Singin' in the Rain
I was first introduced to the film, 'Singin' in the Rain' by
my best friend about ten years ago. She lent me her DVD, I watched it and then
proceeded to dance down the road with ecstatic joy, much to my sister's horror!
I had seen musicals before - I was raised on Disney classics, so was used to
people bursting into song over a trip to the park or a new dress. But this 1952
film, I'm sure, could make even the grumpiest person smile. The wonderful songs
and dances are so uplifting and the whole film is so colourful.
To say I am a fan of Gene Kelly
would be an understatement. I adore him and all of his films. His and Donald
O'Connor's dance numbers in the film are phenomenal. Watching this film all
those years ago has made me a woman possessed! It opened my eyes to a whole era
of films, music and fashion that I have now made it a mission to fill my life
with. The 50s in particular, when Singin in the Rain was made, is my favourite
era for fashion, films and music.
I was lucky enough to be taken to
see the wonderful MGM film adapted for the stage in the Palace Theatre in
London. We sat in the third row, so had a spectacular view of the stage and got
very wet during the famous sequence in the rain!
It was a beautiful production. It
varied from the film in certain places, which, as a fan of the film, I was
unsure about to begin with. However, it worked well on stage and meant that
there were still surprises for people who knew the film by heart, like myself.
The colour pallet was unexpected: I
imagined it would be like the film but the set and the costumes were dark
greys and subtle colours, like a back and white film or a stormy sky. The
only colours that punctuated the monochrome
setting were bright rainbow colours of the jazz age in the Broadway Melody
number near the end.
The character, Cathy was dressed
mainly in wonderful floaty pastel blues and pinks for the majority of the show,
like the clouds when the sun sets. Her dresses were often embellished with gems
so she shimmered when she danced. It was a wonderful touch that made her
character really stand out.
The show was breathtaking from start to finish.
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