HOW TO GO
WHERE: Schuster Center, Second and Main streets, Dayton.
WHEN: Friday and Saturday, April 10-11, 8 p.m.
COST: $23-$78
MORE INFO: Call Ticket Center Stage at (937) 228-3630 or visit www.ticketcenterstage.com
The Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra pays tribute to “Singin’ in the Rain,” considered by many as one of the finest films ever produced, Friday and Saturday, April 10-11, at the Schuster Center as the conclusion of its SuperPops Series.
Here are five reasons why you should check out the organization’s sure-to-be-entertaining presentation of this landmark musical comedy overflowing with tuneful songs, terrific choreography and good old-fashioned Hollywood star power.
1. THE CONCEPT
The 1952 MGM film, co-directed by the great duo of Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen and written by the equally great duo of Betty Comden and Adolph Green, will be shown on a large screen above the orchestra. Maestro Neal Gittleman and the DPO will accompany the film with the soundtrack stripped of all orchestral music leaving only the actors’ dialogue and vocals intact. “The film and its associated clock run inexorably along with the music, so the process demands a lot of concentration by the conductor and by each of the musicians,” Gittleman said.
2. THE ORCHESTRA
You know the old adage: timing is everything. But in this instance, it’s very true! In fact, Gittleman says capturing the timing is the most challenging aspect. “All the songs were recorded first (and) then filmed to the accompaniment,” he said. “But when we do it, it’s backwards! The singing is there and we have to match the accompaniment to them. (Also), the dance sequences…One eye on the clock, one eye on the feet, one eye on the score, one eye on the orchestra…WAIT! I’ve only got two!” Having seen the DPO’s presentation of “The Wizard of Oz” a few years ago, I can assure you this is a difficult feat seamlessly and effortlessly handled.
3. THE SONGS
A delightful throwback to Hollywood’s evolution from silent films to “talkies,” this musical features an assortment of feel-good, toe-tapping numbers choreographed by Kelly and written by Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown including “Make ‘Em Laugh,” “Good Morning,” “Beautiful Girl,” “All I Do Is Dream of You,” and the iconic title tune. You can’t help but smile just thinking about them.
4. THE PERFORMANCES
Gene Kelly as charming leading man Don Lockwood, Donald O’Connor as Don’s humorous sidekick Cosmo Brown, Debbie Reynolds as the bubbly Kathy Selden, and Academy Award-nominated Jean Hagen as the hilariously inept Lina Lamont are knockouts. Kelly’s superbly soaked finesse in the title number and O’Connor’s spectacular physicality in “Make ‘Em Laugh” are just two incredibly memorable moments in a film blessed with many.
5. THE LEGACY
Surprisingly the film’s only major Oscar nomination belonged to Hagen, but it topped the American Film Institute’s 100 Years of Musicals list, and in 2007, ranked fifth in AFI’s list of the Greatest American Films. “It’s maybe the best movie musical,” Gittleman said. “Best songs, best dances, best jokes, best everything.”
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