Singin’ In The Rain
The 1952 movie Singin’ in the Rain is considered to be one of the best film musicals ever made; it tops the American Film Institute’s 100 Years of Musicals List, and was ranked fifth in its updated list of the greatest American Films in 2007. Were someone to make a 2009 list of the Best Nights Out at Musical Theater in the Bay Area, an evening spent at Oakland’s Woodminster Theater enjoying its production of Singin’ in the Rain would likely come close to the top.
The best way to make this a night to remember is to arrive early-not because you’ll have to scramble for seats or parking, or wait in long lines to get inside, because you won’t. But get there well before the performance commences because the Woodminster Theater itself is something that needs to be savored. A hidden gem in Oakland’s hills, it’s an outdoor venue built in the late 1930s as a project of the Works Progress Administration (WPA), that Depression-era government agency responsible for many wonders of twentieth century American architecture, including Coit Tower across the Bay in San Francisco.
If you wish, you can park in the lot adjacent to the Woodminister and avoid a strenuous walk up the hill. But for those who want to fully appreciate the experience (and save the $4 parking fee), you can park along Joaquim Miller Road and make your way to the venue up a long stone stairway that passes pools, fountains, and cascading waterfalls, allowing you to fully appreciate the glorious art deco construction and the views of the San Francisco Bay below. Many people arrive well before the performance, bringing along picnics that they can enjoy on one of the benches within the grounds of theatre or outside in Joaquim Miller Park under the beautiful redwood trees. Others enjoy the offerings of the several food and beverage stands situated by the theatre’s entrance.
The Woodminster itself is a surprisingly intimate venue. Open to the sky and overlooked by towering redwoods, its stadium-style seating offers excellent views of the stage. Though it’s probably worthwhile forking over the extra funds for the best seats, it’s difficult to imagine that there’s a bad seat in the house save for the seats themselves, which prove to be unforgiving places to park one’s butt for more than an hour. (For those who like comfort, it might be wise to bring along a pad or cushion to slip under your derriere. You should also remember to bring sweaters, jackets or blankets since even hot days can turn into chilly evenings if the Bay Area’s evening fog rolls in.)
That said, it’s hard to imagine a more pleasant place to watch this highly entertaining production of Singin’ in the Rain. And there aren’t that many other places where you might be momentarily distracted from the tap dancing by a bat winging its way above the stage.
Set in the 1920s, when Hollywood was suddenly sent into turmoil as "talkies" revolutionized the movie industry, the musical chronicles how this change affects fictional silent movie stars Don Lockwood (Darren Fuller) and his leading lady Lina Lamont (Susan Himes Powers). Don finds it easy to make the transition to the new format, but Lina faces a challenge-she has an outrageous accent and an ear-piercing voice that cannot be made mellifluous, despite the best efforts of a professional voice coach. Lina happens to be in love with Don, while Don has done his best to let her know that, despite what the fan magazines and gossip columnists have to say, he does not return her affections. Into this mix comes Kathy Selden (Joy Sherratt), an aspiring actress with whom Don falls in love. Add Don’s best friend, musician Cosmo Brown (Carl Danielsen), and a great deal of dancing, singing, and laugh-out-loud comedy results.
Under the direction of Woodminster veteran Joel Schalder, the production shines. Accompanied by a highly competent live orchestra, it is beautifully costumed, well-acted, and spattered with enthralling song-and-dance numbers executed by a delightful and talented ensemble. The choreography is excellent and, while the set design is simple it delivers a particularly imaginative showcasing of the show’s title song in which Don really does sing, dance and splash in the rain.
Of the four leads, Joy Sherratt and Carl Danielsen are particularly outstanding, while Susan Himes Powers manages to get the best out of out of some of the funniest lines ever spoken in a musical. Leading man Darren Fuller did a competent job throughout most of the performance. However, it was a little disappointing to see him flub his lines a couple of times and fail to offer up the vocal strength needed to do real justice to some of the show’s most pivotal numbers.
The performance (lasting a little less than two-and-half hours, including intermission) speeds by. And when it ends, one is left feeling a sense of nostalgia for an era when the musical, rather than the shoot-em-up action movie, was the staple that Hollywood fed its audiences, and when its comedies didn’t rely on crude teen-inspired innuendo. Fortunately, an evening spent at the Woodminster watching this production provides a delicious taste of that era, one that can be savored alike on a romantic date, with a group of friends, Mom and Dad, or even the kids (who get in free as long as they’re accompanied by an adult).
For more information and to order tickets, visit http://www.woodminster.com/
