's own choreography and a show that diverged more from the original film, but she was forced to recreate the film's choreography, as audiences were disappointed not to see the dances they remembered. And film choreography recreated on stage can't benefit from the edits and camera movement that make it exciting on film. It opened without much of a point of view or reason for existing. (It also had a truly hideous WTF logo/title treatment). Also, despite the talents of Don Correia, Mary D'Arcy and Peter Slutsker, are you willing to pay Broadway prices to see them, when you could rent the movie and see Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds and Donald O'Connor for less?



And here's "Good Morning"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opxK-G-S2kE

"Fit as a Fiddle"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6Lm8QUmleo

"Moses Supposes"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OV6iOwmoySw&context=C49e23fcADvjVQa1PpcFPl7KSe7Sj0KojdPGi-4cooh7l7dLwIToQ=

and "Singin' in the Rain"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvDHPFqvNVQ&feature=related

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The first public performance of Singin' was also the first time the show had been run. Effectively, it was the tech rehearsal, before a paying audience. I remember two problems. Since it was the first time the rain sequence had been run, they didn't know you had to HEAT the water (it dropped about 20 degrees Fahrenheit as it fell) AND no one had realized that Don had to show up in the next scene immediately and dry... The other leads went into the next scene saying, "Well, if Don were here, I bet he would say..." and then about 5 min in, Don entered still drying himself with a towel and shivering from head to toe...
Two sets of water heaters were installed. One below the stage and a set above in the flys.
They also had a horrible time getting a phone installed in Don's dressing room (phones used to have chords in olden days) because NYTelephone had no record of a Gershwin Theater existing anywhere in the city. It took months, the phone company kept saying it was a prank and they weren't falling for it.
As I remember, Twyla reproduced the movie choreography from the very start. She used her own style in the new scenes.

I only saw SINGING IN THE RAIN in Pittsburgh, but it starred Lara Teeter, no slouch in the dance department.

It wasn't bad, but I just didn't get the point. It wasn't going to equal the movie, so why not just watch the movie?

I think Smaxie identifies the problem above: audiences are disappointed if they don't get the choreography, songs, etc., that they already know, yet if all they get is what they already know, why bother?

I believe the two projects discussed in this thread are what posters mean when they complain about musical adaptations of films.

Singin' in the Rain made a common error when it decided that the movie had to be recreated on stage instead of adapted. It never delighted and was earthbound because there was no 'wow' factor except for a title song rainstorm that was step-for-step from the film. Because of the amount of water, I think it was pre-recorded. No mike, no matter how well wrapped, could have stood up to this deluge.

Meet Me in St. Louis was a trifle better because while the show matched the film scene for scene, there was additional work provided. And there was a lot of heart provided by Betty Garrett.

Both shows lacked heart. They seemed mechanical, and more than a little dull.

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Good points, newintown and WOSQ. 5 songs wasn't necessarily unusual for a film musical of the period, it isn't nearly enough to make a stage score.

Although I didn't see the stage version, it might also be added that MEET ME isn't really a "play" either. It's more a collection of "life tableaus" over the course of a year. Film can handle that because the camera becomes the unifying element and also supplies the momentum; I don't think that sort of thing works as well on stage.

I saw Singin in the Rain in London's West End. I loved it, but it was very similar to the film. The cast was excellent, especially the actress playing Lina Lamont!

Video of the new West End production
http://www.singinintherain.co.uk/

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Thanks for that link!

Just saw the original logo for the Broadway Singin'--who the F designed that?? Bizarre--it looks like it should be Once on this Island or something.

re: the graphic

It was the best of design, it was the worst of design. That year began a revolution as computers made ordinary citizens into designers.

In every revolutions, there are victims of torture. This logo was one. You should see the rejects.

I recall seeing "Singin' in the Rain". I think I went with a friend who had comp tickets -- the producers were trying fill the house during previews.

I remember the rain sequence as being the highlight of the show.

I also remember that every scene ended with a blackout instead of scene transitions. I don't know if that was changed before the opening.-