Following its critically acclaimed, sell-out run at Chichester Festival Theatre, Jonathan Church's new production of Singin' in the Rain opens on Wednesday 15th February at the Palace Theatre. Church's production of Singin' in the Rain, with choreography by Andrew Wright, is based on the classic 1952 MGM film and is produced in the West End by Stage Entertainment UK and Chichester Festival Theatre. Check out production shots below!
The West End cast is led by Adam Cooper as Don Lockwood, Daniel Crossley as CosMo Brown, Scarlett Strallen as Kathy Seldon and Katherine Kingsley as Lina Lamont, with Michael Brandon as RF Simpson and Sandra Dickinson as Dora Bailey/Miss Dinsmore, all of whom will reprise their roles from the original Chichester production.
Singin' in the Rain features songs by Nacio Herb Brown and Arthur Freed, including Make ‘em Laugh, Good Morning, Moses Supposes and Singin' in the Rain, original screenplay and adaptations are by Betty Comden and Adolph Green. With choreography by Andrew Wright, the production is designed by Simon Higlett, with sound by Matt McKenzie and lighting by Tim Mitchell. Church's production of Singin' in the Rain opened on 27 June 2011 at the Festival Theatre, Chichester, where it played to capacity houses and extended its run to cope with demand. The 1952 MGM film of the same name, which will celebrate the 60th anniversary of its release next year, starred Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds and is considered one of the most beloved and enduring movie musicals of all time.
Don Lockwood is a silent movies star with everything he could want - fame, adulation and even a well-publicised ‘romance' with his co-star Lina Lamont. But Hollywood is about to change forever. There is rumour in the studio of a new kind of film, where the actors actually talk... and sing... and dance.
The full West End cast is Michael Brandon, Adam Cooper, Daniel Crossley, Brendan Cull, Flora Dawson, Sandra Dickinson, Jaye Juliette Elster, Peter Forbes, Gemma Fuller, Francis Haugen, Katherine Kingsley, David Lucas, Scott Mobley, Ebony Molina, Gillian Parkhouse, Sherrie Pennington, Lisa Ritchie, Scarlett Strallen, and Nancy Wei George.
Previously for Chichester Festival Theatre award-winning Andrew Wright has choreographed 42nd Street. His other choreography credits include By Jeeves for the Landor Theatre, Almost Like Being In Love at The National Theatre, Naked Boys Singing at the King's Head and Arts Theatre and The Showgirl Within at the Garrick Theatre. As well as many pantomimes he has choreographed six performances of The Night of 1000 Voices at the Royal Albert Hall, Sunday Night at the Theatre Royal and Evita for Leeds Grand Theatre.
Stage Entertainment is one of the world's largest theatrical producers and venue owners, with bases across Europe and in New York. Previous UK credits include the multi Olivier Award winning Hairspray at the Shaftesbury Theatre and UK tour, Sister Act at the London Palladium, the Broadway Theater in New York and UK tour, Strictly Come Dancing Live! UK arena tours, Disney's High School Musical 1 & 2 (Hammersmith Apollo and UK tours), Fame at the Shaftesbury Theatre and UK tours, The Full Monty at the Prince of Wales and UK tour, Contact at the Queen's Theatre and Blue Man Group at the New London Theatre.
Chichester Festival Theatre is one of this country's most prolific and successful producing houses having transferred many productions to the West End and beyond, including recently the multi-award winning productions of Macbeth and ENRON (which both also transferred to Broadway), the world premiere of Yes, Prime Minister, and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead which recently completed a run at the Theatre Royal Haymarket. Chichester's critically acclaimed revival of Caryl Churchill's Top Girls is currently playing at London's Trafalgar Studios. Chichester Festival Theatre celebrates its 50th Anniversary in 2012.
Singin' in the Rain is based on the classic Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film and produced by arrangement with Maurice Rosenfield, Lois F Rosenfield and Cindy Pritzker Inc. This production is by special arrangement with Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures, Inc. Music Published by EMI.
Photo Credit: Manuel Harlan
