Singin’ in the Rain Official Opening Night in Wellington

Singin’ in the Rain Official Opening Night in Wellington

Report and photos by Megan Gattey.

Singin’ in the Rain, the wet and wonderful musical production all the way from London’s West End, officially opened at St. James Theatre in Wellington last night.

Every performance boasts a downpour of 12,000 litres of water onto the stage. After each show, the water is stored in a reservoir, treated and recycled.

The audience members in the front three rows must wear ponchos, as they are in the splash zone!

Labour leader Andrew Little was looking forward to the show.

“I’m not impartial to to the odd musical,” he said.

Little’s wife Leigh Fitzgerald said at half-time that it was “technically amazing”.

The production maintains the comedy, romance, and fascinating glitz and glam from the world-famous 1952 film, co-directed by Stanley Donen and the film’s star Gene Kelly.

The story details Don Lockwood’s (slow and then all-at-once) rise to fame as one of Hollywood’s most celebrated silent film actors, and the difficulties that presented when silent film was jettisoned for movies with sound.

This career transition is further complicated for Don by the on and off stage rivalry between the leading ladies Lina Lamont and Kathy Selden.

Little said at the interlude, “The man who plays Don Lockwood is incredible.”

That man is Grant Almirall, who recently played Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys. He performed the role of Don with confidence and enduring stamina.

In the same way that Cosmo Kramer’s physical comedy is essential in Seinfeld, Cosmo Brown’s physical comedy is essential in Singin’ in the Rain.

Steven van Wyk performs as Cosmo, Don’s right-hand man, with unabated energy.

The pair perform Moses Supposes, the crowd-pleasing song, with impeccable synchronisation.

Taryn-Lee Hudson is hysterically funny as the airhead film star Lina Lamont with a screechy Noo Yoik accent.

Kathy Selden is played by Bethany Dickson, who recently toured New Zealand as Maria in The Sound of Music.

Dickson portrays a sweet Kathy, and she and Almirall have a natural and believable on stage chemistry.

Make em’ Laugh, Good Morning, and Singin’ in the Rain are just a few of the world-famous songs performed in the show.

Public demand saw Singin’ in the Rain move from Chichister UK to sell-out audiences at the Palace Theatre in London.

The production has been awarded four Olivier Award nominations.

It is produced by David Atkins Enterprises, Michael Cassel Group, Lunchbox Theatrical Productions, Stage Entertainment and Chichester Festival Theatre.

The skill and hard work of everybody involved in this production was astoundingly clear from the very beginning.

The audience showered the cast with applause at the end.

Fortuitously, it had started raining in Wellington by the time the show ended.

Everyone in the audience went home singing in the rain.

Ticketing and show information:

Wellington
14 - 26 April, 2015
St James Theatre
Tickets: Ticketek

Auckland
1 - 24 May, 2015
The Civic
Tickets: Ticketmaster

ENDS

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