Don Lockwood - James Leece
Kathy Selden - Amy Ellen Richardson
Cosmo Brown - Stephanie Anelli
R F Simpson - Maxwell Caulfield
Lima Lamont - Vicky Binns
Dora Bailey/Miss Dinsmore - Jacqueline Clarke
Roscoe Dexter - Paul Grunert
In 1927, Don Lockwood and Lina Lamont are a famous on-screen romantic pair. Lina, however, mistakes the on-screen romance for real love. Don has worked hard to get where he is today, with his former partner Cosmo. When Don and Lina's latest film is transformed into a musical, Don has the perfect voice for the songs. But Lina - well, even with the best efforts of a diction coach, they still decide to dub over her voice. Kathy Selden, an aspiring actress is brought in, and while she is working on the movie, Don falls in love with her.
I wasn't sure what to expect when I went to see this musical. Having only ever seen the 1952 film, I didn't know how it would be transferred onto stage.
The show was definitely much better than what I had been imagining. The singing was great, and when it came to the dancing, there was not one person on the stage who was out of time.
James Leece as Don Lockwood and Amy Ellen Richardson both bring a lot of talent to each of their roles, and create a loveable pairing. Vicky Binns gets a lot of the laughs as the troublesome, yet harmless, Lina Lamont. She is spot on with comic timing, especially in the film clips that are shown. Personally, I enjoyed Stephane Anelli as Cosmo Brown the most. He has great delivery of one liners and almost steals the show in ‘Make Em Laugh’.
Like the movie, Singin’ in the Rain the stage show delivered all-singing, all-dancing entertainment, with help from a highly talented cast. James Leece clearly had fun during the title track ‘Singin’ in the rain, where Don dances in the street and swings from lampposts, kicking puddles of water all over the first few rows - which fortunately made the whole audience laugh. The songs and dance routines including the great 1920s costumes brought the performance to life.
The buzz from the audience was obvious from the start, with everyone clearly enjoying it from beginning to the end. The standing ovation at the end just showed how loved this musical is.
