|
||
|
Disclaimer:
The reviewers' opinions are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TheatreLouisville.org. |
Reviews
Singin' In The Rain Book by Betty Comden and Adolph Green
Reviewed by Craig Nolan Highley Entire contents are copyright © 2009, Craig Nolan Highley. All rights reserved.
Things got off to a rocky start for me at the opening night performance of Singin' In The Rain, Music Theatre Louisville's current production at the Bomhard Theatre at the Kentucky Center for the Arts. MTL apparently did not leave the reviewer tickets at the box office as they normally do, but the Kentucky Center graciously took my word for it and gave me a ticket anyway. The trouble is, the last-minute seating put me at the far right of the auditorium, giving me a poor view of the entire first act. Luckily I was able to move to better seating for Act II since there were quite a few available seats. Fortunately, the show was so great it put all the ill-feeling right out of my mind! The performances for the most part were top-notch, starting with the stellar performance by Pete Lay in the lead. As Don Lockwood, a silent movie star about to break into sound pictures, Lay is in fine voice and an incredible dancer. His shining moment, the title number, is a perfect showcase for his talent. Carmen Napier and Abigail Bailey Maupin, as Kathy Selden and Lina Lamont, respectively, were also spectacular. As the two women in Don’s life (Kathy, his spirited, golden-throated love, and Lina, his bitchy, vain and harpy-voiced co-star) both ladies knock the characters out of the park. The two roles as written could come off as cartoonish, but Napier and Maupin imbue them with such warmth and wit they become real, even during the musical numbers! The only disappointment in the cast would be Dustin Rayburn as Cosmo Brown, Don’s best friend and the show’s comic relief. The role demands a strong song-and-dance man, which Rayburn undoubtedly is, but also a strong physical comedian, which sadly, Rayburn is not. The "Make 'Em Laugh" number, which should have been his showcase, instead left me feeling uncomfortably bad for him. He nailed the choreography, but was just trying too hard to be funny and it was clearly not coming naturally. He acquits himself much better in his pairings with Lay, especially the "Moses Supposes" song. By far the best thing about the show was Barbara F. Cullen's amazing choreography. The "Moses Supposes", "Broadway Melody" and title numbers were quite simply some of the best dance sequences I think I have ever seen in a locally produced theater production! Jon Huffman's direction keeps the show moving at a brisk pace and Eric Allgeier's set design is amazing, highlighted beautifully by Ron Breedlove's lighting. Also worth noting are some great video bits displayed on a huge movie screen at the back of the stage. One minor (or maybe not-so-minor) quibble: the title number was almost ruined for me by MTL's decision to use rice instead of water to simulate rain. The trick just didn't work for me; the falling rice sort of looked like rain (if you squinted your eyes just right) but the sight of it bouncing off the stage and creating what looked like snow on the floor just totally took me out of the illusion. I understand there were logistic reasons for not using water, but it begs the question: why would a company choose Singin' In The Rain as a production when they can't make it rain on stage? It's like The Phantom of the Opera without the falling chandelier! Overall, though, Music Theatre Louisville's current production of Singin' In The Rain is a fun, raucous evening of entertainment, and you could do worse for something to do on a summer evening.
Singin' In The Rain July 10 - 19, 2009 Tickets: 502.584.7777
Featuring R. Jesse Barfield, Ashley Burger, Katie Campbell, Kymberly Falcone, Gylf Forsberg, Eric Hoffmann, Zac Holman, Marlea Jenkins, Erin Kommor, Pete Lay, Abigail Bailey Maupin, Gregory Maupin, Carmen Napier, Kathleen Niemann, Michelle Oppel, Tom Ording, Dustin Rayburn, Rosalita, Eric Rush, Tyler Sarkis, Robert Sharkey, Leslie Spitznagel, Carly Stotts, Sean Sullivan, C. Kevin Swansey, and Greg Wood. Musical Director – Bill Corcoran Choreographer – Barbara F. Cullen
|
|