'Singin’ in the Rain'; a movie musical that surely
everyone has seen? There is a reason this film has been voted as one of the
greatest musicals ever made. For those of you that haven’t seen the film; stop
what you are doing right now, whatever that may be, and load it onto the
biggest screen you own (a phone or tablet screen will not do this film
justice!). My memories of this musical are fond, having performed it in school
at the age of thirteen and having watched it countless times since. So it is
safe to say I had very high expectations for the stage version at Manchester’s
Opera House. And I am pleased to say that those expectations were met and at
times even exceeded.
A quick glance
through the programme is enough to see the sheer number of creatives involved
in this timeless classic; from performers, to sound and video designers, to wig
supervisors, and of course a live orchestra. The choreography from Andrew Wright
was second to none, and flawlessly combined the classic moves from the film
that we all expect and adore alongside some new and innovative sequences. The
ensemble dances in particular were mesmerising, I was almost in a sort of
trance watching the performers glide effortlessly and energetically around one
another. The fantastical dance sequence that accompanied the number, 'Got To
Dance' was so full of content, and with so many dance styles all executed
with what seemed like ease and confidence, it was easily one of the highlights
of the two and a half hours.
All 27 cast members
deserve a standing ovation (which they received in abundance tonight), but
special mention of course must go to the four main cast members. Adam Cooper’s
Don Lockwood portrayed all the air and grace of a 1950's Hollywood icon, second
only to Gene Kelly himself. Charlotte Gooch seemed almost to swim across the
stage as Kathy Seldon, with an unfaltering and melodic voice that went along
with it. Cooper and Gooch’s on stage chemistry was also a wonder to behold. Ross
McLaren played the joker, Cosmo Brown, eliciting laughs at almost every other
word. We cannot mention McLaren’s performance without talking about his
addictive rendition of 'Make ‘Em Laugh'. How he had any breath left to
sing whilst he was running around the stage and performing a multitude of
stunts is beyond me. And last but by no means least; the annoying and selfish
Lina Lamont was played perfectly by Jenny Gayner. Her physical and vocal humour
made her shine brighter than the character in the 1952 film. She even had her
own musical number, which was of course horribly out of tune, but we loved it
all the more for that. These four performers were at the forefront of a very
strong cast and crew.
Director Jonathan
Church took on a seemingly humungous task here, but from his resume I can see
Church is a veteran of the theatre and humungous tasks are what he does best.
To bring a vision as bright and glamorous as this one to life was, I am sure,
no small feat. Church took us back to a gloriously nostalgic era in cinema
history where we felt Hollywood was all around us.
The only thing that
could have possibly made this production better? If Church were to resurrect
Gene Kelly himself and force him into a pair of tap shoes. But Gene Kelly
aside; what a glorious feeling indeed! I will go to sleep tonight still smiling
and humming the lyrics.
Reviewer - Megan Relph
on - 10.5.22
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