‘Singin’ In The Rain’ cast splashes with talent
By Erich Murphy
Pontiac Daily Leader
Thu Jun 11, 2009, 01:31 PM CDT
Why anyone should be surprised at the talent of the
performers the Vermillion Players sends out is a wonder.
But there always seems to be something these people do
to make the theater-going experience worthwhile.
The cast of “Singin’ In The Rain” will
not surprise anyone with its collective talent. The performers are very good.
So, those who see the play — which opens tonight and runs through Sunday,
performances are at 7:30 each night as well as a 2 p.m. Sunday matinee at the
Chautauqua Park Pavilion— really won’t see anything but a first-rate
effort.
However, the audience may not be aware of how quickly lessons
have been learned. The dancing is phenomenal — from Kendra Forney and
Kayla Kohlmeier tap dancing early in the show, all the way through the production
with everyone in the cast hoofing it like seasoned veterans.
Credit for this has to go to choreographers Anita and Becky
Nangle.
“Singin’ In The Rain” is a musical that
is the stage version of the 1952 movie of the same title.
The movie starred Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, Donald O’Connor
and Jean Hagen. It is a love story revolving around a
movie star and a wannabe actress.
John Ramseyer, Carrie Chandler, Donnie Sartoris and Kallie
Setterlund have the main roles.
Ramseyer plays Don Lockwood, a silent movie star who is
romantically linked to his leading lady — Lena Lamont, played by Setterlund — in
the gossip magazines and tabloids. Lockwood, however,
does not care for Lamont.
Lamont, though, is more than smitten with Lockwood. She
believes what has been written about their romance and
thinks she will marry her leading man.
Another problem the couple faces off screen is the advent
of “talkies.” Lockwood has no problem making the transition, but
Lamont has a deep Brooklyn accent with a deep scratch — annoying
would be the best word to describe it.
Setterlund delivers this trait in superior fashion. Having
been in other Vermillion Players shows, Setterlund is
not new to the stage. She gave what may have been the best of a number of outstanding
efforts by the cast members.
Setterlund’s Lamont is an annoying witch. This helps
make this a believable reproduction of the movie.
Chandler plays Kathy Seldon, the young woman Lockwood falls
for early in the show. Seldon meets Lockwood on a park
bench and, after realizing who Lockwood is, plays herself up as a legitimate
actress on the stage. While doing this, she ridicules the movie profession as
not being true acting.
Lockwood seems to be taken with this young woman because
she doesn’t seem to be impressed by him.
They meet again later that evening when Seldon jumps out
of a cake at a party. After an exchange of words, Seldon
heaves a piece of cake at Lockwood but hits Lamont.
Three weeks later, the two meet again at the studio after
Lockwood and his best friend, Cosmo Brown, the piano-playing
member of the Lockwood-Lamont team who is played by Sartoris, had spent many
days looking for her.
The two reacquaint as the studio begins to switch from silent
movies to talkies.
Lamont’s voice is a problem for the studio in making
the transition. Long story short, Seldon’s voice is dubbed in as Lamont’s
for the singing and speaking parts.
Those who have seen the movie will know what is taking place.
Those who have not will quickly understand the plot.
The cast is brilliant — on stage and on screen. All
four of the leads can sing, dance and act and will deliver
an enjoyable performance. But director Tom Ramseyer added a few touches that
really makes the play fun to watch and shows off the talents of these kids.
The play, like the movie, shows parts of silent movies.
Also like the movie, the play shows these movie clips
using the actors.
It is a spectacular device that comes across quite nicely
and only adds to the already solid show.
Besides a strong core of leading players, Director Ramseyer
has put together a cast of supporters who deliver. Zach Kohlmeier plays movie
producer and studio head R.F. Simpson and Sean Young plays the director tormented
by Lamont’s inability to speak properly — Roscoe
Dexter.
On Wednesday, understudy Kate Whitman played gossip columnist
Dora Bailey wonderfully. Taking over the role for the
run of the show will be Olivia Dunham.
Others offering support in the cast are Joe Whitman, Jamie
Ramseyer, Sam Alsdorf, Dylan Webster (who sings well
in a solo as the production tenor), Jessica Oester, Emily Peterson, Katy Jones,
Maggie Verdun, Seth Brown, Brianna Gill, Gina Brooks, Erica Connolly, Josh Tate,
Michelle Spencer, Ariel Tate, Chase Mowery, Cassie Stokes, Nic Hart, Abby Newcomb,
Jason Williams and Natashia Coan.
Laura Ramseyer directs the pit orchestra. Producing the
play are Judy Baxter, Diana DeVault and Joyce Eggenberger.
|
