by Emma Peterson
For the past two years, Ottawa School of Theatre has held the Teen Theatre Appreciation & Criticism class, allowing students to attend at least eight plays in Ottawa by local theatre companies around the city, in a variety of venues and in both official languages . Through drama exercises and text exploration, students learned to appreciate the acting and design work involved in producing a show. Students also had the chance to learn directly from a theatre critic how to analyse plays and writing with insightful criticism. The class culminates in each student having the opportunity to publish a play review for the public. What follows is a review written by one of this year’s students.
Under the blinding lights of Hollywood’s most notorious movies and the watchful eyes of obsessed fans, Don Lockwood engages the audience through lively music numbers, slapstick comedy bits, and a partner he’s not too fond of, all to bring the classic young love he’s been dreaming of to life.
Originally written by Betty Comden and Adolph Green and directed by Kodi Cannon, Orpheus Musical Theatre’s Singin’ in the Rain is a delightful musical that works hard to create a fun atmosphere that grabs the audience’s attention. The story follows Don Lockwood (Brendan Finnerty), the heartthrob of American cinema, and Lina Lamont (Sarah Cousineau), the less adored heroine on set. With the help of Don’s best friend, Cosmo Brown (Mercedes Rivoire), his former dance partner and current music consultant, and an endless supply of fans, it seems as though nothing could stop this duo’s rise in Hollywood. Their star power and fairytale romance captivate the masses and bring the audience on a journey through the most elite part of show business. However, after Don finds himself in an unconventional meet-cute with actor Kathy Selden (Rachel G. MacPhee), which ends all too poorly, he starts to question whether he’s cut out for this bustling life after all. With a new age of “Talkies” on the horizon, the audience watches this story of resilience and love with anticipation as Don tests whether he really does have the talent to entertain the masses, or if his final call is up.
Worldbuilding can be a tricky thing in theatre, especially since you’re often bound to a stagnant stage. However, the design team responsible for singing in the rain not only recreated the feeling of old Hollywood but excelled at bringing the audience into the world of a real set. Things like green screens, cameras, and a water station created a picture for the audience and gave the actors a fun area to work with. The first element that stood out in Alain Richer’s design was the absence of both the back curtains and wings on stage. This created an open area and gave the audience the ability to see everything going on backstage, giving the perception of workers working on the movie. Another interesting element was the moving parts of the set. Almost the entire set was able to move as the stage crew wanted, allowing the space to transform into any scene needed while also adding to the illusion of the stage being a film set. The trade-off was some slower transitions, causing lulls on stage. Adding music over these transitions or allowing the initial scene to bleed over into the next could help tighten up these transitions and create more visual interest. The set was spectacular and was a highlight of the play itself. It was extremely effective in its tone and paired well with the fun, optimistic messaging of the play.
Singin’ in the Rain has been a beloved story for nearly seventy-five years, partly for its unapologetic joy and the way it spreads infectious optimism. The play reminds us to look on the bright side and overcome adversities that come our way. Finnerty captures these important foundations of the musical wonderfully through his portrayal of the lead, Don Lockwood, capturing the character’s upbeat attitude and charm. Don Lockwood is an elite movie star; he is dashing and smug at times, but also an optimistic, kind-hearted entertainer who questions his self-worth like anyone else. Finnerty brings this to life in performances like “Moses Supposes” and the ever-so classic, “Singin’ in the Rain.” His easygoing wit and drive to be better are enjoyable to watch and get the audience to root for his success later on. Cousineau’s Lina Lamont is amazing in the story for almost the opposite reasons. Lina is an extremely self-centered, whiny, and obsessive girl who believes she’s a miracle of acting when, in reality, she’s far from it. Cousineau plays this to perfection. Her speech patterns, physical humour, and bombastic personality bring even the smallest scenes together. She truly makes the audience feel the annoyance and repulsion that the rest of the characters feel. Cousineau’s performance was definitely a highlight for me. Mercedes Rivoire and Rachel G. MacPhee both have great moments in their respective roles as Cosmo Brown and Kathy Selden, especially in songs like “Make ‘Em Laugh” and “All I Do Is Dream of You”. They have a wonderful dynamic with Finnerty and do well to recreate the trio’s many memorable moments from the movie. Everyone put their all into their performances, from the central actors to the stage crew and the ensemble alike. It would benefit the atmosphere, however, if the ensemble were given more of an opportunity to vocalize, as many scenes had moments of silence that detracted from the overall experience. This could look like audible gasps or big reactions to reveals, hushed background talking, or tasking with slight noise. Allowing the ensemble to vocalize more would give the audience a chance to see the public reactions to the events on stage. In my opinion, we would see how events are affecting the public’s perception of Lina and Don while helping to raise the stakes and giving more for the actors to build on. You can see all the work the actors put into these performances, and it was a delight to see them all on stage.
Song and dance are some of the most well-loved elements of Singin’ in the Rain, with songs like “Good Morning” and “Make ‘Em Laugh” becoming classics even outside of the film. The music in Orpheus’ production was delightful and captured the upbeat and, at times, slapstick elements of the songs. The orchestra, directed by Wendy Berkelaar, worked beautifully in each scene, but could have been used even more to help flesh out and liven those silent moments. There were quite a few songs, including “Moses Supposes”, ironically, that lost some diction and were less clear; this could easily be fixed with more emphasis on certain words. Other songs, like “You Were Meant for Me,” showed the sweet, romantic, idyllic atmosphere that the set used to its advantage. However, the element that stood out the most to me was the tap numbers. All the actors were very skilled in tap; whether it be weaving through the set, dancing on tables, waltzing in sync, or performing on a wet stage, it was always fun watching what new moves were shown off. I think, as a former dancer myself, the tap everyone was able to create was stunning and brought the songs to life. If you are familiar with the Singin’ in the Rain showtunes, this performance will deliver what is most loved about it.
Singin’ in the Rain is a grand theatre experience, and with such a beloved story being recreated on stage, there can be a lot of pressure put on the creative team to capture that nostalgia. Even though I went into this show without having seen the 1952 movie, I can see the love that came from the cast and crew for the source material. If you are a fan of the movie, big tap numbers, classic love stories, or old Hollywood, I would recommend this show. It works hard to bring out the best of all these elements, leaving its audience with a moment of joy and a break from reality.
Although Singin’ in the Rain played its final performance this past weekend, Orpheus has a new season of plays in store, from classics like Les Misérables and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, to more recent shows, like Disney’s Frozen. Head over to https://www.orpheusmusicaltheatre.ca/26-27season to see what’s coming up.