Heaven is in the details of Performance Riverside's 'Singin' in the Rain'
11:00 AM PST on Thursday, January 28, 2010
By SHERLI LEONARD
Special to The Press-Enterprise
Performance Riverside can sing about its "Singin' in the Rain," which showers the audience with much of what they expected and much more. Don't expect Gene Kelly's lithe dancing and silky singing, but surely expect downright knee-slapping good fun.
This is a genuinely happy musical, completely void of any angst -- no troubles with love (it's good from the git-go), no real villains (Lina is much too fun to be a real villain). It's fun, it's happy, and it will leave you bouncing.
This production glows with impeccable comedic timing, of Ann Myers as Lina Lamont and Casey Garritano as Cosmo in particular, but also in the execution by the entire cast.
Don Lockwood's slightly and judiciously slick hands around the waist of his very new acquaintance Kathy Selden would have little impact except for their careful attention to the audience reaction. Mishi Schueller as Lockwood and Alyssa Marie as Selden neatly milked it for a good laugh. A detail -- but, who after all is in the details?
Such details abound. The simple set with a simple stepladder becomes an elegant stage for a satisfying admission of love. The tottery diction teacher joins Lockwood and Cosmo for a short, classy tap dance, sans music, like a tight little drum line. The sound booth man's slam into the window at Lina's gnarly piercing voice. I'm laughing still.
Perhaps the most unabashed fun involves the "movies," the editions of classic-style black and white silent films, totally sappy. What fun the cast must have had making these versions, maybe as much fun as we had watching them, especially the craftily unsynchronized talkie with Lina and the lecherous cavalier -- a definite LOL moment.
Schueller as Lockwood delivered an endearing character -- genuine, honest and likable. Was his character really a vain movie star? His infectious personality synergized with every other personality, especially Garritano as Cosmo, and Marie as Selden. The captivating routine in "Good Morning" exuded happiness. It would be hard to find three people having as much fun.
His dancing, capable and pleasant; his singing, well, verging on the unpleasant. For whatever reason, vocal technique and tone quality were missing, and I craved the easy, beautiful voices of other Performance Riverside leads. Alyssa Marie's lovely, clear and glossy voice provides the perfect example, as she easily handled whatever piece she sang. A beautiful voice is not just a detail in a musical, it is an essential ingredient.
Another essential ingredient, classy dancing, permeated this show, especially the Broadway Ballet with the ensemble, and Schueller and Marie in an elegant duet. Sensual and sultry tango dancers, sexy and brassy Broadway dancers, and perky and unabashed singers and dancers in the rain, with yellow slickers and synchronized umbrellas -- all became the framework for this joyful and delightful show.
The neatly staged downpour at the end of the first act may have made a mess on the floor, but it reminded the audience of Performance Riverside's commitment to top-quality productions.
