One of the most joyous pieces of musical theater anywhere has to be the performance of the title song in “Singin’ in the Rain.”
Our hero, silent film star Don Lockwood, played by Timothy Ford, is a young man in the early stages of new love. He leaves the movie studio in the pouring rain, but he just doesn’t care — he’s in love. He patters through the opening bars of the song — the familiar “Doo-dloo-doo-doo-doo” — and the rain comes down. By the time he gets to “I’m singing in the rain, just singing in the rain,” it’s a virtual downpour. But it’s not virtual. It’s really raining. On stage. Hard enough to create puddles to add gleeful splashing to the choreography and hard enough rain to thoroughly soak his three-piece suit.
He dances around the stage, paying no mind to the weather, encounters others huddled under their umbrellas, faces a frowning policeman and playfully flipped the moisture from his umbrella onto audience members seated stage side for a laugh.
“Singin’ in the Rain,” playing now through May 26 at Beef & Boards, 9301 Michigan Road, is the rags-to-riches story of chorus girl Kathy Selden (Kimberly Doreen Burns) who meets silent film star Don Lockwood and wins his affections — much to the chagrin of Lockwood’s on-screen co-star, Lina Lamont (Sarah Hund). Lockwood and Lamont are about to make the jump from the silent screen to talkies, but there’s a problem. Lockwood turns to Selden to help solve the problem, which only heightens Lamont’s jealousy, and she attempts to seek revenge.
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Buddy Reeder, as Cosmo Brown, fills the shoes of the comic sidekick to Ford’s romantic lead Don Lockwood. Reeder’s outstanding characterization channeled not only Donald O’Connor (who essayed the part in film), but Jerry Lewis as well, with his dance skills, physical humor and comedic timing. He turned in a performance to warm hearts and win affections, only stopping short of leaving the audience wondering why he didn’t get the girl in this musical romance instead of Lockwood.
The irrepressible Eddie Curry portrays Roscoe Dexter, the director who made Lina Lamont and Don Lockwood into film stars. He –and his flexible face — steal the scene as he tries to coax Lina Lamont through the transition from a silent film star to starring in her first “talkie.” Although Lamont is a gorgeous and talented pantomimist, her horrifically squeaky Brooklynese twang would soon make her the laughing stock of the film industry.
One would imagine that Hund’s Lina Lamont voice would quickly wear out the ear and become annoying, but that’s not the case. Instead, the nuance and variety of her delivery are delightful. The audience stays engaged, hanging on every sentence, waiting to hear just how she’ll mangle the English language with each utterance.
Beef & Boards doesn’t miss an opportunity to add detail. During the screening of Lina and Don’s film — a grainy black and white throwback — the audience could clearly hear the nostalgic click-whirr of a movie projector.
The top-notch costumes hit a high note during “Make ‘em Laugh,” when the chorus came out in flaming red: the women in sequins and chiffon, and the men in bright red suits and red and white wing tip shoes. And Jill Kelly Howe must have worked overtime to find waterproof material for the construction of Don Lockwood’s suit for his dance in the rain.
“Singin’ in the Rain” is nothing short of delightful and will leave you smiling and humming—rain or shine — as you leave the theater.
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“Singin’ In the Rain” plays at Beef & Board Dinner Theatre, 9301 Michigan Road, through May 26. Visit beefandboards.com for more information. Call 317-872-9664 to order tickets.
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