Splashin' good fun

HOW is singing in artificial rain in front of 1,400 people on stage the same as singing in the shower?

"You just kind of let it all go and not care who hears you," laughs Duane Alexander, who plays the lead role in the classic Singin' in the Rain musical. Of course it's harder to sing on stage when "you have to strain to hear the music so you stay on-pitch and in-time", but "the fun factor's the same".

Singin' in the Rain is set in 1920s Hollywood, and tells the story of Don Lockwood, a silent movie star who seems to have it all together, until the advent of talking pictures. Lockwood must come to terms with the transition even as he falls for Kathy Selden, a chorus girl and aspiring actress, who is endowed with far greater talent than his normal leading lady Lina Lamont (played by Taryn-Lee Hudson) and is tasked to dub in Lamont's lines.

South African-born Alexander stepped into the lead role after Grant Almirall broke his foot on the first day of rehearsals for the show. The musical, after the classic Hollywood movie starring Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds, may be a light-hearted comedy, but it does require a lot of physical exertion.

Bethany Dickson, who plays Lockwood's love interest and leading lady Kathy Selden, says: "We have to act, sing, and dance during the entire performance, and it pretty much takes care of all my exercise requirements - especially on a double-show day."

Having previously played Sandy in Grease and Maria in The Sound Of Music, Dickson is a dab hand at reprising iconic roles. The 27-year-old explains: "It can be daunting, but I'm slowly getting used to it. It does help having a creative team to help you find yourself instead of making you a carbon copy of what you know to be the role."

In fact, Dickson reveals that acting was never a choice but in her blood, and when she played Maria von Trapp, she wasn't just contending with Julie Andrews, but also her own mother, who'd played the role herself in 2002.

For Alexander, Lockwood's role was more than a little familiar. The 35-year-old explains: "I totally connect with him. He's an actor who's having a wonderful time and staying on top of his game when something happens and he has to stay relevant. As an ageing, not aged, performer myself, it's the same thing. You're going to auditions and competing for roles with people almost half your age, who kick higher and jump higher. If you can't perform to the same level, they're not going to cast you."

Though his theatrical career has spanned 15 years, Alexander admits this was his most challenging role yet. "It's an athletic role and it can be exhausting. The rain scene itself - very welcome in steamy Singapore - took hours to rehearse. The first time we rehearsed, I did it in normal clothes and dancing shoes, to feel the texture of the floor and how it felt when I jumped and landed. It's interesting because you hear about all these things you have to keep in mind, and then when you actually do it, you realise how challenging it can be," he says.

With 12,000 litres of water (which will be recycled over the production's entire run) being used for each performance, those sitting in the first four rows should be prepared to get a little wet during the title track. It won't be too bad though, because disposable Singin' in the Rain raincoats will be provided.

avantin@sph.com.sg