Plucky cast tackles ‘Singin’ in the Rain’

HAND someone and umbrella and point them in the direction of a lamp post and there’s a very good chance they’ll burst into song as they swing themselves around – no matter the weather.

Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen’s 1952 musical Singin’ in the Rain has struck a chord with audiences over the decades and has been brought to the stage time and time again since. Now, thanks to producer and presenter Pieter Toerien, Capetonians will be able to enjoy it live at Artscape from December 11 to January 12.

“I think it’s one of the happiest shows you will ever find in a theatre,” says UK producer James Cundall. “The movie is possibly the best known musical film ever made. There’s got to be a reason for that, and that is just that it’s fun and it makes the audience happy.”

UK-based Cundall is taking the South African production overseas between April and November as it travels to New Zealand, Hong Kong and Singapore.

“We live in a world where ‘feel good’ is so important,” he says. “All of us lead much busier lives than 30 or 40 years ago. Leisure time is at a premium, as is the leisure Rand or Pound. Our job as producers is to respect peoples’ time and money. We have to give people a really great time out.”

He says that that is one of the things he is most passionate about – respecting his audiences. “We’re the custodians of live entertainment. Have to hand it on in a better condition than we found it.”

Not only did the South African cast need to live up to the “triple threat” requirements of mastering singing, dancing and comedy, but Cundall say the show in general is brutal. He relates that while the 1952 classic was being filmed Debbie Reynolds’ feet were bleeding after shooting the Good Morning dance and thanks to smoking four packs of cigarettes a day, Donald O’Connor had to be hospitalised after shooting Make ‘em Laugh.

This staging faithfully recreates that choreography. “And these guys are recreating that eight times a week with no break,” says Cundall. When a new cast starts work on the musical, he adds, you can almost guarantee there will be tears in the first few weeks. “It’s about as brutal as you can put a performer through.”

Casting the right people was one of the biggest challenges, they didn’t need only three performers who could sing, dance and act – they needed nine. On top of that, Singin’ in the Rain also calls for the recreation of silent movie footage. That was one of the trickiest things to get right. With City Hall as a location, the actors had to learn to master the over dramatisation and nuances that made the silent movies so distinctive

Bethany Dickson plays aspiring actress Kathy Selden alongside Grant Almirall who plays Don Lockwood. Also on the bill are Steven van Wyk as Cosmo Brown, James Borthwick as RF Simpson, Mark Richardson as Roscoe Dexter and Anne Power as Dora.

“Lina Lamont was a very hard role to cast. She was cast very late and we were getting incredibly neurotic about whether we were going to find her,” he says, adding that he’s really pleased with Taryn-Lee Hudson.

“You have to have clever timing. She’s a silent movie star who is a goddess, but has the most terrible voice. It’s a pivotal role. She’s got this squeaky voice and she’s got to maintain it the whole way through.”

On the whole Cundall is impressed with the level of performers in South Africa. “Pieter Toerien and a few of us have worked very hard to create bigger musicals to export. There’s a real thriving industry of excellent performers, musicians and stage crew here, and people like Pieter allow this talent to grow.”

Mounting the production in several countries isn’t easy, and brings its own logistical problems, but the exposure South African industry is getting is invaluable. “I’m labouring the point about South African talent being exported and showcased, but that can only be a good thing. It’s not easy, it’s a big undertaking and we have teams in New Zealand, South Africa and the UK,” he says. “We’re very lucky to have in Pieter Toerien someone who understands that they’re not cheap, that they require a very big investment, and that it’s only by combining a few countries that you can make them work.”

Logistics aside, Cundall says that ultimately audiences love Singin’ in the Rain. “I defy anyone to go and come out not feeling better than they did when they went in. It’s incredibly funny. It has that wonderful song Make ‘em Laugh, which is exactly what the whole show does. It’s a good comedic night out, with good songs everyone knows and incredible dancing.”

And it’s got rain – 12 000 litres of it. “It’s a challenge, but it’s a manageable challenge. There is a team of very clever people who specialise in rain.”

Cundall muses that perhaps there’s something about the show that takes us back to that first time we jumped in a puddle as a child, or perhaps it brings back memories of the first time we ever just stood in the rain.

The first three rows are designated as the “splash zone” where patrons may get wet. Tickets: from R100, 0861 915 8000.

There’s a real thriving industry of excellent performers, stage crew and musicians here