Theater Review: Singin' in the Rain

                
                            Xavier T. Bush, Emma Nossal and Anthony Michael Vacio

Isn’t “Singin’ in the Rain” on everybody’s favorite film list? Of course it is – on mine, at least.

Now New Village Arts Theatre presents a staged version of the well-known 1952 film that follows actors in that fateful transition from silent films to “talkies.”

Sounds simple, right? You just get your actors to talk, and tape them in the process. 

Unless Lina Lamont (Audrey Ward), your leading lady, has a ghastly, nasal delivery that makes everybody want to take cover rather than hang on every word.

But even that can be fixed, if another singing actress named Kathy Selden (Emma Nossal) happens to show up.

Director AJ Knox has assembled a fine cast of six principals and enough ensemble members to shove the furniture around, change the scenery, sing the songs, do some terrific dancing, make this crazy show work and send everybody home with a smile.

Lina Lamont’s partner in silent films is Don Lockwood (Anthony Michael Vacio), a tall, handsome guy who can sing, dance and act. Don’s best buddy is Cosmo Brown (Xavier J. Bush), who can do everything better than anybody else in this cast. Bush is a find.

Trying to keep the ship afloat is film producer RF Simpson (Kiara Hudlin), who now has to figure out what to do with Lina. And what will her job be now?

There are other amusing bits, like Nick Siljander’s attempt as director Roscoe Dexter to get Lina to talk like a human being, and the final scene, where Lockwood is, well, singing and dancing in the rain, what else?

This show took a lot of work besides acting. Kudos to Nina Gilbert and Korrie Yamaoka for music direction, Katie Banville and Jenna Ingrassia-Knox for choreography, Amanda Quivey for costume design, Missy Bradstreet for wig and makeup design, Ethan Eldred for projections design and co-sound design with Marcus Rico (who was also the sound engineer), and Kristianne Kurner for the set design. 

If you’re in the mood for a show you can hum along with, and looking for some great singing and acting, give NVA’s “Singin’ in the Rain” a try.

The details

"Singin' in the Rain" plays through July2, 2023 at New Village Arts, 6986 El Camino Real in Carlsbad.

Shows

Tickets: (760) 602-7190