Yes, it really has been 22 years since Diamond Head Theatre last entertained Honolulu with "Singin’ in the Rain." Alan Onickle (Don Lockwood), James C.K. Pestana (Cosmo Brown) and Jade Stice (Kathy Seldon) were the stars in 1990, and Sean Quinn, Kyle Malis and Marcela Biven, respectively, meet the same high expectations as guest director Greg Zane presents an even bigger and better version this time.
The three stars excel as singers, dancers and actors. Ahnya Chang (Lina Lamont) gives a career-best performance as the designated villain, and several members of the supporting cast also provide star-caliber performances.
Videographer Paul Goto’s work as the producer of the original black-and-white film clips makes the show more substantial visually than its 1990 predecessor as well.
For the benefit of anyone encountering the story for the first time, "Singin’" takes place in Hollywood circa 1927 as the film industry was making the transition from silent movies to "talkies." Some silent-film stars survived the transition; others did not.
| ‘SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN’
Where: Diamond Head Theatre, 520 Makapuu Ave.
When: 8 p.m. Thursdays-Fridays, 3 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 4 p.m. Sundays, through Aug. 12
Cost: $12-42
Info: 733-0274 or www.diamondheadtheatre.com
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Quinn and Biven fit together perfectly as the romantic leads: Don’s a silent film star with thousands of adoring fans; Kathy may be the first woman he’s met who isn’t impressed. The pair bring those familiar characters to life and establish the all-important sense of latent chemistry between Don and Kathy with their first scene together. Quinn and Biven build on that excellent first impression with each of the key scenes that follow.
DHT veteran Kyle Malis hits every facet of the role of the comic sidekick. Malis makes "Make ‘Em Laugh" the high-powered show-stopper it should be and adds the necessary poignancy (as the guy who doesn’t get the girl) to "Good Morning."
Chang is hilarious as a dim yet ruthless leading lady of the silent screen whose nasal, high-pitched voice is the antithesis of the romantic roles for which fans know her. Chang’s showcase number — "What’s the Matter With Me?" — is the production’s comic high point.
The show benefits from key performances in secondary roles. Dennis Proulx (R.F. Simpson) makes a welcome return to the stage as the blustering producer; Mathias Maas (Roscoe Dexter) is an important comic asset as the yes-man director; and Pedro Armando Haro (Production Tenor) displays his potential as a leading man in the "Beautiful Girl" number. Rick Manayan (Dialect Coach) shows his talents as both comic actor and talented dancer in a big scene with Quinn and Malis.
Kathryn Mariko Lee, in a bit part, owns the show during her seductive performance as the Girl in Green Dress.
The highlight of every stage version of the show is re-creating the original film’s title song rain sequence. The technical demands involved in creating an onstage rainstorm explain why it’s been 22 years since the show was last presented here. Zane, and tech designers Willie Sabel (set and props) and Dawn Oshima (lighting), give Quinn an impressive downpour to dance in — and he makes full use of it.
