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Singin' in the Rain by Welk Resort Theatre 
Immortalized on film by Gene Kelly dancin' and singin' in the rain, the Welk Resort Theatre is currently staging the musical comedy classic that sports great dancing, great singing, and, yes, real water raining on the stage.
Tap dancing and singing great Seth Hampton is Don Lockwood -- silent screen star whose onscreen romance with co-star Lina Lamont causes him a lot of trouble when courting up-and-coming-but-still-struggling young actress Kathy Selden, for Lina doesn't realize that the onscreen romance ends when the director yells, "Cut!" But with the new talkie motion picture The Jazz Singer raking in the lettuce, the movie studio wants to jump on the bandwagon by adding sound to the next "Lockwood and Lamont" film -- and therein lies a chance "Lockwood and Lamont" might be replaced by "Lockwood and Selden." For Kathy (Tami Tappan) has a beautiful voice, and Lina (Karen Culliver) ... well, long before video killed the radio star, audio killed Lina's movie career. Her shrill, grating voice and her verbal assault on English pronunciation will not be good for the romantic "Lockwood and Lamont" love scenes that played so well in blessed silence. Both Tami Tappan as Kathy and Karen Culliver as Lina have a good sense for the comic, as does the dexterous Danny Bergold as Cosmo Brown who really does Make 'Em Laugh as he flails and falls and vainly tries to get fresh with a floppy female manikin. Danny, Tami, and Seth have perhaps their best scene in a fun rendition of Good Morning. Other comic gems include Chris Warren Murry being catapulted into the sound booth's soundproof window courtesy of Lina's microphone-enhanced voice, Pamela Hill as an eccentric gossip columnist, Jeffrey Wolf as R.F. Simpson -- the big boss who is scared to death of the combative Lina, and especially Perry Lambert as an extremely gay Wardrobe Master and as a Diction Coach who becomes the captive audience of Don Lockwood and Cosmo Brown when teaching them to say "Moses Supposes." But the strongest aspect of this performance is the dancing. With vibrant choreography provided by Director Jon Engstrom, Singin' in the Rain sizzles despite the limitations of the relatively small stage. The stage is especially limited in the big Singin' in the Rain number, as the rain is necessarily confined to falling over a stretch of the stage just a few feet wide, keeping Seth Hampton from really cutting loose, although they do very well with the space they have. The biggest dancing hit is the Broadway Melody/Rhythm scene that features the entire talented cast hoofing it up with true Broadway flair. Rob Hopper San Diego Playbill ~ Cast ~
Dora Bailey: Pam Hamill Zelda Zanders: Cynthia Fuhrer R.F. Simpson: Jeffrey Wolf Roscoe Dexter: Isaac Riddle Cosmo Brown: Danny Bergold Lina Lamont: Karen Culliver Don Lockwood: Seth Hampton Stripper: Cynthia Fuhrer Vaudeville Showgirl: Alexis Dillard Villain: Jeffrey Wolf Lady-In-Waiting: Kate Marilley Lady-In-Waiting: Sarah Knoll-Gentry Lady-In-Waiting: Rachel O'Keefe Rod: Andrew Briedis Kathy Selden: Tami Tappan Policeman: Perry Lambert Butler: Perry Lambert Flirting Girl: Rachel O'Keefe 1st Assistant Director: Braden McKinley 2nd Assistant Director: Chris Warren Murry 3rd Assistant Director: Matt Bezmarevich Wardrobe Master: Perry Lambert Hairdresser: Cynthia Fuhrer Prop Master: Alistair Tober Script Girl: Juliana Rotta Production Singer: Chris Warren Murry Sid Phillips: Matt Bezmarevich Miss Dinsmore: Pam Hamill Male Diction Coach: Perry Lambert Sound Engineer: Chris Warren Murry Director/Choreographer: Jon Engstrom Stage Manager/Lighting Design: Jennifer Edwards Music Director: Justin Gray Sound Design: Patrick Hoyny Set Design: Mike Buckley Costume Coordinators: Ambra Wakefield/Lisa Johnson |