Under my Umbrella, Ella, Eh Eh Eh - Singing in the Rain @MBS


Never have I have been more excited to note that the weather forecast will be rain, (bucket loads of it too!) than with the arrival of Singing in the Rain at Marina Bay Sand's MasterCard Theatres which opened on the 9th of July 2015.


Me (L) with my beautiful Mummy (R) at the gala opening night.
If you are unfamiliar with Singing in the Rain, perhaps this amazing mash-up by GLEE will help to jog your memory or get you in the groove.


Sexy suits - Check. Water - Check. Sultry vocals - Check. What more could you ask for?

Set in the 1920's heyday of silent Hollywood movies, we see Don Lockwood (Duane Alexander) and Lina Lamont (Taryn-Lee Hudson) as the romance darlings of the silver screen. However, once the curtains are drawn, Don and Lina's relationship couldn't be further from their onscreen counterparts. Don simply detests Lina's terrible attitude and voice which makes matters complicated for their studio who wants to launch a talking picture.

In an attempt to save the movie, the studio hires Kathy Seldon (Bethany Dickson), an up-and-coming actress to be Lina's voiceover. Sparks soon fly between Don and Kathy but nothing's ever easy when Lina gets jealous.



Not to be forgotten is Cosmo Brown (Steven van Wyk), Don's trusty albeit not always sharp best friend. Thanks to Cosmo's fantastical ideas and helpful suggestions show's sometimes stretched out dialogue scenes are elevated. Not to be outdone, the juxtaposition between Kathy's strong vocals and Lina's deliberately cracked tones brings out both admiration and laughter from the audience.

However, despite the bright colours and cheery dances, the show gradually loses its luster as the lead protagonist Don, is easily forgettable especially so when Cosmo effortlessly outshines him. The ending is convenient and predictable as missing was the element of surprise or a definitive threat to Kathy and Don's relationship.




Thankfully, Singing in the Rain's biggest merit is its titular song. What do you get when you bring in
12,000 liters of water onto a stage with very skilled tap dancers? FIVE very, very soaked front rows of audience! And yes, there was an encore performance of the same. Perhaps there was a "soak everyone" mandate?
The cast list of who's who
Bonus pictures for those of you in need of a good toweling or furry cuddle!

Wet hair don't care. Bright yellow towels to dry off your locks sold conveniently at the merchandise corner. 
Under his umbrella...ella...ella...ella. 
Untagged photo credits go to Hagen Hopkins
Special thanks to Marina Bay Sands and BASE Entertainment Asia.

Grace

Occasional hand model with a taste for adventure.

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