Singin' in the Rain: The magic of dance, music and splash

For those who have never watched the original movie "Singin' in the Rain" and who love repeating the show on blu-ray over and over (like me), the two and a half hour musical at the MasterCard Theatres, Marina Bay Sands will definitely turn out to be beyond your imagination.

Just like me, your breath will be taken away by a number of spectacular moments in this musical: Singing and dancing in the splashing rain on stage, stunning dance steps, and remarkable enchanting action with a stunning voice from cast member Taryn-Lee Hudson, who plays Lina Lamont.

During a media call on Friday, I asked Hudson about her soaring voice. The 171cm-tall actress gave an honest, yet shocking, confession: "Listen to me, see? You will find that my voice is actually low pitched voice.

The actress continues in her rich alto voice: "I needed to train my voice to raise up to reach that high tone. Every day before the performance, I am to spend at least two hours to warm up my throat."

All the cast members from the Singin' in the Rain musical agreed that they must drink lots of water to maintain their health and throat in good conditions, especially in tropical Singapore.

"One of the most challenging parts for me is that I will be singing, dancing on the stage all the way, or if not, busy with changing clothes or drying my body backstage," says Duane Alexander, who plays the lead Don Lockwood.

"There are only about two minutes for me to take a short rest off the stage during the show."

Considering that actor Gene Kelly from the 1952 Singin' in the Rain film had a 39 degree fever while shooting for the famous dance routine, the crew from the musical are concerned about Alexander's health condition.

While he performs his signature solo performance in the rain, the crew are on standby backstage with lots of towels to wipe his body dry as fast as possible.

"I find myself all wet to my underwear after singing in the rain," said Alexander with a smile.

About 12,000 litres of water is being used for every performance, so technologies for recycling water, generating an instant pond and the process of drying items, including wet umbrellas, are required to work effectively - something that the audience is probably unaware of while enjoying the show.

As music is played by the orchestra, we gradually and unconsciously start feeling that we are also a part of the show. This is the magic of a splash hit musical: You hear people humming the title song "Singin' in the Rain" happily after the show.

satokon@sph.com.sg

Singin' in the Rain is now playing at MasterCard Theaters at Marina Bay Sands. Ticket prices start from $65 and are available at Sistic. Visit www.sistic.com.sg.