Tappin’ Up a Storm

It took nerve to attempt crafting a theatrical version of “Singin’ in the Rain.”

The 1952 satire of Hollywood’s early attempts at “talking” pictures has been cited as one of the best--and best-loved--movie musicals of all time. But how could anyone re-create the famous scene when Gene Kelly dances amid the raindrops?

With such popularity and a terrific score, though, the temptation to capitalize on the property must have been strong. Betty Comden and Adolph Green, both seasoned writers for the stage, adapted the film script they’d written, and most of the songs, primarily by Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown, were appropriated intact. Productions reached London and Broadway in the mid-1980s.

The engaging, tuneful Cabrillo Music Theatre production, playing in Thousand Oaks and billed as the company’s first tap musical, was directed by Jon Engstrom, whose credits include two previous versions of the show for the Santa Barbara Civic Light Opera.

Cabrillo has rented that company’s ambitious stage set, which allows lead actor David Engel to almost re-create the show’s best-remembered sequence, singing and soft-shoeing through a cloudburst.

The story, many will remember, concerns Don Lockwood (Engel) and Lina Lamont (Kelli Thacker), on-screen sweethearts whose upcoming production is being switched at the last minute to the new medium of sound.

There are two problems: Don--who never much cared for the egocentric Lina--has fallen in love with aspiring actress Kathy Selden (Holly Bosil), and Lina’s screech of a voice is not exactly suited to sound. Further comedy is furnished by Cosmo Brown (BK Kennelly), Don’s longtime friend, former vaudeville partner and current musical accompanist.

The principals do fine work, suggesting the original cast, which included Debbie Reynolds as Kathy and Jean Hagen as Lina, without precisely imitating them. Engstrom keeps several of the signature dance numbers intact, at least as much as the actors’ athleticism allows, and adds his own touches to the exceptional “Broadway Melody,” a showcase for Engel and the ensemble. Musical director Ilana Eden leads the capable orchestra.

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One of show business’ most enduring cliches came to life two days before the opening of this production when Jamie Torcellini, rehearsing his spotlight number, “Make ‘em Laugh,” broke his ankle. Luckily, there was a doctor in the house: Raymond Mastrovito, who is also Cabrillo Music Theatre’s president.

“We took him to the emergency room right away,” Mastrovito said. “It was a clean break and should heal easily.” Still, Torcellini, playing the crucial role of Cosmo Brown, needed to be replaced immediately.

“I’ve dealt with this kind of thing before, though never with a leading player, and was very calm,” said Engstrom, who immediately called BK Kennelly, whom he’d directed in the role in Santa Barbara three years ago.

“I’d asked BK originally, but he was too busy with other projects to devote time to rehearsals and the show. This time I called him and told him that if he couldn’t do it, we’d have to close down the production.”

At least protracted rehearsal time was no longer an issue. Kennelly came in on Thursday, rehearsed for a combined 10 hours on Thursday and Friday and performed with the company at Friday night’s opening.

It’s safe to say that, if there were no announcement, most of the audience wouldn’t have known that Kennelly hadn’t been with the show from the beginning.

“It’s good for the actors to see what a pro can do when he puts his mind to it,” a much-relieved Engstrom said Sunday evening.

DETAILS

“Singin’ in the Rain” continues through Sunday at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza auditorium, 2100 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd. Performances are at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Tickets range from $16 to $32 and can be purchased from the Civic Arts Plaza box office or through TicketMaster at 583-8700. For more information, call 497-8615.