Overview
Synopsis
Singin’ in the Rain, beloved since the moment it premiered, earned the top spot atop AFI’s 100 Years of Musicals list and, in 2007, was ranked as the fifth greatest motion picture of all time. Now adapted for the stage, Singin' in the Rain “pours” down delight, capturing the waning days of the silent screen era as they give way to new-fangled “talkies”. With The Jazz Singer premiere making Hollywood frantic, the studios are forced to suddenly change all the movie-making rules at once, to accommodate sound. In doing so, they leave silent pictures -- and some of their stars -- behind. When Monumental Studios turns silent The Dueling Cavalier into The Dancing Cavalier, a musical picture, in order to stay relevant, they are faced with a problem: their star, Lina Lamont can’t sing, and can’t even really talk. Lina’s voice sounds something like nails on a chalkboard. Enter Kathy Selden, an aspiring actress whose dulcet tones are able to cover Lina Lamont’s -- calling into question what it means to act, how credit is distributed, and what it means to get a fair shake in the movie business. Singin' in the Rain includes some of the best-loved comedy routines, dance numbers, and love songs ever written, including “Good Mornin’”, “Make ‘em Laugh”, and of course the show-stopping dance number, “Singin’ in the Rain”.
Show Information
- Book
- Betty Comden , Adolph Green
- Music
- Nacio Herb Brown
- Lyrics
- Arthur Freed
- Based on the Play/Book/Film
- 1952 MGM Film Singin' in the Rain
- Category
- Musical
- Age Guidance
- Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
- Number of Acts
- 2
- First Produced
- 1983
- Genres
- Comedy, Romance
- Settings
- Multiple Settings
- Time & Place
- hollywood, california, 1927
- Cast Size
- large
- Orchestra Size
- Medium
- Dancing
- Heavy
- Licensor
- Music Theatre International
- Ideal For
- College/University, Community Theatre, High School, Large Cast, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Star Vehicle Male, Includes Adult, Late Teen, Young Adult, Mature Adult, Child, Early Teen Characters
Context
Adapted from the film of the same name, Singin’ in the Rain closely follows the original 1952 film script. The show had its world premiere at the London Palladium on June 30th, 1983, directed by Tommy Steele and choreographed by Peter Gennaro. The original film’s vocal score was used and had many tunes added to it by composer team Comden & Green, as well as songs by the Gershwins, Cole Porter, and Roger Edens. The show was a success, running until September 1985. Singin’ in the Rain opened
to read the context for Singin’ in the Rain and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Plot
ACT ONE
A massive crowd gathers in front of Hollywood’s Chinese Theatre, hoping to catch a glimpse of the actors arriving for a star-studded premiere of the latest Lockwood & Lamont picture, “The Royal Rascal”. The dashing Don Lockwood and the lovely Lina Lamont - the stars of the picture - have been romantically linked in the press and are being questioned by gossip columnist Doris Bailey about their relationship. In the interview, Doris persuades Don to tell the story of his rise to
to read the plot for Singin’ in the Rain and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Silent |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Silent |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Silent |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Silent |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Ensemble |
Either Gender |
Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Tenor, Baritone, Bass |
Songs
Act One
- Overture - Orchestra
- *Fit as a Fiddle - Don Lockwood, Cosmo Brown
- The Royal Rascal - Orchestra
- You Stepped Out of a Dream - Don Lockwood & Company
- *All I Do Is Dream Of You - Kathy Selden and Girls of the Coconut Grove
- You Stepped Out of a Dream (Reprise) - Don Lockwood
- *Make 'Em Laugh - Cosmo Brown
- *Beautiful Girls - Production Tenor and Female Chorus (including Kathy Selden)
- You Are My Lucky Star - Kathy Selden
- *You Were Meant For Me - Don Lockwood & Kathy Selden
- *Moses Supposes - Don Lockwood, Cosmo Brown
- *Moses Supposes (Reprise) - Company
- *Good Morning - Don Lockwood, Cosmo Brown, Kathy Selden
- *Singin' in the Rain - Don Lockwood
Act Two
- Entr'acte - Orchestra
- *Good Morning (Reprise)- Company
- Would You? - Kathy Selden
- What's Wrong With Me? - Lina Lamont
- *The Broadway Ballet (aka Broadway Rhythm) - Cosmo Brown, Don Lockwood, and Full Company
- *Would You? (Reprise)- Kathy Selden (Voicing for Lina) & Cosmo Brown
- You Are My Lucky Star (Reprise) - Kathy Selden and Don Lockwood
- *Singin' in the Rain (Finale) - Full Company
This is the song list from the most recent Chichester / London 2012 Revival.
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
A play, musical, or opera that has been adapted from a written work.
The sequence of steps and movements in dance, also the orchestrated and rehearsed movements for actors, based on the script.
A type of theatre which draws attention to the nature of theatre and performance, often through a "play within a play"
A film with a soundtrack, as distinct from a silent film.
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