[NEohioPAL]Berko review: SINGIN' IN THE RAIN (Carousel Dinner Theatre)

[Roy Berko]

The sun almost shines at SINGING IN THE RAIN at
Carousel

Roy Berko

(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)

--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--

Lorain County Times--Westlaker Times--Lakewood News
Times--Olmsted-Fairview Times	

A recent survey revealed that the five most liked
movie musicals are ‘CHICAGO,’ ‘WEST SIDE STORY,’ ‘THE
SOUND OF MUSIC,’ ‘THE WIZARD OF OZ,’ and ‘SINGING IN
THE RAIN.’  The first three were original plays which
transformed into cinematic form.  The latter two were
transformed from the silver screen to the stage. 
While Oz is an enchanting story with lots of societal
implications, Rain is a piece of escapism that was
brought to fame because of the wonderful performances
of Donald O’Connor, Debbie Reynolds and Gene Kelly.  

The story is based at a time when Hollywood was making
the transition from silent films to talkies.  Don
Lockwood and Lina Lamont are the king and queen of the
silent screen.  (Think Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. and Mary
Pickford.)  Unfortunately, after the ‘JAZZ SINGER’
became a hit, the day of the silent film was gone. 
Lamont, a dumb blond with a squealing voice, can’t
make the transition, so an idea is hatched to have the
charming and vocally proficient Kathy Seldon lip-sinc
for her.  As happens in feel-good musicals, all turns
out well as Lamont is revealed for what she is, and
Seldon winds up with stardom and Lockwood.

Macio Herb Brown and Arthur Freed’s musical score is
filled with audience pleasers including “Fit as a
Fiddle,” “You Stepped out of a Dream,” “You Were Meant
for Me,” “Good Morning,” and “Would You.”

Because of a slightness of the Betty Comden and Adolph
Green plot, the stage version, which closely follows
the movie story line, must have three super talents to
pull it off.  The Carousel Dinner Theatre production
does have two of the necessary three.  Amanda Rose is
pretty, charming and gifted.  Her Kathy is delightful.
 Richard Strimer is wonderful as Cosmo, the Donald
O’Connor character.  He sings, dances and clowns well.
 His only clunker is the usually delightful “Make “Em
Laugh’ which fails to amuse.  It isn’t his fault, he
gives his all, but the segment is poorly conceived by
director/choreographer Marc Robbin.  

The missing performance element is the character of
Don Lockwood, the Gene Kelly role. This is a case of
miscasting.  Curt Dale Clark doesn’t physically look
like nor does he effectively act the role of the
handsome and charming swashbuckler.  He has an
adequate singing voice and his dancing leaves much to
be desired.  In comparison to Strimer, who lights up
the stage, the chunky Clark barely lifts his feet.  In
the usually wonderful “Singin’ in the Rain” number he
spends most of his time splashing  the audience with
water.  None of the Gene Kelly magic here.

Besides the performances of Strimer and Rose, the
Carousel show does have many other positives.  Rain,
yes real rain, falls on the stage several times.  The
patrons in the first several rows have been given
slickers so they don’t get totally soaked.  The wet
gimmick is a sure audience pleaser.

In addition, Barbara Helms is wonderfully obnoxious as
the scheming Lina Lamont and Dominic Sheahan-Stahl
displays a fine voice in “You Are My Lucky Star.”  The
singing and dancing choruses are fine.

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT:   Carousel’s ‘SINGING IN THE RAIN’
has enough laughs and gimmicks to please most audience
members.  Too bad for the miscasting of the lead male
role.  With the right person in that part, this could
have been a total winning production.

‘SINGING IN THE RAIN’ runs through January 6.  For
tickets  call 800-362-4100.  Show times are Tuesday
through Thursday evenings at 8:00 p.m., Friday and
Saturday evenings at 8:30 p.m. and Sunday evenings at
5 and Wednesday and Saturday matinees at 2 P.M. 
Matinees are on Wednesday and Saturday at 2.


Roy Berko's theatre blog, which includes reviews of all recent plays, can be found at http://royberkinfo.blogspot.com  
      Information regarding his consulting and publications and older theatre reviews can be found at www.royberko.info.  
      Roy's theatre and dance reviews appear regularly on NeOHIOpal, an on-line source.   To subscribe to this free service via the World Wide Web, visit http://lists.fredsternfeld.com/mailman/listinfo/neohiopal.


 
____________________________________________________________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Everyone is raving about the all-new Yahoo! Mail beta.
http://new.mail.yahoo.com