Tuesday 30 October 2012

What a glorious feeling...


This week I was fortunate enough to see Singin' in the Rain at the Palace Theatre in London's beloved West End. As the 1952 MGM film is one of my all-time favourites, I was both excited and nervous to see the show. Although the reviews have been nothing short of excellent, I was uncertain as to whether it would be able to reach the very high bar the film had set.

Photo by Lucy of Shiny Thoughts

Boy, was I wrong...

Without gushing everywhere like an unexpectedly heavy rain storm (see what I did there?), Singin' in the Rain was an utter joy. The acting, the dancing, the singin'...all of it was simply incredible. This will probably sound very stupid, but sometimes I forget just how talented people can be, and seeing a whole stage over flowing with it was just astounding. All I'm saying is, I am currently craving tap shoes and a personal sense of rhythm...


The stand out performance for me was Katherine Kingsley as Lina Lamont. Not only did she add her own unique stamp to the character, but she did it with elegance and style. She even had a song that wasn't in the film - definitely a big treat for any Lina Lamont fans out there.

As if that weren't enough, let's talk about one of the most iconic moments in film history being brought to life on the stage. You may think it would be impossible to recreate Don Lockwood singin' and dancin' in the rain with the same excitement and romance that was done in the film, but you'd be wrong. Seeing it rain on stage in itself was something I will not forget in a hurry. Oh, and if you want to see the show but don't fancy getting wet, I wouldn't sit in the first ten rows. Just trust me on that.


The only part that didn't really work for me, and it's a very small part, was the accent of the show's Cathy Selden, played by Scarlett Strallen. While her singing and dancing were all top notch, I felt her over-the-top New York accent went against the whole reason for her character. In the film, Cathy has a gorgeous, silky-smooth voice to contrast the sharp, headache-inducing to voice of Lina, but there were moments in the show when her voice was equally as novelty-sounding. I'm not sure why they chose to go this way for the stage version, but perhaps I'm just too enamoured with the film.

Overall, would I recommend Singin' in the Rain? Heck yes! If you like classic songs, incredible dancing and an all-round great night out, I'm pretty sure you will love the show as much as I did. It would be the perfect family outing, especially with Christmas drawing ever closer...

If you fancy seeing it for yourself, you can book tickets over at www.singinintherain.co.uk.

Until next time, vintage fans...

Much love,

Frankie
Swell Vintage

x

1 comments:

Image consultant William Cane said...


This week I was fortunate enough to see Singin' in the Rain at the Palace Theatre in London's beloved West End. As the 1952 MGM film is one of my all-time favourites, I was both excited and nervous to see the show. Although the reviews have been nothing short of excellent, I was uncertain as to whether it would be able to reach the very high bar the film had set.

Photo by Lucy of Shiny Thoughts

Boy, was I wrong...

Without gushing everywhere like an unexpectedly heavy rain storm (see what I did there?), Singin' in the Rain was an utter joy. The acting, the dancing, the singin'...all of it was simply incredible. This will probably sound very stupid, but sometimes I forget just how talented people can be, and seeing a whole stage over flowing with it was just astounding. All I'm saying is, I am currently craving tap shoes and a personal sense of rhythm...


The stand out performance for me was Katherine Kingsley as Lina Lamont. Not only did she add her own unique stamp to the character, but she did it with elegance and style. She even had a song that wasn't in the film - definitely a big treat for any Lina Lamont fans out there.

As if that weren't enough, let's talk about one of the most iconic moments in film history being brought to life on the stage. You may think it would be impossible to recreate Don Lockwood singin' and dancin' in the rain with the same excitement and romance that was done in the film, but you'd be wrong. Seeing it rain on stage in itself was something I will not forget in a hurry. Oh, and if you want to see the show but don't fancy getting wet, I wouldn't sit in the first ten rows. Just trust me on that.


The only part that didn't really work for me, and it's a very small part, was the accent of the show's Cathy Selden, played by Scarlett Strallen. While her singing and dancing were all top notch, I felt her over-the-top New York accent went against the whole reason for her character. In the film, Cathy has a gorgeous, silky-smooth voice to contrast the sharp, headache-inducing to voice of Lina, but there were moments in the show when her voice was equally as novelty-sounding. I'm not sure why they chose to go this way for the stage version, but perhaps I'm just too enamoured with the film.

Overall, would I recommend Singin' in the Rain? Heck yes! If you like classic songs, incredible dancing and an all-round great night out, I'm pretty sure you will love the show as much as I did. It would be the perfect family outing, especially with Christmas drawing ever closer...

If you fancy seeing it for yourself, you can book tickets over at www.singinintherain.co.uk.

Until next time, vintage fans...

Much love,

Frankie
Swell Vintage

x